[FIXXXXAH]

OK, I HAVE A PROBLEM, WHEN I TOOK MY THIRD MEMEBER APART I DIDNT COUNT HOW MANY TURNS THE ADJUSTING CAGES ON THE ENDS OF THE CARRIER NEEDED TO SET PRELOAD. I DONT HAVE A DIAL INDICATOR, OR AN INCH POUNDS TORQUE WRENCH, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GET EITHER... IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN SET THIS UP BY FEEL? OR JUST ADJUST THEM UNTIL ITS BARELY SNUGGING UP? THE BEARINGS ARE NOT BEING REPLACED SO I KNOW ITS LESS INCH POUNDS... HOW BAD CAN I SCREW UP IF I GET THE PRELOAD WRONG?

MATT

 

[texican]

I swear sometimes you remind me of a monkey f'n a football....

Unless you had the pinion out you are not setting preload, just backlash....
Only someone who has set up lots of 3rds can set the backlash by "feel"
I do it a lot, but if it is a customers, I always set up a dial indicator to double check myself.
Beg borrow or steal a dial indicator unless you want problems down the road.
Butch:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

 

[RustyNailJustin]

You are setting the backlash. If you have done them a few times you can get pretty close by feel but if not I would go buy a dial indicator. If not barrow one from a friend. LC factory is 5 to 11 degrees I think.

 

[RustyNailJustin]

Doh you beat me Butch Old quick fingers

 

[Pin Head]

Preload is pretty important. It is more important than backlash, because if the bearings are too tight or too loose they won't last long. You can improvise an inch pound torque wrench by using a fish scale on the pinion flange and seeing how many pounds it takes to turn it. The factory spec on this is 1-1.5 "clicks" (holes) tighter than the "zero preload" position. The carrier preload is 3.5 - 5.2 inch pounds more than the pinion preload, which is 7.8-11.3 inch pounds for used bearings and 16.5 - 22.6 for new bearings. It is also worth having a dial indicator even if it is just a cheap $20 Chinese model.

Here is how I do it:

http://members.cox.net/cglabe1/Diff/diff.html