Dana 30 Center Chunk

[chaynes12]

Let me preface this post with "I do not know what I'm talking about at all when it comes to axles. Im just trying to reach out to get some much needed advice/help." So I have a Dana 30 front end and I am trying to get the center chunk gear taken out, cleaned up, and put back in and gear lash set with new inner bearings and seals as well. I have taken it to a local 4-wheel-drive shop and they took it apart and looked at it, determined we could re-use the gears, and they quoted me $700??? I felt this was a little outrageous. But again, Im not familiar with this type work at all. I was wondering if anyone could help me out or maybe point me in the right direction to get this done. Because this is holding up my build big time. Again, all I need done is gear taken out, cleaned, and put back in with gear lash set. As well as new bearings and seals put in. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[Broncobowsher]

Is this quoted price a drive it in and drive it out price? Probably about right. It will be sitting on a hoist for the better part of a day. Lots of labor pulling the brakes and hubs apart to get the axles out. Pressing bearings off and on. Measuring and adjusting. It is pretty much a complete front axle rebuild. Probably the only thing not being rebuilt are the kingpins.

If you carry the axle housing in with the knuckles apart and the shafts out, then that is a high price.

 

[bmc69]

Why new bearings? To install new seals you only have to spread the case, pull the chunk..remove old and install new seals and put the chunk back in.

That said...I agree with Broncobowsher...the "drive in, drive out" price for installing new axle seals can easily be $700 due to all the labor and disassembly required.

 

[Broncobowsher]

IF the bearings are bad, the gears are bad. Metal dust from a failing bearing will embed into the gears. So everything is good, or everything is bad.

 

[chaynes12]

It is NOT a drive in, drive out project. I have a bare axle housing I took to them in the back of a Honda CRV.... everything is already pulled off.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Shop must be behind on the bass boat payments.

Where are you at? If your profile was filled out it would make it easier for someone to know where you are at and help you find a shop

 

[chaynes12]

Shop must be behind on the bass boat payments.

Where are you at? If your profile was filled out it would make it easier for someone to know where you are at and help you find a shop

Im in the east Atlanta area

 

[chriskent85]

Why new bearings? To install new seals you only have to spread the case, pull the chunk..remove old and install new seals and put the chunk back in.

That said...I agree with Broncobowsher...the "drive in, drive out" price for installing new axle seals can easily be $700 due to all the labor and disassembly required.

If I remember right you also have to remove the axles to pull the chunk out. which means removing hubs and brakes. Lot of work just to replace the seals. Ive replaced mine and let the chassis sit on a trailer for 1 years while waiting on the body and had a huge leak on one side so now im gonna have to pull it all apart and put another inner seal in.?

 

[pipeline010]

If I remember right you also have to remove the axles to pull the chunk out. which means removing hubs and brakes. Lot of work just to replace the seals. Ive replaced mine and let the chassis sit on a trailer for 1 years while waiting on the body and had a huge leak on one side so now im gonna have to pull it all apart and put another inner seal in.?

ya seals in general like to stay nice and gooey. They sit for too long and they have issues.

To the PO as said above are you absolutely certain you NEED to replace the carrier (center) bearings?

If not:
Do the work yourself. It's Charlie Brown work (ie no thinking, lots of grunting) and pre-lash is irrelevant as you are taking carrier out, doing work, putting carrier in without messing with bearings or shims. Goes back in the same way it came out.

If Yes:
Do the work yourself. Pull the drums, axles, carrier. Replace to seals. THEN bring the carrier (center) and the housing to a shop and have them set your bearings/shims, install, and set lash. It would be a 30-50 minute job for them seriously.

A lot of guys here would say to do that yourself too but as a nincompoop I get concerned about doing some of the overly technical stuff myself. I try to keep my own stuff to the Charlie Brown work and bring in a mechanic when necessary. Imo, pre-lash is one of those times.

 

[66BlueGoose]

Paid $699 in CA for the same job as you described (bar axle housing dropped off), that price included labor, parts (bearing and seals) and tax. They really stepped on the bearing prices, and yes, California pricing.

 

[chaynes12]

Well you all bring up good points. I am pretty mechanical and I would not have a problem diving into it IF I had a little more knowledge on it. Im just very skeptical because I seriously have no idea about axles. But if you guys really say its not a big deal, im sure youtube could help me out and I could get it done. I'd just really hate to screw something up...

 

[pipeline010]

I've never done it either but am just waiting for a warm(ish) two days to cut into it all.

I have the same year bronco as yours and the only experience I have is on the rear (9"). A year ago I didn't know the difference between an exhaust manifold and a carburetor.

Gotta learn sometime, and unless you've got Bieber money you'll find lots of other places to drop that 7-hundo.

 

[Nothing Special]

I installed an OX locker in the front Dana 44 of my Bronco last spring. I re-used the original gears and didn't touch the pinion, so it was about as easy a diff change as you can get. I'm glad I did it, and I'd do it again, but it was a PAIN!

I describe this job as one where, if you have to ask if you can, then you probably can't. That's not to say "if you don't already know how" then you can't. There are plenty of resources to help you learn what you need to learn. But if you don't start with confidence that you can do it you'll likely get discouraged.

The only "special" tools I needed were a dial indicator (to check backlash), a caliper (to measure shim thickness), a torque wrench (to measure torque-to-turn, or preload indirectly) and a bearing puller (use was obvious).

I also used a height gage to measure the overall size and position of the assembly. To some extent that helped me get the shims close with the new diff before putting it in the first time, but in reality those measurements didn't work out that well, so I certainly wouldn't say that was necessary.

I was able to pry the diff out and pound it back in (using a hammer and a block of wood) pretty easily without a case spreader.

The bearing puller was the biggest tool issue for me. I tried using setup bearings first (getting them ready was a treat!), but after getting what I wanted there I put the real bearings on with the same shims and wasn't close. So I ended up having to press the final bearings on and off a few times. I think bearing pullers that looked like they'd work cost over $200 (maybe a lot over). I was able to make my own. But that cost might dissuade you from getting into it if this will be a one-time thing. Or find out if you can rent one somewhere.

I discussed the project starting with post #54 in my build thread if you want to know more of my project.

 

[DirtDonk]

And while this may be irrelevant, I've never heard a differential carrier in a standard diff like a Dana referred to as a chunk. The only ones I've ever heard called that were drop-out assemblies like the Toyota trucks, the Ford 9" and some other older design differentials have.

Maybe the term is used for all diffs and I just never noticed it. If so, sorry for the added confusion. But in my experience it was only for drop-outs.
Also called: center section, hogs head, chunk, third member, and one or two others I don't remember.

Paul