Pulling a D44 Carrier

[Cricket]

Quick question.

If I pull my D44 carrier to install a locker and then reassemble exactly as removed will I need to check the gear tooth contact pattern?

Reinstalling same ring gear but it has to be removed to get to the spider gear retaining pin.

 

[boz42]

yes the new carrier may not be the same exact width so u would need to re-set the backlash. check what u have before u take it apart & reset it to that when u re-install new carrier

EDIT:
i am sorry i didn't relize u were putting in a lunch box locker. i would still check it any how, but i bet a lot of folks would say it is unnessicary

 

[pauly383]

I had good results so far . I put a d44 lunchbox in for someone , whos since sold the truck back to supersize , and he has killed shafts ( kids ) but not the locker

Anyway , it would be best to recheck , although I didn't as I didn't change anything on the setup . This one had no shims between the carrier and housing anyway , tight fit .

I learned that :

they are in there tight sometimes .
The ring gear bolts are regular rotation ( 10 bolts are reverse ) .
And the pin can be easy by using an allen wrench ( had no drift/punch that size ) and hammering it out .

 

[Burt4x4]

Depends on the type of locker you are adding.
The shimms in a D44 are located inbetween the carrier bearings and the carrier. The bearings are pressed onto the carrier trapping the shims inplace.
Does your locker use the 'open' carrier (just swaping out the spider gears?)?
If it is then no you do not need to adjust the R&P as the positon will not change.
If you are installing a new carrier then yes you will nedd to adjust & the shimms used in the open diff (the thickness) can be used as a starting point.

When I did mine I honed out the old bearings so I could easly slide the bearings on & off untill I had the shims right then pressed on the new bearings...

Good Luck
Burt

 

[Cricket]

Just a lunchbox Aussie locker.

You know how hearsay is though, some say no problem and others say you need to check the pattern after re-installation.

When we put in Mrk5's Aussie locker we found some badly pitted bearings. So he took it in to have those replaced and his shop made mention of it being a bad idea to pull the carrier and replace it like that.

So, who to believe? That's the main issue with being new to screwing with differentials. The X factor. That's why I asked on the board hoping for some confirmation in one direction or the other.

Anyone else have experience with this?

 

[Burt4x4]

I'm not familar with that locker.
How does it install?
Do you replace the guts on the open carrier or is it a complete carrier?
If you are just replacing the guts then that will not affect your pattern as you did not remove the bearings or shims.
If it is a complete carrier then you will need a Master Rebuild kit to replace the bearings and shims & adjustments will be needed.
You dig?

 

[HarryH3]

The only adjustment that you could make is the side shims. Since they're retained behind the bearing, and you're re-installing the exact same carrier into the exact same housing, then you don't have to worry about anything. Slap it in and drive it.

Don't mix up the bearing races, and don't mix up the bearing caps. If you do that then everything will be fine.

 

[mrk5]

Just a lunchbox Aussie locker.

You know how hearsay is though, some say no problem and others say you need to check the pattern after re-installation.

When we put in Mrk5's Aussie locker we found some badly pitted bearings. So he took it in to have those replaced and his shop made mention of it being a bad idea to pull the carrier and replace it like that.

So, who to believe? That's the main issue with being new to screwing with differentials. The X factor. That's why I asked on the board hoping for some confirmation in one direction or the other.

Anyone else have experience with this?

No, no that's not the deal. There wasn't a problem with the way we did the install.

The problem had nothing to do with what we did. The carrier wasn't tight in the case for whatever reason. The shop had to add shims to correct this. Not to mention replacing those scary bearings. They made no comment about our work.

I say go for it. After doing that first one, I have no worries. The only worries I had was the other problems we found that had nothing to do with the Aussie install.