I was sand blasting my HP Dana 30 without realizing media got past a block-off that was in the axle tube. So media got inside the third member and into the pinion bearings.

So I had to remove this completely fine pinion from the housing and clean out both bearings and the diff housing of media. I then reinstalled everything as it came out, with both original preload shims and installed a new seal and new pinion nut. After torquing down I did the rotational test with an inch pound torque wrench and it read about 6 inch/lbs. I was worried it might not be tight enough considering everything I read said 12-15 inch/lbs for the pinion bearings. Then I read this... https://www.differentials.com/techni...pecifications/ (Please try to copy and paste; I could not setup a link)

Under Dana Spicer, for pinion bearing preload, the webpage reads for Dana 30: new bearings 12-15 inch/lbs and used bearings 6-8 inch/lbs. I want to assume this is correct but any help would be appreciated. I unfortunately did not check the rotational torque before removal because I had not intention of removing the pinion until my mishap.

 

Yes, that sounds correct.

 

I have an FSM and those values are within the range is says

 

Did you use a new Pinion nut?.

If you did not, so long as you did the Pinion nut up to the punch mark you made before undoing it, take a backlash reading, and the pattern is good, there is no more things you can do, and that reading is within range for a used pinion bearing

I did take apart a D30 recently to find why it was grinding, but have not yet located the problem yet, maybe it is the main Pinion bearing, but ( I read) driving out the Pinion is supposed to damage that bearing anyway

 

Thanks for taking the time to look up the spec as well.

Yes I did use a new pinion nut. I'll keep an eye on it after a few miles and make sure there isn't any play in the yoke.