Breaking in the diff gears

[goodtwin]

I put new 4:56 gears in my diffs and Now I'm under the assumption that I need to break them in for a couple of hundred miles. What is the best way to do this? I don't think that it would be good to drive around in four wheel drive on dry streets but obviously I need to break in that front diff too. Should I put it in 4H and just not lock the hubs? Any input would be awesome.

 

[Tapage]

Could be not a standard process .. I just lift in jackstads all corners let it run .. of course 4H and hubs locked.

 

[goodtwin]

Really? Sounds like that would be sketchy, but sweet to have it done so quick. I thought that it was a good thing to break them in 15 miles at a time and then let them cool?

 

[agent orange]

The first time you drive them, drive for 10-15 minutes and then let them cool completely before driving again.

The front is kinda hard to put miles on, but i dont think running the truck on stands would really do anything constructive. The pattern would be different with no load, so you would kinda be breaking them in with a pattern than wont be right with a load.

I drove around for 10-15 in 4wd (part on road, mostly off) to break in the front, and left it at that.

 

[D'Animal]

Really? Sounds like that would be sketchy, but sweet to have it done so quick. I thought that it was a good thing to break them in 15 miles at a time and then let them cool?

Yep


If you lock the front hubs in and left it in 2wd high I think you could do the front.

Poser would know for sure.

 

[Sherpa 60]

West Coast Differentials here in Northern California has a web site with Installation Instructions. Has break in recommendations as well. Run in and oil change recommended.

BTW: these guys are good and have fair prices.

url: http://www.differentials.com/install.html

 

[CruisinFJ60]

Yep


If you lock the front hubs in and left it in 2wd high I think you could do the front.

Poser would know for sure.

if you do that it will break in the rears but the front will only be broken in on the coast side not the drive side.

if you have open diffs just toss it in 4wd hi and hubs locked and run it down the highway real quick or around the block a few times. It wont hurt anything. I mean think about it lockers font and rear playing on the rocks is a 100 times harder than driving around for only 15 min with hubs locked and in 4wd high.

 

[agent orange]

If you do that, just make sure you try and turn the least amount possible. What i did was run down a about 2-3 mile stretch of road with turnarounds at both ends in 4wd, and kick it into 2wd to turn around. That way I minimized the binding in the tcase.

 

[Tapage]

Maybe my stile aren't the better .. but after 5 years with my gears ( presision gear ) and virtualy no problems .. lI believe it function ..

 

[Dave-T]

http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/diff/ringandpinion.htm

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

"All new gear sets require a break-in period to prevent damage from overheating. After driving the first 15 or 20 miles you must let the differential cool for 30-40 minutes before proceeding. Drive 500 easy miles before towing. Tow for very short distances (less than 15 miles) and let the differential cool before continuing during the first 45 towing miles. Change the gear oil after the first 500 miles. This will remove any metal particles or phosphorus coating that has come from the new gear set."