anyone check rear preload with 175,000+ miles. Wondering what value u got??

[CharlesKennedy]

Wondering what preload values anyone has gotten when checking 11. 5 rear end axle with 175,000+ miles. . Just a courious question! Reason is I can't seem to get any real preload value with my inch pound beam. . There is no play in bearing yoke but no real preload either! Don't know if my impact/air does not have enough air to cont. to torque down or the crush sleeve is bottomed out. .



Before anyone says I have already over torque it. . Please don't. I have never had to back off or gotten to the point point where I have any real preload or the bearings dragging. . One thing I didn't do is get a reading before I started. . I first had it too loose and had bearing noise on coasting. . Tighted it up a litte and noise left. . But still wasn't happy. Had a little play so decided to do it correctly - which bring me to this point. All this in a nut shell without having to type a page... As for driving it I only drove it for a day or two in town and not long. .



Next question which I am posting another thread. Now do u get the cruch sleeve bearing off if you wish to put in a new cruch sleeve??

 

[CharlesKennedy]

Edited reply options. .

 

[S.Morris]

Crush sleeve is not bottomed out... ... ... . you can make bearing preload so tight as to not rotate and sleeve is still not bottomed out. If installing new bearings a new sleeve is needed. It takes several hunderd ft/lbs of force to start the sleeve compression.



What exactly are you doing? trying to replace yoke side bearing only? If replacing outer bearing because of damage... ... ... ... . it is a very rare occassion the the inner does not show same wear/damage.



If you have NO preload reading at all yet, than from what you have said, you still have not crushed sleeve to the point of starting to create preload. You should have some preload reading just from rotating carrier and axles, or am I misunderstanding ?

 

[ata]

It takes about 450 FT-LBS to crush the sleeve.

 

[CharlesKennedy]

Yea. . Guess I just don't have enough air to move impact. . I am using a crafstman portable compressor. . 5. 5? CFM at 90 PSI. . Was using a Matco 1758A only goes to 350lb. . Bought a IR 2135TMAX that goes to 550 flbs. Under normal operation it says 5 CFM at 90 PSI. . One of my questions if when u start getting up to 450+ ft lbs does something like the IR 2135 1/2 drive take a lot more air to run?? (note: Trust me I am being very, very careful when turning the nut with the impact. . Do not wish to over torque it. )





S Morris: I am a litte puzzled. Started to replace orginal seal at 175,000 miles. Marked yoke, nut, shaft with paint. . Replaced seal and put nut on, drove and found out bearing was a liitle loose... I really didn't check play in yoke at the time. . Was so tired after I had installed new seal. . Well never make that short step again. . Dropped shaft and tighted a litte more, scratched head because it was where the mark was - before I tightened a little more. . Drove and bearing sound almost all if not all gone! Just a ever so slight sound on coasting - I thought. Still I wish to double check so I dropped the axle shaft again and still had a little play in yoke/bearing. . ie: up, down and sideways. . The pinion nut was now 1/2 if not one turn more then the paint mark. . This started me scratching my head and saying WTF happened. . I then decided to do a check the right way. . Pulled both wheel axles and did a preload check and took all the play out of the yoke/bearing. . Now there no play and the yoke spins nice and no signs of something gone a muck. . But I can't seem to get a rotational torque of more say 5 in pounds. . So I am thinking no real preload. One reason I thought of just checking/inspecting/installing a new sleeve and torque to somewhere in specs based on how the bearing/drag feels by hand! Does any of this make any sense??



INSERT: So question is why can't get preload? Not enough torque, or crush sleeve issue (just a note), those and why all the sudden the pinion nut issue! I took pictures/etc. One of the puzzling things is being able to turn the nut a lot farther then orginal mark. I only had a 350 lb torgue impact on 5 CFM compresser + the yoke was still loose so I couldn't have over torque. Even after rechecking the yoke still had play so again I couldn't have over torqured.

 

[S.Morris]

Do you have end play? (check on end of pinion with a dial indicator) and pull in and out on yoke while it is still tightened in place.



Did you put oil slinger , washers etc back in appropriate place?

 

[cerberusiam]

We broke a snap-on 1/2" breaker trying to set the pre-load. :-laf Had to get a 3/4 drive and a 3-4 foot cheater to get preloaded correctly and it was still a bugger to get leverage and hold the pinion stationary.

 

[rscurtis]

My signature truck had a decel whine when new, and rather than have the dealer mess with it, I bought all the AAM axle tools. I marked the pinion nut with paint about 1/8" wide and turned it just enough to displace the paint mark. That all but got rid of the noise. You'll need the tool to hold the companion flange and a 4' bar- your impact isn't going to cut it. I would suspect you didn't tighten the nut all the way, and were 1 turn off. Do this in small increments, if you go too far, you already know the consequences. It's difficult to read inch pounds on a beam wrench, I bought a 150 inch pound Snap-On dial wrench just for this job.

 

[CharlesKennedy]

Do you have end play? (check on end of pinion with a dial indicator) and pull in and out on yoke while it is still tightened in place.



Did you put oil slinger , washers etc back in appropriate place?

No real play that I can note. . Not even small amount but I am not a dial indicator! Yes the washer is in! But oil slinger?? Don't think it has one and the part diagram on the axle does not shown one either. . I saw no such animal!



ps: I am driving it now. . Its my only truck. But no out of town driving/etc. . The rear end sounds fine - in fact better then before.

 

[CharlesKennedy]

My signature truck had a decel whine when new, and rather than have the dealer mess with it, I bought all the AAM axle tools. I marked the pinion nut with paint about 1/8" wide and turned it just enough to displace the paint mark. That all but got rid of the noise. You'll need the tool to hold the companion flange and a 4' bar- your impact isn't going to cut it. I would suspect you didn't tighten the nut all the way, and were 1 turn off. Do this in small increments, if you go too far, you already know the consequences. It's difficult to read inch pounds on a beam wrench, I bought a 150 inch pound Snap-On dial wrench just for this job.

Well thats what I tried to start with to get it off. . Had to use a impact. As for 4' bar I don't have enough rotational space under the truck. It needs to be on a lift! U don't think a 550 f lb torque impact would do it??

 

[TCDiesel]

You need 3/4 Impact to crush the sleeve period or 4' breaker, the IR 2135TMAX is Not enough TQ,Plus You will need 4' pipe wrench to hold the pinion flange if you don't have the proper flange wrench. That crush sleeve is a bugger.