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Pinion bearing replacement

ericcarney

ericcarney

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
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Location
Houston
Just realized my rear diff pinion bearing is bad and I am going to need to replace it. I opened up the cover and the gears are still in good shape but my mechanic friend says it is a colossal pain in the butt and requires a bunch of special tools and know-how to replace the bearing. Anyone ever done it successfully? The general consensus is to just buy a new rear end but I might end up with something even worse and all because of one bearing? HELP!
 
It is a 10 bolt rear, I think it's stock.
6c4f1298-26d8-ea40.jpg
 
Did the rear pinion in the blazer this spring. Fairly easy job, I just marked the pinion nut. Removed it, the carrier. That changed the bearings and races. I didnt have a press at home, so I cut the old bearing off and tapped the new one on. Than put everything back together like it came apart.
 
setting up gears = big job.

mark / remove / swap just bearings and races and new seal = much better easy job.

and fyi thats a gov-loc = aka gov-bom

you will need new bearings/seals and also axle shaft seals since there out and easy to do. better just to get master install kit for everything and also know how to do a crush sleave install.
 
Gov-bom, huh? I have been contemplating just welding them up, I am running 39.5" Boggers on the rear. Advice?
 
not good idea to weld up weak case design.

and 10 bolt on boggers or over 35" = early death.

time to upgrade to 14ff 3/4 or 1 ton rear or mabye a 9.5" 14semi float rear if you want stronger and keep 6 lug rear.
 
I guess I don't push my truck hard enough to break that kind of stuff, I have been running that setup for about 3 years and haven't had any problems with the gears. I'm wheelin on a budget right now or else I would get a 3/4 or 1 ton rear end, problem is then I would have to match the gears in the front or replace the front axle too.
 
you dont.

you need to pull the diff cover / drain the oil / pull the cross pin bolt and hope like hell its not broken / then drop the cross shaft out / slide each axle flange in a bit and drop the c-clip of each / then you get to pull it out.

if broken bolt look here for the cool tool and replacement bolt. http://www.fabbriassociates.com/index.html

also here is some basics on gear setup yes its a dana 60 but most applys to the corp 10 bolt in the basics. http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Gear_Setup/ you dont need to setup the gears tho. just swap the bearings.
 
be vary carefull when taking the bolt out that hold the cross pin in.

use a 6 point wrench or socket only NO 12 point stuff. thay round off real easy. and its gona be hit or miss on if its broken. read the link i posted above thats for broken bolt fix.
 
Sweet, cross pin bolt a-ok, barely even had to turn it, cross pin out, but how do I get these monsters c-clips off?
 
ericcarney said:
Sweet, cross pin bolt a-ok, barely even had to turn it, cross pin out, but how do I get these monsters c-clips off?
Click to expand...
Push in on the axles from the outside, and they will pretty much fall off.
You may have to rotate the axles to get clearance, but they just slip on and don't fall off because they are up in those recesses and held there by that cross pin.
 
dont spin with out cross pin in place or you will walk the spider gears out of the case and make big mess of that gov-loc.
 
yeah, almost made a mess when i had my wife push the axles in, everything is out now and all my gears look good, no broken pieces or worn teeth. Does anyone know the socket size of the pinion nut? I am going to have to go buy one from the store and i dont want to guess
 
ericcarney said:
yeah, almost made a mess when i had my wife push the axles in, everything is out now and all my gears look good, no broken pieces or worn teeth. Does anyone know the socket size of the pinion nut? I am going to have to go buy one from the store and i dont want to guess
Click to expand...
CRASH!! Sorry, you have exceeded the limit of my GM knowledge........I run Fords.

Someone else should step in shortly and know that.

4X4High, for instance will not only know it off the top of his head, but probably has one in his pocket.....
 
Well, lo and behold, 28mm taint quite right and now I'm headed back to autozone
 
Not quite a 29mm either... Oh well, the nut came off really easily, I almost could have turned it by hand, and the yoke slid right out without a puller, the bearings are definitely shot, but not broken, and my race is almost perfect except for a couple of very small dents. With all the trouble it takes to replace it, should I?
 
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