D44a Gear install
 

Kamil has a 2003 Grand Cherokee and the Aluminum housing D44a and his D30 front are getting new gears.

Pulled the rear first
http://thexota.org/d/9650-1/Dsc04423.jpg

After getting the diff. on my cart, I removed the 4 axle shaft bolts, and I'm using the rotor as a slide hammer to pop out the bearing and the seal
http://thexota.org/d/9654-1/Dsc04424.jpg

Then I did the same on the other side, looks like the left axle seal is just starting to leak a little, the backing plate has a little bit of oil on it.
http://thexota.org/d/9657-1/Dsc04425.jpg

The other side is nice and dry
http://thexota.org/d/9660-1/Dsc04426.jpg

Next I removed the carrier cap bolts, and then I set up my case spreader and dial indicator to .016", and I spread the case. I was then able to remove the carrier and it took only a little bit of prying force to pop it out of there. That's good, it means that the housing was set up with the proper amount of carrier bearing preload, and I should be able to re-use the shims that are installed in it now.
http://thexota.org/d/9887-1/Dsc04520.jpg

Those shims setting on the cart, are installed outside of the carrier bearings and fit between the race and the housing
http://thexota.org/d/9669-1/Dsc04429.jpg

I always keep track of shims by hanging them up, "T' is for the tooth side of the carrier, "B" is for the bolt side
http://thexota.org/d/9672-1/Dsc04430.jpg

The pinion gear can come out next, it takes a little force to get it out of the bearing, I hold one hammer against it and hit that hammer with another, that way I won't damage the threads on the shaft. Kamil might want to sell these to someone.
http://thexota.org/d/9675-1/Dsc04432.jpg

Here is that pinion shaft and all the parts that go on the assembly
http://thexota.org/d/9678-1/Dsc04433.jpg

Now I can punch out the races that are pressed in the housing, I make sure and move the punch around and work out the race evenly so it doesn't bind.
http://thexota.org/d/9681-1/Dsc04434.jpg

Then I can clean up the case and install the new races
http://thexota.org/d/9684-1/Dsc04436.jpg


The pinion depth is set by shim(s) installed under the inner pinion bearing, I need to know what thickness is installed now, So here I'm using my puller to get that bearing off of the old pinion shaft
http://thexota.org/d/9687-2/Dsc04438.jpg

My puller works real nice and never damages a bearing, and usually doesn't damage the shims, I will just reuse this shim on the new pinion shaft.
http://thexota.org/d/9690-1/Dsc04439.jpg

Then I will go ahead and pull both carrier bearings so I can replace them
http://thexota.org/d/9693-2/Dsc04440.jpg

Then I cleaned up the carrier and removed the spider gears so the Aussie locker can be installed later
http://thexota.org/d/9696-2/Dsc04441.jpg

Now I can install the new ring gear on the carrier, I used loctite on the bolts and torque them to spec. in a star pattern
http://thexota.org/d/9699-2/Dsc04442.jpg

Now I can press on the new carrier bearings, by the way a good press fitting can be made from the old bearing.
http://thexota.org/d/9702-1/Dsc04444.jpg

First I cut off the outer cage, and then cut a slot thru the race
http://thexota.org/d/9705-1/Dsc04445.jpg

That fitting is needed and has to be just the right size, if I were to use a flat plate, it would bend the cage of the bearing, that's because the cage sets a little higher than the inner bearing race, also the inner bearing race has to drop below the carrier lip a little.
http://thexota.org/d/9708-1/Dsc04446.jpg

Now I can get the pinion shaft ready to install, here's the assembly, I will leave out the crush sleeve for now. I won't install it until I know the pinion depth is correct.
http://thexota.org/d/9711-1/Dsc04447.jpg

The first thing I will do is grind off the locking portion of the old pinion nut, sometimes that locking area will damage the threads on the pinion. I will use the old nut until I have everything set and the pinion seal installed, then the last thing I will do, is install the new nut.
http://thexota.org/d/9714-1/Dsc04449.jpg

Now I can press on the new pinion bearing with the old shim under it.
http://thexota.org/d/9717-1/Dsc04451.jpg

Then I can install the pinion assy back in the case and I tighten the nut until I have the correct pinion bearing preload (you'll see that measured later) The carrier also goes back in the case with the original shims, I then release the case spreader and run the pattern.

This pattern is showing me that the pinion is a little to deep in the case.

Coast side
http://thexota.org/d/9720-1/Dsc04453.jpg

Drive side
http://thexota.org/d/9723-1/Dsc04454.jpg

So I will need to pull the carrier and the pinion shaft back out of the housing. I will use my puller and remove the inner pinion bearing. And I will change shims so that they are about .003" thinner.

Here the shim that was under that inner pinion bearing is .035" thick.
http://thexota.org/d/9726-1/Dsc04455.jpg

And the new shim pack I will install is .032" thick
http://thexota.org/d/9729-1/Dsc04456.jpg

Then I reinstalled everything and ran the pattern again

Good on the drive side
http://thexota.org/d/9732-1/Dsc04457.jpg

Good on the coast side
http://thexota.org/d/9735-1/Dsc04458.jpg


Now that I know the pinion depth is good, the carrier and pinion have to come out again, and I will now put the crush sleeve on the pinion gear, I will also go ahead and install the pinion seal. Then I installed the new pinion nut and tightened it down.

To get that crush sleeve to crush, takes alot of torque (about 300lbs), I use a pipe wrench on the yoke and a long pipe on the end of the wrench, lock that aginst my cart, then I have a large 3/4 breaker bar that I put a long pipe on. Once the crush sleeve begins to crush, it is then a little easier to turn.

I have to be very careful, when I get to where there's no in and out play felt on the pinion, I can only turn the nut a little bit at a time and keep checking the turning resistance of the pinion with an inch pound torque wrench. If I overtighten that nut, the crush sleeve is ruined and I'll have to get another one.

The spec. for the turning resistance or pinion bearing preload is 14 - 19 inch lbs, with no seal installed and with no carrier in the case.

I decided a while ago that I was going to always install the seal and add a couple lbs to the pinion bearing preload spec. Otherwise I have to set it, take the yoke back off, install the seal, and then try to get that nut to exactly the same position as it was. I feel that makes it difficult to not be a little looser or tighter then before the seal was installed

Here is my inch pound torque wrench, the blue needle shows the highest number I had while rotating the yoke, about 17" lbs and that's good.
http://thexota.org/d/9738-1/Dsc04459.jpg

I could tell last time I had the carrier in that the backlash was a little too tight, but I needed to get the pinion depth set correctly first, and once that was correct, I could set the backlash.

So I changed the original shims that were installed on the outside of the carrier bearing races, I made the tooth side .003" thicker, and the bolt side .003" thinner.

I reinstalled the carrier with that shim change, then installed the carrier bearing caps with the bolts just a little tighter than hand tight, then I released the tension on the case spreader and torqued the cap bolts to spec.

Here I set up the dial indicator and zero'd it out.
http://thexota.org/d/9741-1/Dsc04460.jpg

Then I rocked the ring gear the opposite direction against the pinion gear and measured that. Backlash was between .007" and .008 " and that's good
http://thexota.org/d/9744-2/Dsc04461.jpg

Now I will install the Aussie locker and the axle shafts and this D44A is ready for the trails!!