Rebuilding Axles

[vantagetes]

I have a HP30 and Ford 8.8 I'd like to go through before I slide them under my jeep does anyone know enough about axles that they could drink beer and enjoy free food while telling me I'm doing it wrong? I'm not looking for someone to do it for me, I'm fairly confident I can do most of it myself, but it would be nice to have someone smack me upside the head and tell me I have it in backwards BEFORE I put it all together 

[hps4evr]

what are your plans for these axle assemblies?

[vantagetes]

The HP30 is already built with some aftermarket stuff but there are some small shavings in the oil so it's time for a R&P change, the 8.8 needs a new crush sleeve (and most likely pinion bearing) and will probably get a a new R&P to be safe as there would have been some uneven wear, there's already an ARB in both.

I'm going to buy a master rebuild kit so anything else that doesn't look right can be replaced (and if not just keep it for spares) but I don't really know what to be looking for.

So if all else is good, simply swapping ring and pinions and properly crushing the sleeve in the 8.8 this time. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, just know squat about axles (although I guess it's more differentials for what I'm doing) outside of the theory.

[cLAY]

Sorry but setting up gears isn't something someone can talk you thru while drinking beers. Its almost more of an art than a procedure.

Have you got all the specialty tools for it?

[FiEND]

read this then come back.  you're asking someone to sit and eat and drink and watch for something that could take 8hrs to a week to do.

[vantagetes]

I'm making a list of tools to pick up, so at the moment no but hopefully by the time I have all the parts the tools will be here too.

Both of these are sitting on the floor so they can be brought to you if that's more appealing. If it's that complicated or time consuming I'm not against paying someone to do it but I'm leaning away from that because I'm not working ATM (but I do have more than enough budgeted for my jeep fund if it comes down to it) and I'd like to be able to learn how to do it myself, something you lose out on if you go with a shop.

FiEND I know it's a fairly big job but with the axles on the floor it doesn't have to be done all at once. I have done a bunch of reading already so I'm not completely in the dark about the procedure, but it never hurts to have a mentor the first time you try stuff.

[FiEND]

not so much big, more like painstaking.  setup kits always seem to be missing the parts you need most.  i don't mind doing them and probably have 10 diffs done/helped so far.  but that said, the learning curve is probably the highest of anything i have ever learned to do.

having the diffs out is a bonus that's for sure.

[vantagetes]

setup kits always seem to be missing the parts you need most. 

That's my biggest fear right there, which is compounded by not knowing what I'm doing. I did my long arm kit and slip yoke eliminator myself, and fully intend on doing the gears myself the first time if I can't find someone to help. I figure if I can't get it right then I can always take it to a shop (I hear they loveeeeee fixing stuff after you butcher it trying to DIY haha).

I'm not in a huge rush to get it done, the axles are out so it means they can be taken somewhere if need be, and there's no rush to get it put together right away so it can be picked at if need be.

Like I said I'm not looking to freeload and be "hey come rebuild my diff for me", I do plan on trying to learn how to do it myself, but if someone doesn't mind helping out even with looking over the tools and parts to take out some of the learning curve it would be awesome.

[fug]

I hate trying to talk people out of doing stuff... but truly doing diffs is a bit of an art and its painstaking.  Also... having the right tools is a must... and some of those tools are brutally expensive.  The dial torque wrench is going to run you about $3-400..  Having a clam shell puller to pull the pinion bearing off so you can reshim it time and time again  is a good thing.  A 12 Ton press to put the pinion bearing back on time and time again... a dial indicator to measure back lash... and good torque wrench to set bearing caps. 

Also if you screw up a gear install.. there's no fixing it... it announces you messed up by spitting some teeth and you're back to buying a complete new gear set and setup kit.   If you get off lucky and it just howls... well that's how its worn in and there's no fixing that either.

That being said... You CAN do it yourself... but like Fiend said... count on it taking a week and be thrilled if you get a good pattern and backlash right out of the gate and get it done in 8 hours.  My recommendation is to pay someone like Bnine to set them up for you... He has all the tools needed, will charge you a fair price and make sure you know how to do it yourself when all is said done. 

[SilverTJ]

Second the Bnine recommendation.
I "helped" him do mine. There is a lot to this that only experience can teach, you'll never get it from a book.

[vantagetes]

All the really fancy stuff I could probably worm out of our shop



But then I'd have to go to work and they'd probably find something for me to do   (I'm hiding out so I can continue being unemployed and working on my jeep).

Maybe I'll talk to Bnine, if he lets me see what he's doing I'd be down with going that route.

[hps4evr]

All the really fancy stuff I could probably worm out of our shop



But then I'd have to go to work and they'd probably find something for me to do   (I'm hiding out so I can continue being unemployed and working on my jeep).

Maybe I'll talk to Bnine, if he lets me see what he's doing I'd be down with going that route.

thats a big shop, but i doubt any catarpillars use a ford 8.8 or d30. ive done gears in an 8.8 and i recall them to be a little tricky. they dont seem to play by the same rules as the dana's. you might want to find a ford forum and ask about setting the 8.8 up from someone there. the d30 isnt very difficult, but life is much easier with the proper tools. and, setting up the pinion pre-load isnt always as easy when the housing is out of the vehicle. if you can hold it down when you're using the 6 foot snipe then you should be fine.
if i recall correctly Bnine has done at least a few of both of these differentials. maybe even Jay at Chanda as well.

[yyc_tbird_sc]

I find the 8.8 a whole lot easier than a D44. The carrier shims on an 8.8 are outboard of the bearings so there's no need to have to pull the bearings on and off all the time. I've done a couple 8.8's now and they've turned out pretty good, but I'm no where near the point of doing it for others. Right now if my stuff breaks, it's only me that feels bad.

[Rubi03 jef]

Bnine is the best to talk to about gears

i went over to his place took some notes and listened to every word he said

and i was able to install my own gears perfect wear pattern perfect backlash  10 months later they have not moved and everything is still very good

but it does take time . my rear diff toook me near 10 hours lots of trial and error .. and thinking about how slimming one side will effect slims on the other as well as depth and black lash
so theres alot to it
front diff took me 3 hours because i had her figured

read up about it

[Spinalguy]

bnine did my gears on my rubi (5.13's)