AMC 20 gear set up (problems)

[shaka 55]

alright heres the deal. We are putting a 80' FS cherokee axles under my buddies 94' YJ.

The rear is a amc 20 and we are putting in 4.88's .

Here is the problem:

got the new pinion gear in and used the stock shim to get it close(we thought) and them set the carrier in with the stock shims it used to get it close( we thought)

The teeth barely mesh togather I shimmed it all the way over to engauge the gears farther but they are still only engauging about half way.?

I don't see what we are doing wrong.

here is what questions I have:

1) Does the Cherokee amc 20 take a different gear set then the amc 20 in a cj?

2) Will this carrier accept 4.88's ( we pulled 2.73's out, wered part is they were 41/15 R&P and a drivetrain website said they would be 30/11?)

3) if this gear ratio doesn't work in this housing because it came with a numerically too high of a gear, Does someone make a ring gear spacer to make it work (similar to the Dana 61 problem)?

ANY help would be great!

[Oxjockey]

Originally posted by shaka 55
2) Will this carrier accept 4.88's ( we pulled 2.73's out, wered part is they were 41/15 R&P and a drivetrain website said they would be 30/11?)

Randy's Website
M20 2.73 & down / 3.07 & up

[shaka 55]

ANyone have any real information

Thanks for looking up what I already know

What I want to find out is why my gear count are so far off and if you can make these gesrs work with a ring gear spacer. (again, like the DANA 61)

NOW, would someone chime in that accual has some first hand experience.

Jesus Christ I'm not a newbie

[greasyjeep]

I think he did answer one of your questions.
the carrier won't work, the break was at 2.73/3.07.
Is there a spacer out ther, not sure, but it may be cheaper/easier to find a carrier for 3.07 ^.
I am pertty sure (95%) that an AMC 20 is an AMC 20 and it doesn't care what it came under.
You can go post a wanted add at IFSJA for a carrier and probably get a good response. Those guys are very responsive and have lots of stuff like that laying around.

[Oxjockey]

Originally posted by shaka 55
ANyone have any real information

Thanks for looking up what I already know

What I want to find out is why my gear count are so far off and if you can make these gesrs work with a ring gear spacer. (again, like the DANA 61)

NOW, would someone chime in that accual has some first hand experience.

Jesus Christ I'm not a newbie

I have setup these diffs, and did not have to come on here asking if the carrier I was using was the one I needed. How much more first hand experience do you need?

If you know so well, why did you ask? I wouldn't use a spacer, I'd use a thicker gearset if it's available...but you'd might want to ask someone who actually knows.

[HybridPOS]

you need a new carrier, the correct one for that gearset.... Brainiac.

The Waggy and CJ housings are the same, only difference is the tubes and axles.

[Rescue35]

Get a full locker or a new carrier.

[rock-rod]

You definitely need a different carrier. The 2.73s used a unique carrier, while all the other gears used a different carrier.

Ask me how I know

[CP8071]

I've got a stock AMC20 carrier I pulled out to put in detroits. Originally was a 13:43 gearset (3.31 ratio). It's the carrier size you need, stock open gears, never had a locker in it.

I could strip it down and sell it to you, but shipping might suck, try to find one closer first.

CP

[jessejeep]

I have a factory posi you can have cheap if you want to drive down and get it. The AMC 20,s are a pain because they only have 3 shims. I was working on one today, and the Superior gear install sets do not have enough shims ( how the f you going to put a factory .095 in the mix!). You can get clutch pack and shim pack cheap from Randy's

[JeepinIan]

I had a 1/4" spacer made for the AMC 20 in the rear of my CJ when I went to 4.10's. Works great

[shaka 55]

Originally posted by JeepinIan
I had a 1/4" spacer made for the AMC 20 in the rear of my CJ when I went to 4.10's. Works great

Is that a ring gear spacer your talken about? Give me some more info on this.


Also, sorry Ox jockey! I shouldn't have flew off the handle but I was a little when I set the gears up in the housing and found out they didn't even mesh. I was really mad because it's my buddies axle and he didn't do the research to figure this shit out before giving me the axle to regear I had never seen a pinion gear that big before

Anyway, I apriciate the help from you guys and this is all good info. If I can't find a carrier all let you guys that posted know.

[JeepinIan]

Yeah, I had one made that went between the ring gear & the carrier.
That was 7 or 8 years ago, w/ a lockrite in it, and no problems yet w/ the set up. I still run it on the street. My problem is abent tube!