in the garage now - need help with sloppy 9" pinion

[DanWheeler]

Started getting vibration after a trip and found a lot of slop in the rear pinion. Took it out and put a new crush sleeve and tightened down as far as I could go and there's still 1/8" or more of up/down movement in the pinion retainer. I dont think it's even getting to the crush sleeve.

what could be going on here? There are no shims between either retainer right?

i'd like to get the solid spacer from COR eventually but I need to get this thing working before the weekend.

any help appreciated

thanks,
dan

 

[evil69]

Are you trying to use an impact on the crush? You will have better luck if you do, just go slow with it. Its easy to over crush.

 

[DanWheeler]

i'm a dumbass. there's slop because the crush sleeve isn't crushing which is preventing both bearings from moving towards each other creating preload.... right?

Don't mind me - I'm just having a public conversation with myself.

 

[DanWheeler]

Are you trying to use an impact on the crush? You will have better luck if you do, just go slow with it. Its easy to over crush.

yeah, i did use an impact but it pretty much just stopped. My compressor is at 90PSI and the impact was at its highest setting. It just wouldn't go anymore.

Funny thing is I was just looking through my old parts and found a solid spacer that must have been in there before but the shims are trashed.

 

[DanWheeler]

sweet! that little trip to my old parts bin saved me a sore arm and $18. I was able to re-use the old solid spacer. no more slop.

Thats about the only thing I've found so far that the previous owner did right.

 

[broncnaz]

Might have worn out the bearings and races due to running it loose. Or the end of the pinion yoke is worn down. Did you reinstall the thick washer under the pinion nut? with the nut and washer off are splines showing out of the yoke? Cant really think of any other causes. Theres really no reason the crush sleeve shouldnt have worked. I'd say something is wrong and that solid spacer may have been a fix/bandaid.

 

[evil69]

Sometimes it takes a minute of hammering down with the impact to get it to crush. The solid is better; just a pain to shim, check, take apart, shim, check, ect.