Differential building!! Beginner lessons. (1 Viewer)

[sodafeld1]

Wow, the more you look into diffs the deeper and more of a maze of different bearings and kits and pinions there is.
I got a drivetech diff kit with bearings, crown, pinion and flange the whole kaboodle, crush sleeve too. It was a good price, I thought. $6-700 ish aud The crown and pinion are beautiful italian jobs.
But! Aftermarket kits may supply a different sized pinion, this one is wider, than the oem, so different bearings fit rather than the oem ones. On top of that, an aftermarket solid spacer shall not fit another aftermarket manufacturer's pinion.

So, I was in the process of making a slip bearing so I can get depth and preload correct without having to press them off and on each measure, but the aftermarket outer pinion bearing is a totally different id to match the aftermarket pinion. I found a few good value koyo's for the inner pinion bearing, not too painful. It is an expensive nightmare to hunt down some of these exotic sized bearings. On top of that, if I want to proceed with a solid spacer I'll have to hunt down one which fits this pinion.

Well, I guess I am still a little ahead as oem crown and pinion alone is close to $1200 aud , $$$. But finding the aftermarket bearings to fit the aftermarket pinion I am looking at $120 aud a bearing and the toyota ones are around $27 aud..what a maze.

I thought I'd post this link to give a sample of what pro diff folks have to refer to! Learning is painful.

Toyota bearing cross reference

toyota differential bearing listing

www.gearinstalls.com

 

[sodafeld1]

I am after an equivalent of nsk stf r33-6g which is not chinese, the italian pinion is made imperial...if anyone knows of an equivalent which I can get landed in oz for under say $80 that would be nice, fwiw!

 

[sodafeld1]

Ahh that link above has it, toyota 90366 40111 = nsk stf r33-6g supposedly..$43 aud amayama.

Bit of a nightmare for anyone who doesn't know this car when they open up the diff! Condolences for diff pros indeed.
I know , I know just stay toyota, diffs are the worst for aftermarket, hands down from what I can tell.

 

[sodafeld1]

correction again toyota 90366-33006 is nsk stf r33-6g, bit of a rare unicorn apparently amayama has it though.
gearinstalls is a pretty helpful resource

 

[Indestructible 47]

My tips would be:

Buy the terrain tamer kits, they are comprehensive and use all high quality parts. And are correct for your car.

Use a solid pinion spacer, forget the crush sleeve rubbish as well.

if your rebuilding your diff, buy a new gearset, terrain tamer stock them and they aren't ridiculously expensive.

And toyota used bigger pinions with the introduction of the 5 stud wheel axles.

 

[sodafeld1]

Thanks Indestructible, yeah never had any thing wrong with TT. Saw a program on TT Alan on australian story a while back, he really is a good guy.

This drivetech kit is probably aimed at a quicky indy mechanic who is trying to get the customer back on the road and save $200. I did message drivetech telling my woes, no reply, no surprise.

Drivetech doesn't seem to offer a solid spacer, which, if a supplier was serious about options and quality would offer it. Certainly a case where saving $200 creates a lot of aftermarket grief for the future.

The main solid spacer offered out there says they fit 75, 78, 79 , 80, 100, 105. Lots of pinions, but not this pinion. None of the solid spacer suppliers give dimensions of their pinions. I messaged nitro who have a range of spacers for dimensions, but no reply either, may have to try them again..

Do I really need to make my own solid spacer?!!

Normally landcruiser stuff is straight forward, direct, simple , set and forget..partly why I love them, but mostly working them and adventuring makes you love them even more. Bloody different pinion.. pia

 

[sodafeld1]

Got a toyota 90366-33006 and it is indeed the nsk stf r33-6g! I'll use one as a slip bearing by boring it out a little, rotating a drill fitted with a little drum sander.

Looking like the drivetech pinion is the same size as a vdj, 33mm pinion so shall try for one of those as a solid spacer. terrain tamer.

Mind you on another website page someone just bored out some mild steel tube to make a solid spacer.

Have noticed that someone on fb marketplace is selling the same crown and pinion kit half price, obviously too much frustration to deal with. I won't do it again myself...

 

[sodafeld1]

This has been one of the better vids out there, love the parts hunt stories he has on the end..not toyota but very similar setup.

 

[sodafeld1]

so it goes on aftermarket parts for aftermarket parts..
Got the vdj solid spacer but it is sloppy on the drivetech pinion, a little over 2mm wider in id. bugger, don't really trust it being sloppy.
I googled custom solid spacer but they don't do it anymore. The best job would be to get some 50/32 hollow bar and get it lathed down, how much that would cost who knows!?

Here is some pics, left is the drivetech pinion, right is the toyota hj75 pinion. Spacers left to right are terrain tamer vdj solid, drivetech crush spacer looks dubiously thin where it crushes and is a slop fit, terrain tamer hj75 solid it does not fit the drivetech pinion but snug and accurate on original pinion, and the original crush spacer.

No one supplies the dimensions of the pinion spacers it seems.

Some shty measurement drawing.

Any suggestions before I go put the old crown back on and consider the drivetech crown and pinion an expensive waste?

 

[sodafeld1]

Or I use the new drivetech crown and the old pinion which fits everything the hj75 bearings should and the aftermarket terrain tamer solid spacer. I know typically both should be changed, crown and pinion. But the crown does at least look the same if not identical. Just the drivetech pinion is an incorrect shaft width size. It would save quite a few headaches. Just not keen on the crush sleeve for longevity sake, especially the drivetech one. I have heard quite a few mechanics saying the new aftermarket stuff is just not as good quality.

Shame on drivetech, should go through with doing a proper job, at least give the option for a solid spacer. I used the drivetech transfer case kit, that was ok. But yep from now on either toyota or terrain tamer.

 

[Indestructible 47]

Honestly if it's facing just a n/a 1hz use the drivetech gearset and the crush tube. The solid pinion spacer is certainly stronger under heavy load but a 1hz makes 0 power. I would not be using a now crown wheel and old pinion.

Or else try return the drivetech gear and get terrain tamer instead.

With a crush tube you also loose the ability to change the pinion seal with the diff in the car so just make sure you use a new one there.

 

[sodafeld1]

Thanks indestructible. Been a good lesson, if I knew then what I knew now I would have made sure a solid spacer was available before starting. It is a no brainer, a solid spacer is stronger. I'll use this one with the crush sleeve in the front diff. It is a 2h, so even less power than a hz. I have noticed how heavy towing stresses the diff.

 

[sodafeld1]

Just thought i would repost these links from mud. gearinstalls is a fantastic reference for anyone learning diffs.

CBPL refresh

Make sure those carrier bearings are TIGHT!

www.gearinstalls.com

toyota carrier bearing preload

ZUK shares many close-up good pics of Toyota gear installs

www.gearinstalls.com

 

[sodafeld1]

this vid is good too

 

[sodafeld1]

Just another vid for the learning. some folks make gear marking compound from nappy rash cream and yellow food powder or use anti seize.

 

[sodafeld1]

I'm just going to keep adding here. So much to learn. Interesting when yo do stick the axle in the side gear it virtually eliminates any backlash. Good design really.

 

[sodafeld1]

Well, friggin round with the pinion depth of an after market pinion I ended up with adding .05mm shim extra to the thickest toyota shim they supply being the 1.55mm. The drive side is centered not too much face contact and the coast side needs a bit less backlash which I think is more easy to adjust.

 

[sodafeld1]

I made a kind of gear paste from white grease with a little zinc oxide powder I had, the little tube of gear marking paste I bought is crazy expensive and did not last long.

 

[sodafeld1]

and please if anyone knows better than my stumbling process, correct me

 

[Omrib]

Well, friggin round with the pinion depth of an after market pinion I ended up with adding .05mm shim extra to the thickest toyota shim they supply being the 1.55mm. The drive side is centered not too much face contact and the coast side needs a bit less backlash which I think is more easy to adjust.
View attachment 3645519
View attachment 3645523

Looking really good to me
My front was way off in comparison to yours and still within the much liberal allowable imprints from an aftermarket kit's booklet.
Since I drive it less than 500 km per year in front wheel drive, I called it good, and went straight offroad