[justinking06031]

Hey guys,
I am in the middle of a gear install of Yukon 4.88's in my 92 XJ HPD30(will be using 97 TJ shafts for larger u-joints) and my '99 Explorer 8.8. They will both be receiving Auburn ECTED "lockers" at the same time.

I am doing 1 axle at a time for my own sanity. I don't need shims and bearings from both axles floating around the garage.

FORD 8.8
I have the axle completely torn down, ground down, and cleaned out. I have all new parts for the install - I am not putting part numbers in this thread(unless asked) since there are numerous posts that have more info than you could need.

2 questions right now:
1. I, ummm....., froze my carrier(in order to get the ring gear on) for about a week. Well, it is condensating at a rapid rate now, any tips/suggestions/worries I should have? I have been using compressed air to blow the water out -- I had the crazy thought of baking it at like 250 for an hour to cook all the water off..... Is this a relevant concern?

2. Would it be best to shave my ring gear NOW(instead of later) in order to get the cross shaft to fit?

Here are some pics to add some spice to this post.







Thanks for the help,
J
Semper Fi!

[tippmann243]

dont shave the ring gear shave the cross pin.

look at where the bolt goes through the old the cross pin. figure out the orientation then rotat the shaft 90* and grind it down in a grinder.

then you can inster the shaft, rotate it 90* to line up the hole for the bolt and your good to go.

[builder]

u have to notch the ring gear to get the shaft in. You only have to do one tooth and just the inside corner. Notching the shaft you would need to almost cut the shaft in half the long way as you can see when you try to get it in.

[tippmann243]

Originally Posted by builder

u have to notch the ring gear to get the shaft in. You only have to do one tooth and just the inside corner. Notching the shaft you would need to almost cut the shaft in half the long way as you can see when you try to get it in.

personal preference but id rather notch a 5 dollar shaft then a 200 dollar set of gears.

if you grind the pin down to look like this everything will be just fine.

[justinking06031]

Okay, i cleaned the carrier up with brake cleaner and blow-dried it. It is looking good.

I got the pinion installed with 19 in-lbs preload(no carrier installed). I have the carrier in using the same shims it had before(.275) on each side -- There is no play, but the pattern will tell. I measured backlash at .004".

QUESTION: In my yukon gear install manual, there are 2 Ford 8.8" options - OLD 5 CUT and NEW 2 CUT -- does anyone know how to know which one I have? **EDIT ANSWER - OLD 5 CUT AS PER RANDY'S R&P EDIT**

This is how I had it setup for measuring backlash -- look good?



First pattern - PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON THE PATTERN - this is my first time doing gears...
Drive Side:


Coast Side:

[dmcanally]

Originally Posted by justinking06031

Why does it look like you just hammered out the tubes on an anvil?

[justinking06031]

Originally Posted by dmcanally

Why does it look like you just hammered out the tubes on an anvil?

LOL, the right side of that tube looks like that in the picture, but I just went and looked, it is straight and smooth -- they are bare steel and neck down at the ends -- not sure why they look so rough lol.... They are smooth, I assure you(i used a flap wheel on em)

[iwishihad1]

grind the ring gear..done it on a few 8.8s from 4:56s to 5:13s, and it works fine, and we only had to take a little off 1 tooth each time. dont notch the cross pin. your just creating a weak point

[justinking06031]

Originally Posted by iwishihad1

grind the ring gear..done it on a few 8.8s from 4:56s to 5:13s, and it works fine, and we only had to take a little off 1 tooth each time. dont notch the cross pin. your just creating a weak point

Thank you for the input - I am going to shave the ring gear; I just was looking to figure out the best time to do it...

[TnTRacing28]

X2 on shave the ring gear, done it many times with no ill effects. If your gear is set up correctly (which it looks like yours will be) their wont even be contact where the tooth is ground at.

[KennyTJ]

Your first patern looks awsome! You are insanely lucky!!! You have no idea!!!

Good Job!

[justinking06031]

Originally Posted by KennyTJ

Your first patern looks awsome! You are insanely lucky!!! You have no idea!!!

Good Job!

Thank you for the input!

I realize that my drive side looks good(good enough to call "done"?), but I didn't think the coast side was "good enough" -- Surely I didn't get this lucky with no changes....

[justinking06031]

Can anyone give me some more guidance on my pattern? Please

[KennyTJ]

According to my Yukon gear installation instructions booklet your drive side is good and your coast side is slightly to the toe end. This could be that the pinion is too close, but your set-up is not as extreme as the pics for that scenario. If your preload on the pinion is correct you're looking pretty darn good!

I have the exact same set-up D30HP and Ford 8.8. I like the Romkin diff covers! Just a question, why did you remove the brackets on the D30? Are you going away from the factory 4-link with track-bar? just curious.

Looks awsome, keep up the good work!

[justinking06031]

Kenny -- Thank you for your repeated responses - I ground everything down because this is going in a YJ SOA. no need for all the brackets...


My thoughts looking at the yukon patterns was the same as yours - I made a call to yukon to make sure I was using the correct backlash specs.... I was not(was at .005") ... I had to back the ring gear away from the pinion(to .011" - .016"). I put in a .010" shim in(yukon says that a .010" shim should net .007" increase on the backlash). I have the shim in now but dont have a pattern yet. I am trying to ensure I get the most accurate backlash reading as possible.

This is what I am doing right now(I was having trouble determining if the pinion was moving). My question now is when reading the gauge for backlash; if i just rock the ring gear by hand, I get .005" -- If i watch the pinion(ensuring it doesnt move) and use pressure against the housing and force it back and forth, I get a reading of .012" --- Am I doing it right?

Is my description clear enough?

Thanks for the help guys!