Front Pinion Seal - A Few Questions (1 Viewer)

[bicycleagent003]

Hey All,

I've read a few threads and watched a few YouTube videos about replacing this seal, and I still have a few questions.

1. Do I have to drain the front diff to replace the seal?
2. Do I have to be concerned about putting too much torque on the flange retaining nut? I saw a guy on YouTube going bananas on his 100 Series with what looked like a 1/2" Milwaukee impact gun to get the nut back to the original location (reference point on the nut with the chisel mark). I'm not exactly sure what all that torque is hitting against, but it sure looked and sounded like a lot of torque.
3. Can I just loosen the front end of the DS and slide it to the side to R&R the seal? I thought I'd have to remove the DS, but it looks like (from the 100 Series video on YouTube) maybe I can leave the rear end of the DS completely attached.
4. Do I need to make sure the DS gets bolted back exactly as it came apart, in other words is there some correct orientation (phase?) aspect to the connection between the DS and the flange? It doesn't seem like there would be, but I thought I'd ask. I'm not planning to pull the DS out or pull it apart, or do my U joints unless I learn in the process that they are bad.

Thanks for your help.

 

[BILT4ME]

Hey All,

I've read a few threads and watched a few YouTube videos about replacing this seal, and I still have a few questions.

1. Do I have to drain the front diff to replace the seal?
2. Do I have to be concerned about putting too much torque on the flange retaining nut? I saw a guy on YouTube going bananas on his 100 Series with what looked like a 1/2" Milwaukee impact gun to get the nut back to the original location (reference point on the nut with the chisel mark). I'm not exactly what all that torque is hitting against, but it sure looked and sounded like a lot of torque.
3. Can I just loosen the front end of the DS and slide it to the side to R&R the seal? I thought I'd have to remove the DS, but it looks like (from the 100 Series video on YouTube) maybe I can leave the rear end of the DS completely attached.
4. Do I need to make sure the DS gets bolted back exactly as it came apart, in other words is there some correct orientation (phase?) aspect to the connection between the DS and the flange? It doesn't seem like there would be, but I thought I'd ask. I'm not planning to pull the DS out or pull it apart, or do my U joints unless I learn in the process that they are bad.

Thanks for your help.

1) Yes, you need to drain the diff.
2) Yes. You must torque it to a PROPER setting, as that is the purpose of the crush sleeve you should be replacing when you do this seal. This sets the preload on the pinion bearings inside the diff.
3) Yes, you only need to remove the front end of the drive shaft to do this job.
4) No, there is no "phase" of the DS to the differential or the T-Case. Phase is ONLY related on the driveshaft itself, of the yoke to the body of the DS.

 

[bicycleagent003]

1) Yes, you need to drain the diff.
2) Yes. You must torque it to a PROPER setting, as that is the purpose of the crush sleeve you should be replacing when you do this seal. This sets the preload on the pinion bearings inside the diff.
3) Yes, you only need to remove the front end of the drive shaft to do this job.
4) No, there is no "phase" of the DS to the differential or the T-Case. Phase is ONLY related on the driveshaft itself, of the yoke to the body of the DS.

Thanks for the reply. It seems from other posts on this topic that many people have gotten away with putting the original crush sleeve/nut back to the original location (based on the crush location), or torqueing it just past that (1/32 of a rotation, for instance). That's my plan.
From what I have read, there is not simply a torque value which I can put the new crush sleeve/nut to without taking apart the front axle. If I'm mistaken please let me know what that torque value is.
Thanks for your help.

 

[BILT4ME]

Thanks for the reply. It seems from other posts on this topic that many people have gotten away with putting the original crush sleeve/nut back to the original location (based on the crush location), or torqueing it just past that (1/32 of a rotation, for instance). That's my plan.
From what I have read, there is not simply a torque value which I can put the new crush sleeve/nut to without taking apart the front axle. If I'm mistaken please let me know what that torque value is.
Thanks for your help.

That is certainly a way to do it. Is it "correct" no.

Is there a specific torque? No. It has to do with fish scale resistance and you must completely disassemble to achieve that.

You can "get by" with doing it the way you are planning. It could be a crapshoot whether or not you will get longevity out of things. Too tight, and it will get hot and smoke it. Too loose and you'll get gear and bearing whine and shorter life.

I am planning on doing this on my truck (I just have to find my parts that I KNOW are in the garage someplace......) however, I plan on installing a new crush sleeve, checking torque and possibly using a new nut on the pinion in order to avoid the extra drag from the punched in area of the nut.

I'll see when I get there. I just don't like re-using the crush sleeve because it is already crushed and the tension will be different than it was, and it has wallered around in there for a while being loose.

 

[bhsdriller]

I replaced my pinion seal with just replacing that and the nut. Putting it slightly past where it was when I took it off

Might not be the right way but it's been ~6 years since i've done it

 

[bicycleagent003]

I replaced my pinion seal with just replacing that and the nut. Putting it slightly past where it was when I took it off

Might not be the right way but it's been ~6 years since i've done it

So, if I'm using a new nut, how would I know whether I was putting the new nut on to the same place/tension as the original nut? It seems like the safest ways to do it are A) the right way (disassembly required, and I'm not going that route at this point), or B) reusing the original nut and just torqueing to the same spot, or just past it. I'm confused about how far one would torque a new nut.
I did buy a new nut, along with the seal.

 

[BILT4ME]

So, if I'm using a new nut, how would I know whether I was putting the new nut on to the same place/tension as the original nut? It seems like the safest ways to do it are A) the right way (disassembly required, and I'm not going that route at this point), or B) reusing the original nut and just torqueing to the same spot, or just past it. I'm confused about how far one would torque a new nut.
I did buy a new nut, along with the seal.

I will do mine by a torque setting. I have yet to determine what that torque setting will be.

I can do it by checking the rotational torque of the entire assembly, then torqueing the nut until I achieve the same rotational torque of the entire assembly. It will be consistent, however the percentage of what I can measure will be a smaller percentage of the overall, so it could be way off.

 

[bhsdriller]

So, if I'm using a new nut, how would I know whether I was putting the new nut on to the same place/tension as the original nut? It seems like the safest ways to do it are A) the right way (disassembly required, and I'm not going that route at this point), or B) reusing the original nut and just torqueing to the same spot, or just past it. I'm confused about how far one would torque a new nut.
I did buy a new nut, along with the seal.

I don't know if I remember lol
Might of counted the turns taking it off. Obviously not precise

 

[baldilocks]

My diffs are built with solid spacers, like yours should be, and when I replaced the front pinion seal a couple years ago I did some research on matters of pinion nut torque. I landed on 140lbft.

It’s been fine but then again mine has been converted to part time and see’s very few miles, all of which are at low speed, with power to the front axle.