So when I searched for a build thread about gear setup and install I came up empty. Zuk has a good write up about installing an older style arb for bluecruiser that can be found here. I found using the 2004 FSM that is downloadable in the FAQ and the ARB instructions was sufficient for this job, but here are a few tips that I think will save folks some time. (All of these are for installing Nitro 4.88's front and rear as well as an ARB in the front of a 1999 with factory E-locker in the rear). Also note that I'm not a professional doing this...just a hobbiest...so if one of the pro's wants to weigh in here they are very welcome to. 
1. Both East Coast Gear Supply and JustDifferentials recommends putting the axles together without the oil slinger. I'm sure this is debatable, but since they both set up lots of cruisers and have good reputations I went with this advice as the oil slinger from my stock 27 spline pinion would not fit the newer style 29 spline pinion of the 4.88's. Knowing this could have saved me an overnight delay until they opened
2. On the 8" front end there is an 'Oil retainer' that is pressed into the housing below the bearing race closest to the yoke. Again, JT's (justdifferentials) recommended not installing again and the part is not included in the master install kit. Further, I think if you did choose to use it you wouldn't get full engagement on the yoke nut. More on that in the next tip...
3. If you have a pre '02 truck (I believe that's the cut off) your factory axles use 27 spline pinions. The newer trucks use 29 spline. The aftermarket gears by Nitro are 29 spline so you will need to buy new 29 spline yokes. No big deal. The problem is on the 8" front the dust shield will contact the housing before the yoke bottoms and preloads the bearing. This caused another delay as it took some calling around to figure out that JT's recommends not running the dust shield on the yoke in this application. Taking it off is easy, but finding out that was the solution took some time.
4. If you are using crush sleeves, just order an extra one for each axle. Its cheap insurance incase you accidentally over pre-load the setup. I think my torque wrench becomes unreliable in the 180+ ftlb range where I was crushing the sleeve in 9 ftlb increments.
5. Having a press is vital for this job. I used a buddy's shop that had an air over hydraulic press that made this MUCH easier.
6. Read the whole service manual before starting. I could have saved myself some time by realizing how much of the front and rear brakes can be left together when pulling the axles.
7. The manual has you set preload temporarily on the pinion, setup the carrier, and check your backlash and pattern. Then you disassemble everything and put the crush sleeve in. In retrospect I wish I had taken my advice in item 4 above and just set it up with the crush sleeve to begin with as both of mine were acceptable with the stock pinion shim used. This would have saved some time.
8. Finally, on the 8" ARB install I ended up using no OEM mastershim behind the air actuator sleeve. I did add a .020" shim between the air sleeve and bearing as required by ARB and used a .020" thinner shim than OEM on the opposite side. This landed by backlash and pattern just right at .005". I'm sure each housing is different, but not using a shim on the outside of the air sleeve is a departure from the ARB instructions...but in my housing there was no way it was going to fit.
9. Oh yeah...one more thing...for routing the airline under the diff cover. Instead of placing the air sleeve so the copper feed tube points straight out from the bearing cap I rotated it so that it pointed almost straight up. This made routing the copper tubing much easier.
Again, not a professional here, but I think I'm a decently careful worker and took my time on this job. Definitely took 3x as long as it should have, but my dad taught me to set up gears 20 years ago and I want to be able to teach my boy in ten years so figured it was time for a practice run Let me know if you see any glaring issues in this (besides the lack of pics )
1. Both East Coast Gear Supply and JustDifferentials recommends putting the axles together without the oil slinger. I'm sure this is debatable, but since they both set up lots of cruisers and have good reputations I went with this advice as the oil slinger from my stock 27 spline pinion would not fit the newer style 29 spline pinion of the 4.88's. Knowing this could have saved me an overnight delay until they opened
2. On the 8" front end there is an 'Oil retainer' that is pressed into the housing below the bearing race closest to the yoke. Again, JT's (justdifferentials) recommended not installing again and the part is not included in the master install kit. Further, I think if you did choose to use it you wouldn't get full engagement on the yoke nut. More on that in the next tip...
3. If you have a pre '02 truck (I believe that's the cut off) your factory axles use 27 spline pinions. The newer trucks use 29 spline. The aftermarket gears by Nitro are 29 spline so you will need to buy new 29 spline yokes. No big deal. The problem is on the 8" front the dust shield will contact the housing before the yoke bottoms and preloads the bearing. This caused another delay as it took some calling around to figure out that JT's recommends not running the dust shield on the yoke in this application. Taking it off is easy, but finding out that was the solution took some time.
4. If you are using crush sleeves, just order an extra one for each axle. Its cheap insurance incase you accidentally over pre-load the setup. I think my torque wrench becomes unreliable in the 180+ ftlb range where I was crushing the sleeve in 9 ftlb increments.
5. Having a press is vital for this job. I used a buddy's shop that had an air over hydraulic press that made this MUCH easier.
6. Read the whole service manual before starting. I could have saved myself some time by realizing how much of the front and rear brakes can be left together when pulling the axles.
7. The manual has you set preload temporarily on the pinion, setup the carrier, and check your backlash and pattern. Then you disassemble everything and put the crush sleeve in. In retrospect I wish I had taken my advice in item 4 above and just set it up with the crush sleeve to begin with as both of mine were acceptable with the stock pinion shim used. This would have saved some time.
8. Finally, on the 8" ARB install I ended up using no OEM mastershim behind the air actuator sleeve. I did add a .020" shim between the air sleeve and bearing as required by ARB and used a .020" thinner shim than OEM on the opposite side. This landed by backlash and pattern just right at .005". I'm sure each housing is different, but not using a shim on the outside of the air sleeve is a departure from the ARB instructions...but in my housing there was no way it was going to fit.
9. Oh yeah...one more thing...for routing the airline under the diff cover. Instead of placing the air sleeve so the copper feed tube points straight out from the bearing cap I rotated it so that it pointed almost straight up. This made routing the copper tubing much easier.
Again, not a professional here, but I think I'm a decently careful worker and took my time on this job. Definitely took 3x as long as it should have, but my dad taught me to set up gears 20 years ago and I want to be able to teach my boy in ten years so figured it was time for a practice run
Let me know if you see any glaring issues in this (besides the lack of pics )