[makemeknowit]

I'm no stranger to turning a wrench, but when it comes to the likes of front/rear end stuff as well as hardcore wiring issues, I stay away and leave that to the well trained. I'd like to be able to do both the wiring and front/rear stuff but I'm somewhat intimidated by the technicality/difficulty of it all, not to mention the consequences of doing it wrong. Did those of you who know how go to school for it, just dive in and learn as you went or did someone(friend ,colleague ,etc...)show you the ropes?

 

[Miketnf150]

I'm right there with ya. I would like to be able to rebuild/install gears, lockers and such but am a little leary of it myself. I have a spare D44 and a 9" that I plan on opening up and playing around with it to see how it all works and what not. I don't have all the tools needed to do the gears but hopefully over time I can accumilate the tools needed. So you may try to find you a cheap axle somewhere and do the same. Just a thought.

 

[Traveler]

It's not difficult, but if you want them to run as quiet as the one you take out without whinning. Well that's another story.
It takes a lot of time, you can do it without special tools, but like anything else the right tools make it easier.
Pinion depth, and back lash are the most critical.
Back lash is easy, but if you change your pinion depth, your back lash changes.
If you don't have you pinion depth right, the rear end will whine in a very short periond of time, then it only gets louder, until one day, pop, and grind, no more pinion.
It's easy to get it close, but that is not good enough if you want one quiet, it has to be perfect.
If you don't mind a little noise, just slap a set in.

 

[Miketnf150]

I know what you are saying traveler. If and when I get to doing this I know this really cool place that has some real cool, knowledgeable peeps that can lend me a hand.... :thumbup

 

[seboh]

Setting up gears isn't hard, it's just time consuming and requires a couple of specialized (and expensive) tools. If you're only going to set up a rear once, it's probably better (and cheaper) to let someone else do it. Plus, if *they* screw up, you're not out anything. As for highly-trained..... there are folks out there that get a lot of training, but most of it seems to be centered around emissions and inspection issues. Everybody I know that does gears just jumped in and learned on their first setup.

As for "hardcore wiring"?? Wiring is just a matter of connecting the dots.

 

[Blaze]

I'm the same way...I don't phuck with rearends...the mistakes could be way to costly....:shrug Wiring, like Seboh said it's a matter of tracing wires and most of the time a phuck up results in a blown fuse...I can afford those learning curves..:toothless

 

[welndmn]

Went to skool.

Gears are just eays for me, beside it brings in extra money to help the bronco fund

 

[tim330i]

Did you take a course just on gears or was it a bunch of stuff? Where did you go?

Tim

 

[Davids78Bronco]

first a friend, then school.
on the tools being expensive.
they are not that expensive...
i have $50 in my dial caliper that i use to select shims
and $95 in my dial indicater/magnet mount.
buy it once, treat them right, and you will be set.
i dont own the special pinion depth shit, just go off the markings, and guess the best i can with setup bearings, then put my new bearings in. im getting decent at it where i am good to go once i slap the new bearings on usually.

 

[seboh]

Forgeting some way to R&R the bearings (press/puller/etc), an in-lb wrench for checking preload, some sort of yoke holder, and some big fawking hardware for crushing sleeves.

If all you have is basic hand tools, you could easily spend $300 just on cheap tools. If you get into more $$$ stuff, you can spend $300 just on a dial indicator.

 

[freak]

Self tought,now it seem's I'm doing everyone's.It saves alot of money.

 

[welndmn]

Did you take a course just on gears or was it a bunch of stuff? Where did you go?

Tim

I went to Sequoia out here in CA, did not learn much, I am a master mechinic and learned as i went.

To RandR bearings I have used them all, from a splittler to 2,3,4 jaw pullers, and even had the bad dude 400$ remover, more ofter then not, I have setup bearing for the axle, I cut the old one off.

Yoke holder, I just tie my junk to it
I have a 3/4 impact for cruse sleves, but most of th time I talk the customer into buying a solid spacer kit

 

[NOBS!]

richmond gear sells a video

 

[Davids78Bronco]

for the bearings i use a press.
my yoke holder is a pipe wrench, and my sleeve crusher is my 3/4" impact.

all the tools you will buy you will use later in life if you keep working on it
the press - you will eventually run into bearings, and other press fits if you keep working, and it will be handy
the bearing splitter- ssame as above
-dial claiper, you will end up using it for more presice measuring for fabing up or doing general repair
dial indiactor- will use for finding runout on things you take apart. IE axleshafts, trans shafts, flywheels, brake rotors, crankshafts, camshafts.......

 

[Traveler]

So how do you guys figure your pinion depth?

I could never get it right, until I borrowed a tool for it. I thought I would get close with calipers, but I could never get the heel and toe to look right.

 

[Davids78Bronco]

So how do you guys figure your pinion depth?

I could never get it right, until I borrowed a tool for it. I thought I would get close with calipers, but I could never get the heel and toe to look right.

i do te math first using th emarkings on the old vs new gearsets to get it fairly close, then i try it with my setup bearings.
takes some time, but it works.

 

[Traveler]

Guess I never pulled a factory set that had the depth marked on the pinion, only saw it on the aftermarket sets.
The majority I have done is GM, I don't think Ford Goes bad does it?

Set up bearing do save a bunch of time, good point. I have a set I took the die grinder to and opened them up a tad, so I didn't need to press them on and off.

 

[NDIXIE]

I just finished putting the gears and ARBs in my bronco. Boy, did it take some time. At times I just wanted to throw things. I believe it was worth it. I had help at the auto craft shop here on post the mechs. kinda walk you through the steps. I had a guy tell me that he checked on someone putting gears and lockers in his jeep and it was going to cost him 1100 for just the rear. It was worth the money. I was lucky to have some help.:toothless

 

[seboh]

for the bearings i use a press.
my yoke holder is a pipe wrench, and my sleeve crusher is my 3/4" impact.

Right... and if you have a compressor and a shop and a place to work on your stuff, then buying tools is almost always the better route. But if you're living in an apartment or have limited space/funds/whatever, your ability to buy and store all this stuff is going to be different.

 

[welndmn]

So how do you guys figure your pinion depth?

I could never get it right, until I borrowed a tool for it. I thought I would get close with calipers, but I could never get the heel and toe to look right.

Really experince comes into play, good gear sets are marked. Crappy sets (guienue gear) are not.
I have used pinion depth tools in the past, kind of a waste of money and time.
By the time you have it setup. I could of already tried the depth 2-3 times and most likey nailed it