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14-bolt Gear Install
After installing our long awaited Dana 60 front axle
with 4:88 gears we needed to re-gear our 14-bolt from 4:10 to a 4:88
ratio. For our new gears we called on Drive Train Direct in Corona California, they sell only the highest quality brand name
drive train components
and were very helpful, they quickly had a Precision Gear 4:88 ring and
pinion with install kit delivered to our door. Drive Train Direct carries a full line of Performance and Racing
drive train
components, from spools, axles, yokes, to complete units, their price, selection and quality parts make it a must to check them out when shopping for
any drive train components. We perform almost all of the
work on project "UAV" ourselves, but when it comes to setting
gears we decided to let professionals handle this one. The steps
outlined below are meant to give perspective do-it -yourselfers a
general idea on what is involved in setting gears, there are many other
factors such as experience, proper tools and adjustments that also must
be factored in. We called Tanner 4 Wheel
Drive in Colorado Springs Colorado, to perform the gear swap, they have been in business more than 27 years and have extensive knowledge and experience in setting up 4x4
vehicles properly. One look at their website and you know these guys are
serious, not only do they perform custom work on off-road vehicles, they
hit the trails and abuse them, in fact, Pete the Manager has competed in the
Good Year Extreme Rock Crawling Championship. Tanner
started the installation by putting our Blazer on their hydraulic rack and removing the
axle shafts, because our axle is full-floating the tires didn't need to
come off. The diff cover was removed and the fluid allowed to drain in preparation
for gear removal. While the fluid was draining, the drive shaft was disconnected
and tied out of the way. Next, the differential adjusting screws were
removed to gain access to the side bearing adjusting nuts that
rotate, one in a clockwise direction and the other in a counterclockwise
direction, allowing the removal of the main caps and carrier.
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| On the
Operating Table |
Removing the
Axle Shafts |
Removing the
Old Gears |
Cleaning the housing |
Removing
Pinion Assembly |
The pinion gear
which includes part of the front housing was removed
next with a little persuasion from Mr. hammer and placed on the press
ready for the next step. Once the carrier and pinion shaft were removed, the case was thoroughly cleaned to remove any
remaining oil and metal
shavings.
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| Pressing in
Bearings |
Removing Seal |
Pressing in
Bearings |
Setting the
Pinion Bearing Preload |
Removing Old
Ring Gear |
Our old pinion bearings and races were next on
the chopping block and were easily removed with the help of a press. New pinion
bearings and races included in our install kit were then pressed into
place where the old ones had resided. Two mechanics were needed to set the
pinion bearing preload (pinion bearing preload is measured in inch-pounds, and is a
measure of the rolling resistance of the pinion bearings after proper torque has been applied to the pinion
nut) one to keep the pinion assembly from moving and the other to
tighten the pinion nut, then the entire pinion assembly was installed into
our empty axle housing.
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| Removing Side
Bearings |
Side Bearings
Removed |
Pressing in
New Side Bearings |
Installing
Carrier |
Installing
Pinion Assembly |
The old ring gear was removed
from the carrier to make way for our new 4.88 gear which had been dipped
in a hot tank earlier to ease installation, hot tanking the gear heats
it up and expands the metal making it easier to fit over the carrier.
The same process of removing the old bearings and races and then
installing new ones applies to the carrier assembly, once this was
finished it was hoisted into the housing and checked for pinion depth and backlash. Once everything
was set up correctly, marking compound was applied to the ring gear,
this process was used to show if the gear/pinion shaft wear pattern was
within tolerances. This step is the most critical to get correct and one
of the reasons why we let the professionals at Tanner 4 Wheel drive
perform our re-gear.
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| Checking
Backlash |
Appling Marking
Compound |
Installed 4.88
Gears |
Tighten Ring
Gear Bolts |
Installing
Diff Cover |
At this point the diff cover was
installed with a fresh gasket and the pumpkin filled with gear oil and
it was out the door for a test run. Our new gears our going strong
thanks to Andre, the "Gear Guru" who installed our gears and
all of the staff at Tanner as well as the fine folks at Drive Train
Direct. In addition to performing gear installs, Tanner also fabricates
custom bumpers, winch mounts, tire carriers, roll cages and
can ship anywhere. - Steve Fox
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