regearing axles....tools

hey everybody

well last night i was tearing into my waggy d44 and pulled the pinion, yoke and all that good stuff out, and it got me thinking i could do this.

what is the list of tools youd need to re-gear, and is it really worth it. im regearing a ford 8.8, and d44 to 5:13. i can get them done (labor) for about 4-500. how much do these tools cost. if it costs as much as the labor would ill just get a mechanic to do it

Some people use different methods and tools, but, IMHO, to do it right you will need:

A good torque wrench.

An inch-pound, dial type torque wrench (can be pretty expensive).

A dial indicator (I got mine through Grizzly Tools for about $40).

A caliper (came with the dial indicator from Grizzly Tools).

In all, if someone will do it for $400-500, that's not bad. The best price I got for someone to install mine was $750. I wound up doing them myself. Another thing to consider is how and who will be doing it. I have a lot of friends who are professional mechanics who swear by just using the original shims and putting it all back together without checking backlash, etc. I prefer to pay a little more attention and check and re-check everything. In the end, it's up to you. Good luck.

I also got a dial indicator and caliper set from Grizzly for around $40. I found a KD beam type inch/pound torque wrench online for about $45, works great for checking pinion preload. You'll also need a press, set up bearings and a 300 foot/pound torque wrench. Buying the tools was not much more than paying for one regear and now I have the tools to do unlimited regears and other projects. Worth it IMO.

Not sure what you would need the caliper for... You also need a 1/2" impact gun and the socket for the pinion nut to preload the bearings. I usually go by feel as far as the backlash and pinion preload go, but i have set up alot of rearends...

XJ9888 said:

Not sure what you would need the caliper for

Click to expand...

I don't, it just came as a set. I do have a micrometer for checking shim thickness. I'm sure after doing it several times a lot of the set up can be done by feel but I'm not at that point yet, I still have to check.

XJ9888 said:

Not sure what you would need the caliper for... You also need a 1/2" impact gun and the socket for the pinion nut to preload the bearings. I usually go by feel as far as the backlash and pinion preload go, but i have set up alot of rearends...

Click to expand...

A caliper (or micrometer) is useful for checking the thickness of the old (or new) shims.

I echo the earlier comment about the KD tools in-lb torque wrench. It has served me well for re-gearing and dealing with small fasteners. Much cheaper than the dial units.

You may want a bearing puller, its easier to get new ones on then take the old ones off.

XJ9888 said:

Not sure what you would need the caliper for... You also need a 1/2" impact gun and the socket for the pinion nut to preload the bearings. I usually go by feel as far as the backlash and pinion preload go, but i have set up alot of rearends...

Click to expand...

The correct method to tighten the pinion is with a torque wrench and a pinion yoke holder. An impact can cause damage. I have been trained and have built over 100 differentals. I have used an impact without an issue, but have seen a pinion tooth get chipped when a pinion seal was replaced by a different tech. He didn't hold the pinion outward when tightening it and it chipped against the ring gear. I use an inch and foot pound torque wrench, dummy bearings, a pinion depth set-up tool, micrometer, and a case spreader(sometimes not always) or preload adjustment tools. A bearing puller and a press with bearing installers are nice to have too. I understand why it costs so much, there is a large investment to have all the correct tools for the different differentals made. It takes some skill to do a professional job and get it right the first time. Having to tear it back down is no fun because the backlash or preload or pinion depth isn't adjusted correctly after you set it up the first time....

Can you do it yourself? Sure just take your time and be careful.

Ok.. I have a question...
I need to change my pinion seals and need to pick up a dial torque wrench.
My question is what sort of range should i look for.
Some are up to 600 in/lb range. I really don't think i need that much but some are as low as 75 in/lbs.

So what range should we be looking for? what sort of increments?

Below 100 inch pounds. Most pinion preloads are around 10 -20 inch pounds.

K_scheeringa said:

Ok.. I have a question...
I need to change my pinion seals and need to pick up a dial torque wrench.
My question is what sort of range should i look for.
Some are up to 600 in/lb range. I really don't think i need that much but some are as low as 75 in/lbs.

So what range should we be looking for? what sort of increments?

Click to expand...

As mentioned above, some of us have had success with a 0-60 in-lb beam-type wrench:

http://www.toolsource.com/beamtype-torque-wrench-14in-fixed-inlb-p-71321.html


I've used this for re-gearing, tranny rebuild, misc small bolts, etc.

Great thanks guys.
Now I know what type to get..
I was looking around the 150 to 250 in/lb mark. That would have been too high...
Does everyone change the u joint straps when they take them apart?
My manual says to change them and the pinion nut as soon as you take them apart. Just seeing what people actually do and there experiences.