Diff rebuild
- Thread starter Dargieboy
- Start date
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Malleus
Far west of Siegen
It's no harder than rebuilding the front wheels, if you can read and follow directions. If you haven't done it before, read the FSM about five times to make sure you know exactly what is going to be required. You'll need a spare pair of hands and press to manage the bearings. I'm sure someone here can relate stories of pounding them out on the trail with a drift and their hiking boots, but a press is the way to go. A 5-ton press is plenty.
Once the differential carrier is assembled, rebuilding it isn't difficult. All the measurements have been made and all you have to do is install the correct parts.
Regardless of what you may hear, you do not need to worry about backlash. The contact pattern is all that you need to be concerned with (the right procedure is in the FSM). This is how they're built on the assembly line. Get some white grease, it's easiest to see the black teeth against. We used yellow on the assembly line, but that was because we had it. You won't need more than you'd use to brush your teeth, if you're close once you get all the parts together. If you can't print a good pattern by the third try, you need to break it all down and start over. If you don't, you'll use the whole tube trying to get the pattern right.
@nukegoat's build thread has good pictures. He did the job right. Your rebuild will be slightly different, because you're using stock parts, but the process is the same.
Once the differential carrier is assembled, rebuilding it isn't difficult. All the measurements have been made and all you have to do is install the correct parts.
Regardless of what you may hear, you do not need to worry about backlash. The contact pattern is all that you need to be concerned with (the right procedure is in the FSM). This is how they're built on the assembly line. Get some white grease, it's easiest to see the black teeth against. We used yellow on the assembly line, but that was because we had it. You won't need more than you'd use to brush your teeth, if you're close once you get all the parts together. If you can't print a good pattern by the third try, you need to break it all down and start over. If you don't, you'll use the whole tube trying to get the pattern right.
@nukegoat's build thread has good pictures. He did the job right. Your rebuild will be slightly different, because you're using stock parts, but the process is the same.
Here's a link to ZUK's web site (USA); read through a few of his rebuild links, lots of photos and discussion:
Toyota Gear Install Harrop
FJ80 landcruiser 488 install
Gear Install Toyota
Toyota Gear Install Harrop
FJ80 landcruiser 488 install
Gear Install Toyota
How hard is it is a VERY subjective term. IF you have all the tools, AND you are very mechanically inclined, AND you understand how to set gear mesh, AND you have a place to do this.....It's easy.
However, if you've never done anything like this before, you don't have the dial indicators, press, bearing removers, pullers, air tools, and torque wrenches....It's very hard.
I DO own those tools, and I have done some before, and to me, it's just such a pain in the ass that I'm willing to pay Zuk to rebuild my differential(s) when that time comes.
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I considered doing my own gear install with Tools R Us's help at his shop (more likely me helping him, or at least watching closely), but our lack of the handy custom tools and especially the hard-to-source shim kit convinced me to let Zuk take care of it.
