mhead
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Encinitas, CA
In the Dana 44 differential there is a preloading force on the carrier bearings. This is established by shims located under each carrier bearing. The differential case is spread using a spreader, the carrier placed, and the spreader released. When the differential case springs back to its unstreached condition it places the preload force upon the bearings, assuming that sufficient shims are under these so that they are just a little too far apart to fit into the unstreached case.
My question is, how can I tell if I've put enough shims under the bearings to provide the proper preload?
Pinion bearings are also preloaded. In this case torque is used as a proxy for measuring the preload force. There is a range of acceptable torque for a properly preloaded pinion, and it is measured without the carrier installed. I've carefully measured this. It seems to me that I should see additional torque once I've installed the carrier and that this is a way to guess if I have the proper carrier bearing preload. But I've put sufficient shims on the carrier so that I have to tap it into place with the differential case streched (and I can't get it back out just now... I'm about 0.003" less than original shims at this point) but I see almost no increase in pinion torque, only about 1 in-lb. Should I see more torque? Will 0.003" make the same large difference that this distance does for a pinion preload?
Thanks
My question is, how can I tell if I've put enough shims under the bearings to provide the proper preload?
Pinion bearings are also preloaded. In this case torque is used as a proxy for measuring the preload force. There is a range of acceptable torque for a properly preloaded pinion, and it is measured without the carrier installed. I've carefully measured this. It seems to me that I should see additional torque once I've installed the carrier and that this is a way to guess if I have the proper carrier bearing preload. But I've put sufficient shims on the carrier so that I have to tap it into place with the differential case streched (and I can't get it back out just now... I'm about 0.003" less than original shims at this point) but I see almost no increase in pinion torque, only about 1 in-lb. Should I see more torque? Will 0.003" make the same large difference that this distance does for a pinion preload?
Thanks