OOdynamite

I'm considering replacing the crush sleeve in my 8.25 with a shim spacer. This is due to a rear pinion seal that needs replaced, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of possibly screwing up the bearings by over/under torquing the crush sleeve upon reassembly. Has anyone done this swap that could lend some insight? Or should I not bother with it and replace the pinion seal like everyone else does? Thanks.

N20jeep

trying to use a shimmed setup instead of a crush sleeve is not a better option. first off, im not sure your going to be able to find a shim with the right ID and OD so that it would work on a pinion designed for a crush sleeve. not just that, but you would need over 1/2" of shims which is way to much for comfort. that amount of shims has a chance of settling and leaving your pinion setup to loose.

you have the same chance of setting up with too much or too little preload with a shim as you do a crush sleeve. only difference is you only need to remove the pinion once to install a crush sleeve and torque it down. while a shim setup (especially a unique one like this) could potentially require you to tear everything down well over a dozen times before you finally get the right combo of shims to get the correct preload.

just go slowly with the tightening, and pick up an in/lbs torque wrench to check for the correct preload. no reason to over complicate a simple job.

SeriousOffroad

In order to install either shims or a new crush collar you'll have to pull the carrier to set the proper pinion rotating torque.

OOdynamite

Excellent, these are the exact kind of answers I was looking for. I'll just go ahead and reuse the crush sleeve that's in there now, and mark the nut, yoke, and housing to set the correct torque again.

Just so I know, how exact do the torques have to be, like is there a +/- 5 or so tolerance I have to miss?

SeriousOffroad

There is no torque spec for the pinion nut. It's tightened until the proper pinion rotating torque is achieved.

Many DIY'ers will mark the hardware and re-install to that mark. you've got a 50-50 chance of success....or failure.

The right way to do it is to remove the carrier, replace the collar and pinion nut, tighten till the correct rotating torque is achieved, then re-install the carrier to the correct preload and backlash requirements as stated in the FSM.

Anything else is a gamble on your part.

OOdynamite

Unfortunately I don't have the tools, time, or money to pull the carrier and do it the textbook way. It sounds from what you're saying that, since that yoke nut has no specific torque, I should tighten it till it is snug, and lines up with the markings I have made.

hankthetank

what do you guys use to set pre load? beam wrench or dial wrench? whats easier to read while you are spinning the pinion?

Dan91

I was bored watching youtube vids a couple nights ago and saw this would this be pretty much the same process for an 8.25?

OOdynamite

in the video did he reuse the crush sleeve, or put a new one in?

hankthetank

probably a new one cause it was a complete overhaul.

OOdynamite

Oh ok, I'm just reusing mine, so I have to get it back to the correct setting for preload on the bearings.

mcguyver_xj

there is a company that sells pinion shims and they give you a set torque spec i think its yukon my buddy has one in his tj with an 8.8 he overhauled the diff himself with a yukon super 8.8 kit, detroit and 4.88 gears and the thing is mint i would advise the shim all day

SeriousOffroad

You still have to remove the carrier to set the pinion rotating torque.

N20jeep

i dont understand why people would be afraid of a crush sleeve, its the quickest and easiest way to dial in preload.

i prefer a crush sleeve diff over a shimmed pinion diff all day long

hankthetank

there is also a special tool unique to the 8.8 to use shims and speed up the process...but not the 8.25. aren't new crush sleeves like 5 or ten bucks?