85 K10 - Lightning

[America.Mike]

Trucks looking good brother

 

[bsgreen]

Ring and pinion is out. Next round I'll get the parts I'm re using cleaned up and start reassembly.

 

[bsgreen]

Squeezed in an hour or so to get ring/bearings installed on locker. I'll try to get hole drilled for the airline and finish gear install this weekend.

 

[bsgreen]

Airline hole drilled and tapped as well as pinion assembly put together. Took 7 tries to get the preload set right. Ended up on the high side of acceptable (35 in lbs). Now I'm having some clearance issues with the ring gear. Need to pull everything back out and do a little grinder work.

 

[bsgreen]

Test fit good. Now let's try this again

 

[6872xtc]

The picture looks like you cut out the casting for the pinion support bearing, am I seeing that correctly?

 

[bsgreen]

Didn't cut it out. Ground down just enough to get the gears past. Didn't take much

 

[bsgreen]

Here's the contact pattern. Look good to you guys or is it too close to the heel?

 

[6872xtc]

What's the other side look like? Are both sides at opposite ends? Getting them close to the center is better, correct? Or am I wrong..

 

[bsgreen]

Opposite side seems a little low

 

[6872xtc]

I believe that would be considered acceptable, but I would try bringing the pinion up/in and then reset backlash. See where that ends up. But write down where everything is at first! And be ready to try something else or go back..

 

[bsgreen]

Found parts truck for $350. Got what I need to swap the front to 8 lug. Came with Dakota digital cluster. Probably sell the cluster and whatever else I can save to get my money back out of it

 

[centexk5]

Might be interested in the cluster. Let me know a price when you are ready.

 

[bsgreen]

Got everything stripped off the parts truck. Took a break from the 85 to put a new exhaust on the 92 since the stock muffler was rusted out.