14b 14bff Detroit locker install installation notes

[K85 Octane]

There is so much info about installing a Detroit locker out there, it's just in several threads. Since I'm looking to install mine, I've been searching the topic for some time, gathering info, paste and coping them in Word, and saving it for the day I take on the task.

I want to post up all that I've found in one location. I've titled the thread to include words PEOPLE SHOULD USE FOR SEARCHING and if they do, this thread should pop up. I'm putting it in "quotes" cause everything is paste and copy from others posts. At the end, I've got a couple questions that I haven't been able to find answers for.

Yes....You remove the little bolts in the center of the bearing caps. Then remove the bearing caps, marking them as to their original location AND orientation. They need to go back in exactly the same place and direction they came from. The rings with the little holes are for setting preload on the bearings. Before you touch them, mark them with a paint pen or scratch so across them to a fixed point on the housing. You will simply back them off a couple of turns to release the preload on the carrier bearings. If you feel that you have to use a crowbar to remove the carrier, then you haven't backed them off far enough. You will also want to make note of how many turns you have backed them off so that you can return them to their original tightness (preload) after reinstalling the carrier.

135 ft lb on main caps

remove all 6 washers

Yes. That wing nut holds two big washers in compression so that the springs in the detroit don't cause the whole locker to come apart.
Put it in the carrier just like it is, install the ring gear and ring gear bolts, THEN remove the wing nut (through the carrier hole for the axleshaft, obviously) and remove the two big washers and the long bolt.
Keep the bolt, two washers, and wing nut for future use if you ever need to take the carrier apart again.

Bolt that goes through Detroit is to temporarily hold it together. That bolt is only to help you compress the springs to get the thing in. just go down and get one from a hardware store. there is nothing special about it other than the length, and the outside diameter of the washers have to be smaller than the inside diameter of the side gear on the detroit.

Bolt size
3/16 bolt 5" long (have read up to 5/8 DIA, 6” long)
1 1/2" wide 3/16 fender washers.
with a wing nut on the end.

80W90...no additives.

What is the torque on the pinion housing bolts? The 6 bolts that hold it to the housing?
3/8" bolt...I torque mine to 35ft lbs same as an intake manifold

test procedure before road use:
http://4x4icon.com/offroad/detroit/detroit_noslip.htm

if you don’t have an impact, you may want to break loose the carrier bolts while the carrier is still in the truck. they are torque to 100 ft-lbs or so. just a thought

I have the G80 in my truck, so when I install a detroit I will need to install it in an open carrier. My question is that when swapping from the posi carrier to an open carrier will it be necessary to adjust the ring and pinion settings when I re-install it in the truck?? YES

The Detroit locker fits in both the thick 4.56 and thin 4.10 carriers.

*What is the torque spec for the axle bolts that are on the end. (eight of them)
* Torque spec for the ring gear bolts? (is this the carrier bolts? 100ft lb?)

I hope to update this first post with the answers to this question. I'd also like to update it with some picture and how to instructions. There is a link to a some 4x4...com website that is said to have a great install how to, but I can't load it and I think it's a broken link. Sooooo, being the awesome blazer site we are, we need to have a good install that other people, from around the internet, can rely on for installing their Detroit AND link others to.

 

[lazuras_dc]

Awesome idea as I'm going to undertake this in about a month.
Does the detroit itself come w/ any instructions?

 

[K85 Octane]

Awesome idea as I'm going to undertake this in about a month.
Does the detroit itself come w/ any instructions?

bought mine second hand new, I don't know if they are in the box or not, but you can print them out from their website.

 

[sweetk30]

to install detroit in open diff just replace the spider guts with detroit and reinstall. ( see last 2 pics )

axle flange bolts = 115ft lb last i recall.

and dont forget the 2 halfs of the open diff have a little cast in arrow to line up when reassemble is done. the arrows are only visable when open/apart on the matting surface . ( see pics and note paint color section with cast in arrows )

and here ya go with pics http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151608 14 ff carrier id info.

 

[lazuras_dc]

Found this the other day looks pretty easy.

http://4x4mecca.com/tech_article/detroit-locker-install-gm-14-bolt-full-floater

 

[K85 Octane]

Found this the other day looks pretty easy.

http://4x4mecca.com/tech_article/detroit-locker-install-gm-14-bolt-full-floater

hey now, that's a good one

 

[K85 Octane]

I want to save this here, just in case 4x4mecca.com moves it and breaks the link, or worse, shuts down. This is from the link, not mine, just copying and pasting.

***********************************************

The GM 14 bolt axle is one of the few axles for which the full Detroit locker does not include a new carrier. I'm not sure why this is, but I can only guess it's because the carrier is near bulletproof. I can see why because it is basically one solid piece split into 2 halves. I've never heard of anyone that's managed to break one. An alternative to the Detroit locker is the lincoln locker.

It's easiest to let the manufacturer, Eaton, explain the advantages of the Detroit Locker. they also refer to it as "NoSPIN" as you will see in the following quote.
NoSPIN maximizes traction by delivering 100% of the torque and power to both drive wheels. It is engineered to keep both wheels in a constant drive mode, yet has the ability to automatically “unlock†during vehicle turning to permit necessary wheel speed differentiation. The NoSPIN is “trouble free†and does not require special lubricants or service adjustments.
Here's what the Detroit locker for the 14 bolt full-floater looks like:

The wing nut you can see is used to hold the unit together during assembly. There is a very strong spring that is part of the unit and you'd never get the carrier assembly back together without the bolt and wing nut. It will be removed before installing the carrier assembly back into the axle.
Enough with the babbling, let's get started.
First thing I did was to remove the cover. This allows the fluid to drain out as much as possible.

Wait a minute, aren't you forgetting something Scott? Don't you need to put the truck up on jack stands, remove the tires, blah-blah-blah? No not really. The beauty of the full-floating axle is you can work on all this stuff without doing all that. Only think you should do is chock the front tires, because Park isn't going to do you any good without axle shafts or even a ring gear for that matter. Back to work now!
Next thing was to remove the axle shafts. This is accomplished by removing the 8 bolts that fasten the shaft to the hub. Complete removal is not necessary. You only need to pull the shafts out far enough to get them out of the carrier assembly. You'll be able to tell when this has happened. Here's how mine looked:

As you can see in the photo, some fluid will drain out, so make sure you have something to catch said fluid.
Now it's time to remove the carrier assembly. There are adjuster nuts on each side of the carrier assembly and they are used in place of the shims many axles use. The adjuster nuts have many small holes around the circumference. Before going any further, you need to use a scribe to make an alignment mark on the housing and nut. Hopefully my marks show in the picture below:

Now you can remove the retainer bolts the hold the clip which in turn holds the adjuster nut in place. You can see one of the bolts at the bottom of the picture above. Once the bolt is out, you remove the clip.
At this point you may want to rotate the ring gear back and forth to get a feel for the backlash. This is the "slop" you can feel changing the direction of rotation. This will give you a feel for what the original backlash feels like. You can use it as a verification that you reset the adjuster nuts properly. Or that possibly some other problem has occurred.

The next step is removing the bearing caps. Make sure to mark which side they are removed from and the orientation. This is very important because re-installing the bearing caps in the wrong position can cause serious damage to your axle. On top of marking them - I like to use a paint pen or punch marks - you can take a picture to help your memory. Set them aside for final assembly.
Finally, we can remove the carrier assembly. To do this you must loosen the adjuster nuts. Be prepared, the carrier assembly will be ready to just fall out, literally. This is when you need the help of a friend or rig up something to catch the carrier. I just used a screw driver to turn the adjuster nuts. I'm sure there's some fancy Snap-On tool, but the screw driver worked just fine. Count the number of turns using the scribe marks as reference. If I remember correctly mine took about 2 turns on each side. Once you have them loose enough, the carrier assembly should just drop out. Hopefully not on your feet or any other body part.
Now it's time to tear things apart further as in taking the carrier assembly apart. In order to do this, you must remove the ring gear bolts. It is necessary to replace the ring gear bolts anytime you take them out.
I was able to do the entire process without removing the ring gear itself from the carrier. It is a little bit of a risk because there's a chance it could just fall off and potentially be damaged. Once you remove the ring gear bolts, you can easily split the 2 halves apart. Here's what it will look like with the side and spider gears.

Remove the side and spider gears. Make sure you get the washers out with the gears, if they are left in they will not allow the locker to disengage properly. In the picture below you can see all of the gears and washers that must be removed.

Now set the Detroit Locker into the carrier halves. It just sits into the carrier, nothing tricky here.

Bolt the two halves back together and you're ready to put it back in the axle. You can see arrows on each half that are lined up for proper re-assembly.

Once it's together, it's not easy to see there's a Detroit locker inside. The only way to see it is through the opening in the picture below.

The ring gear bolts need to be torqued to 120ft-lbs. This is another time you're likely going to need help. We used a crowbar in one of the crosspin holes to provide counter torque. Another good tip I received is to used a hydraulic press to hold the carrier from spinning.
Now it is time to remove the wingnut and bolt discussed at the beginning of the article. Or you can be a blockhead like me and completely re-assemble the axle and wonder why the axle shafts won't slide back in. Insert lots of cuss words here plus a few smacks on the forehead.
Third and final time for assistance, slide the carrier assembly back into the housing. While your helper holds the carrier in, turn the adjuster nuts back to their position before removal.
Once the adjusters are in position, install the bearing caps back in their original places. Torque the bolts to 135ft-lbs. Now the adjuster nut retainer clips and bolts can be re-installed. Torque the bolts to 20ft-lbs.
Now you can re-install the axle shafts. Hopefully you removed the bolt and wingnut from the Detroit. It does take a little bit of patience to get them back in. Torque the axle shaft flange bolts to 115ft-lbs.
At this point you will need to jack up the rear of the vehicle in order to do the testing Detroit outlines in the installation procedure.