I'm kinda embarrassed to ask this cause it seems so incredibly retarded and easy...
But, how much rotational play should be in the pinion of a dana 30?
That is with a full time locker and the t-case in 2wd.
At a stop, I can rotate the driveshaft about 1/8 to either side.
Just wondering if this is normal or not.
Thanks in advance and again sorry for the dumbness.

Most of the play is slop in the spider gears. Just make sure there is no play in the axle u-joints. There is a little play from backlash between the ring and pinion. My XJ dana 30 is about the same as what you describe.

Do you have a locker?

What kind of locker? A LockRight will add some slop for example.

Any Locker (as in Detroit, Aussie, Lockright, and not spider gears, posi's, LS's, or spools) will have quite a bit of slop. Its really noticable if you have a manual transmission too. My detroit could easily turn a 1/8 turn if not more and it was brand new along with everthing else (gears, axles, bearings) when it was installed.

Do you have a locker?
Read my post again. :)

What kind of locker? A LockRight will add some slop for example.
Well there we go, it is a lockright.

Any Locker (as in Detroit, Aussie, Lockright, and not spider gears, posi's, LS's, or spools) will have quite a bit of slop. Its really noticable if you have a manual transmission too. My detroit could easily turn a 1/8 turn if not more and it was brand new along with everthing else (gears, axles, bearings) when it was installed.
Well I guess that answers my question. Although, I have a detroit out back and I can't budge it. But I'm assuming that is because my t-case is also engaged.

I will also assume that this is not a problem at all since it looks as if they all do it. I do DD this about 230 miles a week, so I hope I don't blow shit up....Which I haven't yet. :smokin:

Thanks guys.

Read my post again. :)


Well there we go, it is a lockright.


Well I guess that answers my question. Although, I have a detroit out back and I can't budge it. But I'm assuming that is because my t-case is also engaged.

I will also assume that this is not a problem at all since it looks as if they all do it. I do DD this about 230 miles a week, so I hope I don't blow shit up....Which I haven't yet. :smokin:

Thanks guys.

i recently put aussies front and back. the other day i was down there checking things out and noticed a lot of rotational play like you have. since i did my own gears it was possible that i did the set up wrong. i pulled the cover and checked it. the play was from the side gears to the shafts plus r&p back lash. its all good. next time i check ill just pull the fill plug ,stick a screwdriver in the hole to hold the carrier and then check the backlash.