R60slash2

Hi folks, I'm a new member that needs some insight, I'll try to keep this concise.

I have a 99 XJ with over 190K miles. My good intentioned mechanic agreed to install a rear lunch box locker, (not that there was anything wrong with the rear end, I just thought I needed it) not realizing I already had a Trac-Lok differential (D35) until he had already removed and disassembled it. He is not a rear end specialist and after much difficulty he reassembled the unit and re installed it along with new carrier bearings. He cut the old bearings off with a grinder, broke one of the shims during the reassembly and replaced it with a shim "kit" but did not check the back lash. He meant well, he was trying to save me some bucks, but now I know better.

The rear end quickly began to whine. I took it to folks that specialize in rear ends and they said the bearing caps had been installed backwards, there was too much backlash and there was already damage from the loose set up, even though I had only 60 miles on it. They adjusted it " the best they could" and sent me on my way.

It started out quiet but soon began to whine again. They couldn't get it back in their shop for at least 2 1/2 weeks so I took it to another rear end specialty shop and he replaced the bearings, seals, ring and pinion and the clutch plates, as long as he was already in there, and sent me on my way.

Within 500 miles it was whining again. At this point you may be thinking I'm a 4 wheeling brute tearing the crap out of it. Nope, stock truck, stock tires, all hwy miles with about 25 miles on a muddy dirt road in 4 wheel high. So it's back at the last shop. He's going to replace the ring and pinion at no charge, but the only thing he can think of that might be causing the problem is a tweaked carrier, so he is going to replace that.

Now my questions after all of that, could the first guy have messed up the carrier when he was stumbling through the reassemble enough to be causing these subsequent problems or is the last guy grasping at straws? How can you tell if the carrier is "tweaked"? I have an out of town trip coming up too soon to be messing with this again and I’d like to think he knows what he is doing and not just throwing my money at it until it’s fixed.

thanks, sorry for the long winded first post.

Kelly