NathanJay

Hi all, I'm gearing up (pun intended) to do an overhaul on a Dana 30 high pinion and Chrysler 8.25. I've looked around for different rebuild kits and have found 3 or 4 manufactures of the overhaul kits on RockAuto, Amazon, Autozone, etc. After some searching I haven't found any definitive post on if any of them should be avoided.

Does anyone have personal experience with any specific brand? I'm looking at the overhaul kits that include all bearings, shims, etc. I'm going to reuse my existing gears.

Thanks,

Nate

shadowman

I prefer a kit that includes Torrington/Timken bearings. They are super high quality and have yet to have a defective one(can't say that for other brands). I also tend to order an extra set of shims and an extra crush sleeve( the only time I get the pinion preload right the first try is when I have an extra crush sleeve-if needed).

SteveMongr

USA Standard is made by Yukon.
The best price is from a forum vendor. PM him for it. Install kit comes with Koyo bearings
http://www.rwkhaussupply.com/magento/

md21722

You can't go wrong with Yukon, you can only go cheaper.

SeriousOffroad

Don't get hung up on any brand because it has one specific bearing name. Contrary to popular belief not all Timken bearings are made in the USA. I've seen plenty that were made offshore and marked as such.

National, SKF, Koyo, Timken....They all perform well and last quite a long time if you perform basic maintenance on your rig...and they can fail regardless of how well the gear change was performed. Sometimes stuff just breaks.

Be wary of G2/Genuine Gear. I've replaced a few lockers and R&P sets when that brand was used. Ring gear bolts tend to be too short and back out even if lock-tite was used.

Check the warranty for any of the kits you are interested in.

SeriousOffroad

And for those pushing a particular brand....Why?
Throwing out a name without qualifying it doesn't help the OP.

Support your recommendation with a valid arguement.

NathanJay

I've heard that which is why I feel it's "ok" to go with USA Standard. I'm not purchasing the R&P, just the rebuild kit with bearings and shims and such, so I'm not concerned with having a diff that whines.