Replacing the pinion seal means the drive shaft, flange, pinion bearing, and crush sleeve have to be removed. Establishing correct pinion pre-load is a labor intensive process.
While the seal is cheap. The process to install is a PIA.
If the work is done during a gear swap, the seal replacement is a "free-be".
A leak from the rear cover is easy to fix.
While the seal is cheap. The process to install is a PIA.
If the work is done during a gear swap, the seal replacement is a "free-be".
A leak from the rear cover is easy to fix.
well if you just ask for a seal that's all ur getting,
you have lots of options. first thing you need to figure out what are ur plans for the car?
nitrous-blower-big slicks. or mostly stock DD myself i like keeping all my future mod options
open, and wouldn't spend $150-250 on a 'bandage' repair but that's just my opinion,
for just a daily driver. i would just have em replace all the bearings/seals ring&pinion gears,
also new stock 28 spline Differential Carrier,
the way i look things when it comes to rear ends. it's like needing an organ transparent, do it right the first tie so they won't cut you open every 6 months,
you have lots of options. first thing you need to figure out what are ur plans for the car?
nitrous-blower-big slicks. or mostly stock DD myself i like keeping all my future mod options
open, and wouldn't spend $150-250 on a 'bandage' repair but that's just my opinion,
for just a daily driver. i would just have em replace all the bearings/seals ring&pinion gears,
also new stock 28 spline Differential Carrier,
the way i look things when it comes to rear ends. it's like needing an organ transparent, do it right the first tie so they won't cut you open every 6 months,
Correct me if I'm wrong but you can replace the seal without removing the pinion doing by something like this:
- Remove the driveshaft
- Using a pointer-type in-lbs torque wrench, measure the pinion bearing preload by rotating the drive flange nut. Record the reading.
- Remove the drive flange nut
- Mark the drive flange and pinion relationship with an indelible mark so they can be re-assembled in the same orientation
- Remove the drive flange
- Remove the old pinion seal and install the new one. Smear some oil on the seal as lube
- Lube the splines on the pinion and align the marks on the pinion and drive flange made above. Install the flange.
- Apply some red-Loctite to the nut threads and install the nut. Tighten the nut in stages, rotating the pinion periodically to allow the bearings to seat properly.
- As the pinion nut is tightened, measure the pre-load with the in-lbs torque wrench and continue to tighten until the pre-load measurement matches that seen above
- Re-install the driveshaft using threadlocker on the bolts.
If you don't disturb the bearings and crush sleeve and return the bearing pre-load to its original value, the rear should be okay. No?
As well, the drive flange should be checked for a wear groove at the seal contact point. If there's a groove there, it's time for a new flange.
No, you're right
O.p. If I were you, in my honest opinion, instead of going through the hastle of getting all of the materials together for a complete install of 4:10's, I would just find a really thick set of lower control arms. When you change the rear end gear ratio, you might as well replace the bearing and seals on the axles, new bearings in the gear housing, crush sleave, shims, gear oil w/modifier. Some things I left out. The job is long if you don't have a press, if you get the depth wrong the first time you gonna have to keep the pressing the bearing on and off.
Stock gears are not bad at all, if you get the majority of the torque and horsepower to the ground, then it might feel like you have 4:10's.