Chrysler 8.25 spanner nut adjusting tool. HELP

[Jeep450r]

I need this tool ASAP if possible. Willing to drive tonight or tomorrow to get it. My daily driver is out until I can find one and fix my backlash (shot set it up wrong and the spanner nuts walked out of the caps. I could move the carrier about a half inch in each direction.) Im willing to buy or borrow or whatever.

Please post here or shoot me a PM if you can help me out.

Thanks!

 

[dbperformance96]

I took some front axle nuts (dana 30) and welded them to a piece of square stock and that worked perfectly. I have them if you need them but I am down in Selma, I'm not to sure where you are located......

 

[Jeep450r]

Dang, Selma is a good 4 hours from me. Thanks though.

I'm in Pleasanton.

 

[dbperformance96]

No worries man just trying to help out....

 

[XJensen]

I was wondering how good of a job a shop would do if they only charged $100 for a gear install in the vehicle, guess I know now.

Sorry to hear about this though and sorry I can't help.

What was the name of the shop? I remember you came up to Sac for the work.

 

[Alex E]

I was wondering how good of a job a shop would do if they only charged $100 for a gear install in the vehicle, guess I know now.

Sorry to hear about this though and sorry I can't help.

What was the name of the shop? I remember you came up to Sac for the work.

Sorry to hear that as well. 100 bucks is way cheap, I usually charge 300 or more for an entire axle rebuild and gear swap plus parts. That's side job price and not shop rate also. I know that seems steep but most shops around here run about a grand for labor and gears, plus any locker or extras you want. As we all know setting up gears is a little involved and we are only human so mistakes are made sometimes. I've learned my lesson and if anyone needs a machine shop in the south bay I can tell you where NOT to go. They had to machine my long block 3 times.:smoker:

 

[Jeep450r]

Yeah the shop was just opening their motorsports branch of their business and $100 regearing was one of their forms of getting their name out there.

It's more of a (dare i say it) Toyota based shop, and I can see how they could leave that part out on accident. I just hope that they handle it in a professional manner when I call tomorrow. And hopefully my gears aren't toast.

The shop is Golden State Motorsports in sac.

Let's just hope I can get it all back together so I can bring it back up to college tomorrow

On a side note, what should I try to set my backlash at now that my gears have been "used". "new" spec is within .006"-.010" I believe, and used spec is something like .015"+. Or should I just go until I get a good pattern?

 

[WB9YZU]

It's not hard to set up 8.25 gears if the pinion depth is set right. You really don't need any special tools to set backlash/ preload. If you take your time you can set them up with a screwdriver by taping on the spanner holes. Try pattern first. Since pinion depth is unknown, see if you can get a good pattern, if nothing else, you will know what else needs adjusting. Getting it driveable is just backlash.

There are a couple of things bothering me though. The cap "backed out"? Does that mean the bearing caps are loose, because, when those bearing caps are tight, the adjusters don't move. Also, there are safety clips which latch into the adjuster spanner holes and bolt to the bearing caps. Are they missing?

I certainly would not drive it in it's current condition. Yah, I realize the shop messed up, but they will probably only be culpable for the labor, not the gears if you supplied the gears.

Oh, and check the front. If they hosed the back, who knows what they did to the front.

Good Luck!
Ron

 

[XJensen]

well I hope they treat you right. Either way document everything and make a good case

 

[Jeep450r]

It's not hard to set up 8.25 gears if the pinion depth is set right. You really don't need any special tools to set backlash/ preload. If you take your time you can set them up with a screwdriver by taping on the spanner holes. Try pattern first. Since pinion depth is unknown, see if you can get a good pattern, if nothing else, you will know what else needs adjusting. Getting it driveable is just backlash.

There are a couple of things bothering me though. The cap "backed out"? Does that mean the bearing caps are loose, because, when those bearing caps are tight, the adjusters don't move. Also, there are safety clips which latch into the adjuster spanner holes and bolt to the bearing caps. Are they missing?

I certainly would not drive it in it's current condition. Yah, I realize the shop messed up, but they will probably only be culpable for the labor, not the gears if you supplied the gears.

Oh, and check the front. If they hosed the back, who knows what they did to the front.

Good Luck!
Ron

Thank you for the help! That "backing out" thing kind of had me confused. The retaining clips were missing, and I'm assuming that improper torque (over or under torqued, idk) combined with the different heat cycles and shock loads resulted in it loosening up.

Also, I read that the adjusters had to be torqued to 75 ft/lbs, which discouraged me from doing the "tap tap" method with a screw driver. Ill go give it a shot now, and see how it goes.

 

[Jeep450r]

So the pattern Im getting is way out (shallow) on the tooth, but when I tighten it up (less backlash, deeper gear mesh) I cant even turn the pinion/ring gear and wouldn't be able to check the backlash even if i had the tool. there is no give. Any ideas?

Maybe im checking the pattern wrong? Any tips?

I need to get this done tonight! ahhhhhhhhhh

EDIT: How tight do I tighten the caps when I check the pattern??

 

[Jeep450r]

Well, I got the best pattern I could get, it was really shallow but was centered on the gear. Buttoned it all up and just made it to sac. Im bringin it into the shop tomorrow for them to re-set the gears. Thanks for the help guys.

BTW for anyone wondering, I made the tool I needed. I just got a threaded rod and welded two 64mm nuts together on the end. Then I welded a bar to the other end of the rod like a "T" to use as a handle.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

wow. thats nuts man.

 

[Hoooper]

wtf I had been hearing that golden state had good reviews. that sucks to hear

 

[Jeep450r]

wtf I had been hearing that golden state had good reviews. that sucks to hear

Im not out to bash their reputation. Hes letting me drop it off tomorrow at the shop and hes gonna try to get it all back to spec.

Im just hoping all goes well and my gears are still useable. If they're not, and they simply throw me aside and say tough luck, then Im sure the Norcal section of Pirate4x4 will hear about it. :dunno:

 

[carlosshane1477]

you can buy that tool on a aftermarket store or some of the Chrysler would sell that... for more info about the Chrysler repair visit the Chrysler TSB for more info...

 

[Hoooper]

Im not out to bash their reputation. Hes letting me drop it off tomorrow at the shop and hes gonna try to get it all back to spec.

Im just hoping all goes well and my gears are still useable. If they're not, and they simply throw me aside and say tough luck, then Im sure the Norcal section of Pirate4x4 will hear about it. :dunno:

yeah, hopefully just an honest mistake. Not that that REALLY makes it any better but at least shows they feel they know better and likely wont do that to anyone else

 

[Ivan]

.....There are a couple of things bothering me though. The cap "backed out"? Does that mean the bearing caps are loose, because, when those bearing caps are tight, the adjusters don't move. Also, there are safety clips which latch into the adjuster spanner holes and bolt to the bearing caps. Are they missing?....

As strange as it sounds, it happen to my 8.25 the first time I had it regeared. I had my gears done at a reputable shop to boot. Evidently, the adjusters backed out as in the case of the original poster, and bent the safety clips as well on their way out...it was really ugly.

When the shop redid my gears (for free), they wound up machining a couple thousandths off the caps to get a tighter fit, and then installed new gears. That time around, everything held up fine for 6 years, at which point I wound up selling the axle.......

 

[Jeep450r]

Just got back from the shop. Jeep is good to go! Apparently the pattern was almost perfect, and only needed a slight tweak. I must have been checking the pattern wrong.

The shop handled it very well. I wasn't charged for anything, they fixed it on super short notice, and they provided me with rides to and from Sac State to the shop. Overall Im happy, and I hope it stays together for good!

Thanks to everybody who helped!

 

[Alex E]

Awesome, sh!t happens but its nice to know they handled it well.