• Hello there guest and welcome to our forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Installed the 4.88's today

orange395w

OG MEMBER
Staff member
After installing the new bearings and pinion seal, last night I installed the pinion as well. I didn't have a sweeping inch lb tq wrench that is needed to check proper pinion preload, so I ran off to harbor freight. They didn't have one either, but they had a clicker style. I new it wasn't the one I needed, but I bought it anyway. Mainly because I was anxious to do the install.

Anyway, after using my tool that I fabricated in order to hold the pinion flange I began tightening down the pinion nut until all the freeplay was out. I then proceeded to check pre-load after every 1/8" turn of the nut. Once I felt a little drag I gave it one more very slight turn and checked it. I had 31inch lbs! New bearings should be between 16-29inch lbs. After getting a little worried I called Todd (our resident gear expert :hello:) and told him I went over. He said it would be o.k. after all we are talking "inch lbs" here. I still didn't have a warm and fuzzy, so I barrowed a snap-on sweeping style tq wrench from work and busted through the door when I got home to check it with the proper tool and SWEETNESS!! It was actually sitting @ 27 inch lbs of pre-load. Now I had the warm fuzzy :) (Moral of the story? USE THE PROPER TOOLS!)

Pinion flange tool
Pinionflangetool.jpg


DSCN0604.jpg


Next, I installed the spool. I had everything bagged and tagged so it was easy. Once I installed it and had no backlash I pulled two thin shims out of the left side and put them on the right. Backlash should be bewteen .08-.015 backlash. I got lucky and it ended up right at .010 backlash with only 1 adjustment. Now that the carrier was in place and backlash was good it was time to check gear pattern. Gear pattern came out pretty nice.

DSCN0615.jpg


DSCN0612.jpg


DSCN0610.jpg


DSCN0617.jpg


Next step will be to get the rearend cover on and get this puppy back in the car, so I can put the axles in. I can't wait to see how the new tires look. :rock:
 

orange395w

OG MEMBER
Staff member
those are some steep gears lol, should work real nice ;-)

I'm only planning on racing 1/8th mi. Later in the year I may buy another set of gears to swap out for the 1/4mi. Since I so seldom get to the 1/4. It shouldn't be that big of a deal.
 

orange395w

OG MEMBER
Staff member
Got the diff. all buttoned up last night. Before I put it in I'm going to remove my fuel tank and get the fuel cell installed. I'm also going to make an adapter for my jack that will allow me to jack the axle up into the car. More on that later. :)

DSCN0620.jpg
 

Ford1288

Well-Known Member
Donator
Good work fool! How did you keep the rearend in place will torqueing the pinion nut? Doing it in my car with the rearend on the car was tough, couldnt imagine it with the rearend on the ground.
 

orange395w

OG MEMBER
Staff member
Good work fool! How did you keep the rearend in place will torqueing the pinion nut? Doing it in my car with the rearend on the car was tough, couldnt imagine it with the rearend on the ground.

Didn't you see the pics in the first post? I made a tool for it.

DSCN0604.jpg
 

Ford1288

Well-Known Member
Donator
Still dont see how it works but ok. As you were torqueing it how did you keep the rearend from moving around on the ground?
 

orange395w

OG MEMBER
Staff member
Still dont see how it works but ok. As you were torqueing it how did you keep the rearend from moving around on the ground?

If you hold that huge bar that is attached to the pinion while turning the pinion nut with another breaker bar the rearend will not move.
 

sdsubzero4

Spring Valley, CA
Bobby, very nice work. But like I said to you, you should seriously think about putting a patent in for those tools you created. They are ingenious and would definitely benefit another gearhead doing the same thing you're doing. But damn that is some nice work. Congrats.
 
Top