406 axle pinion conversion

[BlueMoose]

I'm looking for resources for purchasing pinion conversions for 406 style axles. I've seen several home brew, but I don't have access to a machine shop. So I'm looking for resources, and perhaps some personal opinions from those of you who have purchased conversions, ie which of them is best and why.

I know Taradon had been doing some, does he still do them? And I'm open to non business types ie someone who has successfully made their own conversions and is willing to make me a pair for a fee or trade. I have 4 axles worth of disk brake calipers (2 front, 2 rear) that I'd be willing to trade. One set is rough the other looks nice (the calipers).

And for what it's worth I have both the stock drive shafts and torque tubes for use with the conversion.

Thanks in advance for your input

[OX]

If you get a hold of Don, ask him why he won't call or E-mail me. He has my front 406 shafts and quite a bit of my money. I Have not been able to contact him for well over a month.

[XFORDNAP2]

I have been working on a pinion conversion, and have almost finished them. I have it set up so that you can run them as a fixed or slip yoke. This is all dependent upon the amount of your drive shaft travel. The conversion consists of a billet steel pinion housing, a yoke shaft seal, and a billet yoke in either 1410 or 1480 size. I have some pictures, but I am not able to post them. I am waiting for the splines to be cut. If a fixed yoke is desired, the pinion shaft must be drilled and taped for the yoke bolt. I set the first ones up so that I could run either option. They need some testing, but have a lot of R&D in the designs.

Thanks

[jptbay]

Originally Posted by XFORDNAP2

I have been working on a pinion conversion, and have almost finished them. I have it set up so that you can run them as a fixed or slip yoke. This is all dependent upon the amount of your drive shaft travel. The conversion consists of a billet steel pinion housing, a yoke shaft seal, and a billet yoke in either 1410 or 1480 size. I have some pictures, but I am not able to post them. I am waiting for the splines to be cut. If a fixed yoke is desired, the pinion shaft must be drilled and taped for the yoke bolt. I set the first ones up so that I could run either option. They need some testing, but have a lot of R&D in the designs.

Thanks

Email me the pics and I'll post them.

[XFORDNAP2]

I sent the pics.

Thanks

[jptbay]

Pics.

[sceep]

Originally Posted by jptbay

Pics.

oooh.. thats pretty.

[BlueMoose]

Originally Posted by XFORDNAP2

I have been working on a pinion conversion, and have almost finished them. I have it set up so that you can run them as a fixed or slip yoke. This is all dependent upon the amount of your drive shaft travel. The conversion consists of a billet steel pinion housing, a yoke shaft seal, and a billet yoke in either 1410 or 1480 size. I have some pictures, but I am not able to post them. I am waiting for the splines to be cut. If a fixed yoke is desired, the pinion shaft must be drilled and taped for the yoke bolt. I set the first ones up so that I could run either option. They need some testing, but have a lot of R&D in the designs.

Thanks

Looking at the pics above your work looks great, but I have a few questions. How is the pinion housing secured to the axle housing? I'm guessing there needs to be some holes drilled in the pinion housing at the base? You've also indicated that the conversion consists of a housing, a seal, and a yoke. Is there no bearings? I believe other conversions have 2 or 3 bearings.

[XFORDNAP2]

I still have to drill the bolt circle, and cut the flutes. I need to get up with my buddy to borrow his indexing jig. The yokes are not back from having the splines cut. Theses axles originally come with torque tubes. They do not have any other bearings. They do have a nylon wear ring on the sleeve of the torque tube. When you add additional bearings into the mix it becomes very hard to keep them in line with the original bearings. The additional bearings can cause abnormal wear to the pinion shaft and original bearings.

[BlueMoose]

Originally Posted by XFORDNAP2

I still have to drill the bolt circle, and cut the flutes. I need to get up with my buddy to borrow his indexing jig. The yokes are not back from having the splines cut. Theses axles originally come with torque tubes. They do not have any other bearings. They do have a nylon wear ring on the sleeve of the torque tube. When you add additional bearings into the mix it becomes very hard to keep them in line with the original bearings. The additional bearings can cause abnormal wear to the pinion shaft and original bearings.

But the bearing that is already on the pinion in the stock config is still retained, yes? I'm assuming it is supported in you conversion?

[XFORDNAP2]

The original bearings and the factory location are still used. The new seals housings are much larger and stronger than the factory torque tubes. Most of the conversions I have found, just cut the torque tubes up, cap the end with a seal and add another bearing between. They do have some variations in the designs, but are similar. They use drive flanges, different bearing supports, and other methods. A good comparison to this design would be the slip yoke on the tail shaft of a transmission. However, a fixed yoke/flange could be used and the housings shortened, if so desired.