This is Steve.....OK...what do you mean when you mentioned the preload on the pinion? I have a Sears impact gun, just like the one my dad uses on his tractor and trailer, so that sheould be OK. I have the rear jacked up (using ramps on the back side and blocking the front) and am in the process of cleaning the gunk off the housing....Gee, the rear is only 3/4 of the size it was dirty ;-)
I haven't taken anything apart yet....I'm waiting for it to cool down some (still over 100 degrees outside) before I unhook the driveshaft from the rear yoke (going to tape up the universal in the process and probably replace anyway) and then figure out the yoke. I only have simple tools and a seal puller....somewhere. I wiggled the driveshaft/yoke pretty hard in all directions and there was no play. I will try the yoke again after I unhook the driveshaft. How do I remove the Yoke with this "preload"? Is it pressed on too?
Thanks for all the responses, Steve
1 remove driveshaft from yoke
2 take a sharp chisel and hammer, and make a good mark on the pinion and the pinion nut. So you know how they line up. Turn the pinion by hand and check for slop. You will need to know what it feels like for step 7 and up.
3 remove the nut (I use an impact wrench so it's easy to hold)
4 gently tap the yoke away from the axle. Do not hammer the pinion in! You could damage it or the bearings.
5(optional) I suggest you replace the pinion seal while you have it apart because they tend to leak often. They are just cheap insurance. Make sure you put some oil on the lip for lubrication.
6 work the new yoke on to the pinion until you can get the nut started. Some people (mostly who sell the parts) say you should get a new nut because it's a lock nut that works the best only once. I usuallyreuse the old one. In either case, make sure you use RED threadlocker, not blue, because it's stronger.
7 Take note of how easy it is to spin the yoke by hand, and how much slop (usually only a little bit) there is in the bearings. Slowly tighten up the nut until you hit the mark you made in step 2.
8 If there is still slop and no change in the ease of turning, tighten one width of the chisel mark past.
9 If there is still no change, make one full turn back to the mark and one chisel mark width past.
repeat step 9 until the slop is gone and it gets harder to turn again like it did in step 2.
IMPORTANT! If you go too far, DO NOT LOOSEN. If you have gone a lot too far, (more than 1/8 turn) you will have to remove the axles, carrier, and pinion to replace the crush sleeve. This should only be done by experienced axle people because several measurements must be made to determine the rotating torque and nut position, etc.
10 put the driveshaft back on
It should be fairly easy to tell when you have gone enough turns to take up the slop. It will be cut and dry either slop or no slop. All the play will be taken up in the last 1/16th of a turn on the last revolution of the nut, so it is hard to be off by a whole turn. After you do this once, you will get a better feel for it.
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