I am talking about adjusting the slack in the Rear End of MY truck. If each or both tires are off the ground, I can take my tires and rotate it back & forth about 6" - 10" before the driveshaft starts to move. It has progressively gotten worse over the past few years. Between a bombed motor, smoking my tires, racing rice rockets, it is starting to get worse, but I don't blame it though. I have just regular tools and nothing special. Is this something that can be done at home easily. I do 99 % of the work on the truck at home but didn't know if I really need a dial indicator or anything like that. Would shims help this or is it just tighted something up inside the pumpkin? I have replaced the Pinion Seal before and pulled the axles without a problem but never touched anything inside the actual rear end. Just never dared but it is getting bad and would hate to have it blow. Don't have the $$$ to get a good posi unit or whatever at this time. Just afraid of making it too tight and then BANG, SCREEECH... tow truck. Any quick backyard mechanics way of adjusting this? Thanks

 

My understanding and experience would say that the simple answer is "no". You have to take the whole thing apart to adjust the shims, and the carrier is supposed to go in with enough pre-load that you need to spread the case to get it back in . . . But I am curious if anyone else has a better answer.

Did you check to see if your pinion is still tight? On my truck, it is not the ring and pinion backlash that is the problem, but it seems to be excessive slack in the spiders and side gears. My rear end is very quiet, and the R&P looked great when I had the cover off (despite the fact that I think I am the only person to ever change the oil in the diff at 209K miles), but I figure I need a whole new carrier assembly to go in there . . .

When I bother to fix the rear-end, I would really like to convert to a limited slip unit -- does anyone know if there is a Torsen type unit available? Or have a suggestion as to the "best" LS option for the axle?

Thanks,

Alec

 

In my experience(I'm a mechanic by trade) its more difficult to 'set up' and adjust a Dana rear end then it is to rebuild a motor. It also takes many specialized tools. If your rear end isn't making noise and the u-joint is good I would leave it alone we all have this much free play its just the nature of teh beast(D60). Unless of course you are looking for a reason to have a limited slip put in, they its definatly toast and I would have one installed right away! Especially if you like to spin the hell out of the rear tires, that will toast a diff in no time.

If you are set on doing it yourself buy a manual and that covers axles and read up on it. In short there is no "back yard ways of doing this".

 

The way Nuttymopar is describing his problem. It sounds like his spider gears are loose, and not his ring and pinion. If I remember correctly you can change spider gears and shims without pulling the carrier. I would have to get my books out and check. I think I guy could pull his axles and rear cover. There is either a roll pin or bolt holding in the shaft that the spiders ride on. get the shaft out and the spiders and side gears will come out. replace as needed.

 

I guess that is the killer. Replace as needed. With this being my daily driver and not knowing what might be bad until in there, it just scares me. It does seem quiet, I guess, going down the road. Some days I hear is growling, other days I do not. I have the proper fluid and amount so I think it may be my snow tires. But when it gets louder then the radio, I don't think so. LOL. I have not pulled the rear cover off too look inside for some time now. I have taken off the Pinion Gear nut to replace seal so that would be my first to check to see if it has loosened up so how. I have my manual at work today and plan on reading through at as time allows. Thanks for all replies... except the one from ClayH (no backyard fix for this). No rear end people around here so it would go to the *******.... NOT...

 

Well, looking at the manual certain scares me. Looks like a lot to do with tools I don't have. I do need to change the diff fluid sometime soon, so I will pull the cover off completely instead of just draining. Then I can take a good look to see what is happening in there. Probably wait until the MINUS 10 to MINUS 20 degree weather blows by before crawling under it outdoors. Thanks for the help. I will keep you posted if I see anything fall out while working on it.

 

All good advice. With the wheels on the ground, gently rotate the drive shaft back and forth. the very first amount of no resistance (hopefully about 8 to 10 thousandths) will be your ring and pinion backlash. The next amount of movement will be your spiders winding up or the carrier slopping around. If your backlash is OK, then it's spider time or carrier bearings. You can usually move the drive shaft 1/2 inch each way or more (with wheels on the ground) and still be ok. Bundle up and pull the cover!! Jim