ok so i got my gears changed from 3.07 too 4.56 my question is, before i swapped my pinion yoke was solid now after the swap it can wiggle a little bit before the pinion gear catches the ring gear is that normal for the lower ratios?

 

Not normal. You should take it back to the place that did your gears and tell em to fix it

 

Depends on what you mean when you say wiggle. If you mean move up and down or side to side then no that isn't normal and something is wrong, if you mean it will rotate some that is what is called backlash and it is normal for all ratios.

 

^^^ yes it is the backlash it rotates a little before it tutches it just seems t do it alot more with lower ratio

 

If it's too much then it's bad. If it's not enough, then it's bad.

 

It is really hard answer a question when no facts are given. How much is more? Can you turn the pinion an eighth of an inch, a half of an inch, three inches, when you ask a question more information is always better than less info.

 

before i couldnt turn it at all with 3.07s now it turns about a half inch each way before makes contact, but its the same for the d30 up front

 

Well, I would say that before your gears were set incorrectly, and I think that a half inch is about perfect.

 

A half inch!? That's crazy. I just set up the gears in my front axle and the tolerances were way less than that. For a Dana 44 it's supposed to be within .006 and .010 so .5 is way the hell off.

 

With lower gearing the amount at the pinion will feel like way more but the actual play is still the same between the ring & pinion. You may also bee feeling all the other play in the diff before it will move the wheels. Play between the ring & pinion, play between the spider gears, play in the cross pin & case, play between the axle spline & side gears. Add all this up and it will be quite a bit. I don't know about a 1/2" but quite a lot. Also if running a detroit locker or other lunchbox locker that will increase the play as well.

Miles

 

You need to learn how to read the post and understand what is being asked.
No one said anything about tolerances inside the diff. the question was about being able to rotate the pinion yolk, most that are set up correctly are between a fat 1/4" and 1/2".

Some of this is correct, but this isn't about feel, it is about grabbing the pinion yolk, and measuring how far the yolk journal will turn, as for the part about the Detroit Locker, you state a Detroit Locker or other lunchbox locker. First a Detroit Locker is a full case locker not a lunch box locker, I have never ran a lunchbox locker so I can not speak to whether or not there is more gear lash or not with the lunchbox or spider gears, but the Detroit Locker doesn't have more than the spider gears.

 

thanks for all the help guys!!! sorry i wasnt more prescice

its an xj D44 with 4.56 gears and a lockrite lunchbox locker

from what all you guys have said i have come to the conclusion that about a half inch is "normal"