Solid pinion spacer on diff rebuild

[SciroccoDamonte]

I’m currently in the process of rebuilding my differentials with 5.29 gears. Currently im at the point of setting the pinion preload. I am using the yotamasters gear kit which is revolution gears. The pinion crush sleeves they sent were way too stiff and I couldn’t get them to crush so I ordered solid pinion spacers from marlin crawlers. Now that I have them I’m trying to set pinion preload but the solid spacer is way too big. So when it’s fully tightened with no additional shims there is still slop in between the bearings. I’m sanding the spacer down but it just doesn’t seem right. Has anyone else had this experience? Am I doing something wrong with them? I watched RM garages re gear video and he seemed to have the same issue. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[aztoyman]

Since you also had trouble with the crush sleeve, I would compare measurements of the old and new pinion. If the same, I would measure the length of the spacer and call Marlin Crawler and see if they gave you the wrong one.

I have seen people turn down spacers in a lathe when necessary. I have built a few 8" diffs but, the only 80 diff I built is a high pinion 8". The solid spacers I used always needed shims.

Good luck with it. I hope you get it figured out.

 

[SciroccoDamonte]

Since you also had trouble with the crush sleeve, I would compare measurements of the old and new pinion. If the same, I would measure the length of the spacer and call Marlin Crawler and see if they gave you the wrong one.

I have seen people turn down spacers in a lathe when necessary. I have built a few 8" diffs but, the only 80 diff I built is a high pinion 8". The solid spacers I used always needed shims.

Good luck with it. I hope you get it figured out.

Thanks for the input, I’ll measure that for sure, I’m working on the rear so I do know it’s slightly different then later model years.

 

[JoeCova]

What do you mean the crush sleeves were too stiff? Are you using a decent impact gun?

Just use the crush sleeves, much simpler.

 

[SciroccoDamonte]

What do you mean the crush sleeves were too stiff? Are you using a decent impact gun?

Just use the crush sleeves, much simpler.

No like I was torquing them to 210 foot pounds and they weren’t crushing. The Toyota repair manual says not to go much higher than that.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

No like I was torquing them to 210 foot pounds and they weren’t crushing. The Toyota repair manual says not to go much higher than that.

From experience it takes wa more than 210 ft pounds to crush a crush sleeve on another not the solid spacer and shims will be the better of the two I have heard of the solid spacer being to long but I am unable of the manufacturer tho I would do more research on this if I were you.

 

[JoeCova]

No like I was torquing them to 210 foot pounds and they weren’t crushing. The Toyota repair manual says not to go much higher than that.

Then you aren’t reading the Toyota repair manual correctly. The maximum torque recommendation on the front is 253 and 326 for the rear. This spec is based on the assumption that the crush sleeve has been crushed to the maximum.

Initial torque to crush is sometime much higher.

I used a witness mark on a socket and adjusted based on 1/8 - 1/4 turns checking preload in between

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Then you aren’t reading the Toyota repair manual correctly. The maximum torque recommendation on the front is 253 and 326 for the rear. This spec is based on the assumption that the crush sleeve has been crushed to the maximum.

Initial torque to crush is sometime much higher.

I used a witness mark on a socket and adjusted based on 1/8 - 1/4 turns checking preload in between

Your last statement is how i do it

 

[Saito]

Put that third in a press to crush that crush sleeve. It’ll make life much simpler. You can feel the slack disappear once it “goes” and then setting the preload will be super easy after that.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Put that third in a press to crush that crush sleeve. It’ll make life much simpler. You can feel the slack disappear once it “goes” and then setting the preload will be super easy after that.

I've never heard this before.

 

[SciroccoDamonte]

Put that third in a press to crush that crush sleeve. It’ll make life much simpler. You can feel the slack disappear once it “goes” and then setting the preload will be super easy after that.

I did call the company I got my gears from and they said to do this, unfortunately my press is kinda jank so it didn’t bend straight so I had to order a new one but I will attempt again.

 

[SciroccoDamonte]

Then you aren’t reading the Toyota repair manual correctly. The maximum torque recommendation on the front is 253 and 326 for the rear. This spec is based on the assumption that the crush sleeve has been crushed to the maximum.

Initial torque to crush is sometime much higher.

I used a witness mark on a socket and adjusted based on 1/8 - 1/4 turns checking preload in between

Yes i definitely didn’t know that, i will use the solid in the rear just because i am most worried about hitting the flange on a rock and messing up the preload, but for the front I’ll just give it more berries than what i thought I could.

How do you achieve that high of torque? I’ve got a long breaker bar with an additional pipe to extend it and even that is still extremely difficult to turn past the 210 I was doing.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

In a pinch, you can re-use the crush sleave that came out, but you use shims with it to "increase" its length and then crush it to final length in the assembly with the preload. I've had to do that in cases where I didn't have all the hardware.

 

[Marvelicious]

I don't know if this helps (I don't necessarily know I have the right ones myself), but I had some solid spacers on the shelf for whenever I get tired of procrastinating.
What I have, a quick (not necessarily precision) measurement with calipers comes out at 55.33mm on the 9.5" and 46.13mm on the 8".

 

[JoeCova]

I don't know if this helps (I don't necessarily know I have the right ones myself), but I had some solid spacers on the shelf for whenever I get tired of procrastinating.
What I have, a quick (not necessarily precision) measurement with calipers comes out at 55.33mm on the 9.5" and 46.13mm on the 8".

I use calibrated mics but then no one would understand inches. So according to my uncalibrated verniers of my old crush sleeves:

Front - 46.76mm
Rear - 53.29mm

 

[Marvelicious]

I use calibrated mics but then no one would understand inches. So according to my uncalibrated verniers of my old crush sleeves:

Front - 46.76mm
Rear - 53.29mm

Close enough to get us in the ballpark. Looks to me like they're shipping the 9.5" spacer too long, which would jive with the problem @SciroccoDamonte is having. Won't be an issue for me: I have a lathe, so I can just turn mine down to what I need, but that's pretty frustrating if you don't! Kinda defeats the purpose of the shims.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Close enough to get us in the ballpark. Looks to me like they're shipping the 9.5" spacer too long, which would jive with the problem @SciroccoDamonte is having. Won't be an issue for me: I have a lathe, so I can just turn mine down to what I need, but that's pretty frustrating if you don't! Kinda defeats the purpose of the shims.

I agree what a pain to order something and then need to modify it to make it work not having a lathe would make it even worse then add to it if you have never set up gears before this would be a nightmare to figure out.

 

[Kernal]

There's a ton of good information on this website and/or you could run your project by ZUK, his email is at the bottom of the page.

FWIW

Toyota Gear Install

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

gearinstalls.com

 

[Marvelicious]

There's a ton of good information on this website and/or you could run your project by ZUK, his email is at the bottom of the page.

FWIW

Toyota Gear Install

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

gearinstalls.com

I didn't even think to check, but of course...

A pic of his "cheat sheet" for his starting target for the collar/shim stack.

1.864 (47.35mm) for the front (LC HP 8" is the same as V6) and 2.134 (54.20mm) for the rear. Which again, tells me the 9.5" collar I was sent is too long, and I'm guessing SciroccoDamonte's is too.

 

[aztoyman]

I know figuring this is out is causing a delay but, I think installing a solid spacer is better than the crush sleeve in the long run. It doesn't get loose under a load like the crush sleeve "can". Doesn't mean it definitely will. Mainly for the ease of changing the pinion seal in the future without worrying if you got the preload right by marking the nut and counting rotations to get it back on.

I have done that myself but I prefer the solid spacer. Good luck with your setup with whatever you decide.