Gear swap problem!

Hey guys this weekend I decide to install a set of 4.10 gear and ran into some problems Well first of all I don't have a micrometer but a caliper which is not as acurate to measure the pinion head or shims. After I pulled the old pinion I took a measurement at the head and then the new one and it looked close. So I did the same with the factory shim and the only one that looked alike in the FMS kit was the .030. To make the story short after I installed the pinion to specs with the new shim and crush sleeve the carrier will not turn!!!! I was told from a lot of people to reuse the stock shim, well I did, I guess since like I'm taking measurements with a caliper and the shim that looked the same size as the factory one was the .030. So what do you guys recommend? My friend told me to install a thinner shim, but will a .002 make a big difference since a lot of people go by that? Please don't tell me to take it to a shop, because I'm in a shop borrowing space and the car has to stay there untill tuesday and I'm paying daily for it . Please any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!!

Velez

Anybody???

HIGDON said:

Hey man. I've done quite a few gear swaps. FMS gears right? Well take the stock shim and OLD crush sleeve and install the new pinion. Now install the new nut until it sucks the pinion up and bottoms out against the old shim. Use locktite here. (should be some on the nut in the kit, but you've probably put it on already)
Check your turning torque with an in/lb. torque wrench and see if it's in specs, if not, tighten the nut in 15-30* increments(smaller as you get closer) until the proper turning torque is reached. I have done 4 gear swaps using this method in the past 6 months, all on my buddies cars, and none of us have had ANY problems what so ever. I have used this method on my personal cars over 6 times, same result. It works.

Edit: Sounds like you are at the auto hobby shop eh?

Click to expand...

Well another fellow soldier I had a hard time trying to pull the old bearing out and pretty much destroyed the old shim, so not good here! Like you said to reuse the stock shim, my friend said the same thing but since the one that looked the same size was the .030 that's what I used. I'm thinking that the stock one maybe wasn't a .030 and now the pinion is in a little too much preventing the carrier to turn, being too tight. I'm going to look in the trash can right next where I was and take I look at the shim again. Do you think that lowering the shim to .028 will make a difference? Thanks in advance!!

BTW: Yep I got the Stang at the Auto Skills