Gunna start working on it in a bit, will update with what I find. Probably gunna go get a 20 ton harbor freight press and order some other tools. Figure I could spend 450 to have it done once at a shop or spend 450 on tools and be able to do pretty much any job in the future. If it all goes pear shaped there's always triple A.

 

For why? It would be a bear to get the axle up on the press and anyway it would only work if you have the right race installation kit.

And if you have the kit you don't need a press cause you could just bang it in.

Get a brass punch.

 

Try the easy way first, before buying tools and spending money you may not have to.

 

I am not buying the press for the races, I am buying the press to press the new bearings on the pinion and carrier. I also bought a bearing puller, and race driver set, 20 ton press, the works.

The comfort of this is everything is returnable up to 90 days. This jeeps not my daily, it can sit around as long as I want it to. I'll post a video showing you guys just how loose this entire diff setup is.

 

Ewww.

 

If there was such a thing as negative preload this diff would have it, I am surprised it's not turning by itself and creating a black hole. What I can't figure out is how this diff hasn't destroyed itself.

 

Being that bad, what kinda condition is the ring and pinion in?

 

That's the thing that's got me puzzled they look absolutely fine. I edited my post and posted a video. I had to convert the file to wmv so it kind of lost some quality.

 

Guess you'll find out when you paint them up!

 

Indeed! Might throw an auto locker in, cause why the hell not. Are there any auto lockers that fit this stock carrier?

 

How could these possibly look this good? The races all looked silky smooth. The carrier still needs shimmed up cause it's far too loose in the housing. The gears look brand new basically. That pinion nut might just of been too loose. But I tried cranking down on it originally super hard and it didn't turn but maybe a 10th of an inch. The seal needed replaced as well on the back so I'll throw the new bearings on it and try and get it shimmed up right and see how she goes. At least the gears don't look damaged.

 

This isn't my picture, no idea what vehicle it's off of, but it does the trick for answering the question...

http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/car.../049layout.jpg

The "race" on the left is pressed onto the undercut portion of the shaft on the wheel hub to the right of the image, creating the proper bearing running clearance ("preload") when bottomed out. The press fit alone is not enough to resist the forces applied while driving. The outer stub shaft bottoms out against the far side of the "race" and the nut tightens against the back side of the wheel hub, holding that press fit together with 150 ft-lbs of torque on the nut, similar torque to the wheel bearing outer nut on a 2wd car or a non-unit bearing 4WD. I can't say with 100% certainty whether the early model XJ/TJ D30 unit bearings have this issue or not; they are rebuildable with a nut instead of that "race".

Here's a picture of a newer-model XJ/TJ 2wd, which uses the same unit-bearing as the 4WD with a stub-axle without u-joint ears.

https://comancheclub.com/uploads/arc...239b2265bd.jpg

They went a step further on the newer Jeeps, JKs and the sort, and eliminated the fake stub-shaft on 2WDs by making it so the unit-bearing holds itself together without it. The same unit bearing is used on 4WDs, so they get the added benefit of not needing the stub shaft either...

 

Someone really messed up the setup on that differential. You will have to reset it all. you could try to be precise by following the measurements process on the thread previously provided, or you could just go for a paint pattern that gets you close enough. as long as your backlash measurement is within range, as long at the preload is within range, and if you get a decent paint contact pattern, you should be good to go.

 

It's very possible I did that. When I kicked the pinion out that stuff was still in the diff and then I took the seal out and it kind of exploded out and **** went everywhere. So it's very likely I put that on wrong myself. Was going to reference youtube/that thread you linked when I was putting it all back together.

 

Also just want to say thank you to those that have been posting. Just the fact that forums are still around with good people willing to help makes all the difference. So thanks guys, and cheers.