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R&P noise...is it okay?

T

txbartman

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Okay, here's the deal. This weekend I swapped my rear R&P myself. I put in a set of Yukon 4.56 gears from Randy's R&P. I feel very confident in all the settings including the pattern. But, then again, I have never done this before or seen it done. I also installed a Detroit locker.

I put about 20 miles on it this weekend in small jaunts around the neighborhood and such. This morning it got its first test, a 20 mile trip into work in Dallas highway traffic with speeds ranging from stopped to about 65 MPH.

The gears are making some noise. When first starting out, you can hear them (a little) until I hit about 20 MPH. Then you can't hear them over the sound of the tires. I can also hear them upon deceleration some. They don't clang or anything, just the sound of gears whirring. At highway speeds with the windows up (to prevent wind noise and reduce the sound of the tires) and the radio off and everything as quiet as can be in the truck, I can hear the gears "singing".

Everything I have read says that aftermarket gears will commonly be noisier than OEM gears. I have never been in a vehicle with after-market gears, though, so I don't have a measuring point. I just want to get the butterflies out of my stomach on this one. I have put about 50 miles on her so far, and all I notice is some whining. Is this normal? What's y'all's opinions?

Brian
Click to see <a target="_blank" href=http://tx85gmcguy.alloffroad.com> My 85 Jimmy </a>
Who put a stop payment on my reality check?!?
 
Sounds like you didn't quite set it up correctly.
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I installed aftermarket gears in the rear of my S-Jimmy and there's no whining from them. Open it up again and check the backlash. If the bearings didn't get fully seated when being installed, they'll seat themselves as you drive and loosen up the backlash.
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<font color=black>HarryH3 - '75 K5</font color=black>
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I don't know if some noise is ok but with mine I have not been able to hear the gears at all. I used DanaSpicer brand into Dana axels so duno if that has anything to do with it? I would have to say you should double check the settings when you get back home. If they are still right mabie they just need to wear in a bit??
Good Luck

72K5
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Rock ON!
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I would call and talk to Randy about it. He is a super nice guy and more than willing to help out in situations like this. I would personally say that no you shouldn't be hearing any noise from the new gears. Recheck your backlash and clean the gears real good and recheck your pattern with some marking compound.

'85 K5 : Run it til it breaks, then fix it and go again!
 
Some noise from aftermarket gears is acceptable, but the amount of noise you describe is a little suspect. What kind of lube did you use? Have you checked to make sure it's topped off again after initial cruise? It could also be a bad bearing (even if new), if the race was damaged during install or cocked slightly one way or the other. Other than the outcome, how did the swap go? What tools did you end up using to tighten/loosen the pinion nut and crushing the sleeve?

There is a Right way, a Wrong way, and then there is My way. The latter is usually the most fun!
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I talked with randy's and they recommended opening the cover back up again and double-checking the backlash. Easy thing to do so I will probably do it Wednesday night. I bought a dial indicator and magnetic base to test the backlash and a dial micrometer to measure all my shims. I used a 2' craftsman breaker bar and a 2' lead pipe to crush the sleeve. I tested pinion preload by the "feel" method. With it tight and the pinion bearings seated (and the carrier out), I spun the pinion. After I let it go, it spun about 1/4 to half a turn more and stopped.

All wner well. The hardest part was getting the pinion nut off! I bet it took between 4-500 lb ft of torque to get the sucker to break loose. The other fun part was getting the ring gear onto the Detroit locker. The shop I was using for pressing the bearings wouldn't press the gears for me. So, a friend and I help the setup on the floor between our feet and slowly torqued the bolts on the ring gear until it pulled flat onto the Detroit. It took probably 30 minutes to get it to seat squarely! Probably looked like a joke, but it worked!

I am very pleased with the gearing. I set the backlash a little tight, but may have been a little loose on the carrier bearing preload. I will get her home today and park it until Wednesday night. At that point I will open it up and check the backlash. If anything, it might have opened up a little. I will also recheck the pattern. Worst case scenario right now appears having to re-adjust everything. The only problem I see with that is that crush sleeve!

Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see!

Brian
Click to see <a target="_blank" href=http://tx85gmcguy.alloffroad.com> My 85 Jimmy </a>
Who put a stop payment on my reality check?!?
 
I set the pinion bearing preload with a torqueing screwdriver and the pinion never spins after releasing. You sound a little light in that dept. although the pinion bearing preload has little effect on pattern. After market gears are a little noisier than stockers. I just did a 14 Bolt w/ Yukon gears and they are very quiet!

The crush sleeves are a bear, the 14 bolt took a 6' pipe on a breaker bar! Anyway good luck. If you got a camera post some pics of the pattern

Ron
 
Sounds like your pattern is a little off. This is the most frequent cause of gear noise, "from what I know and understand". This nooise is coming from the gears not lining up right and the noise is actually a light grinding muted by the fluid adn all its surroundings. So you need to go back and clean that puppy up and see how much metal "flakes" you find. If they are of some decent size you "need" to re-set your pinion depth. The backlash will give more of a clunking noise, and if the pre-load is too light it would give the same clunking symptom cause it allows the backlash to open up.
I dont care what anybody says. The bearing on the pinion does "not" need to be any tighter than if you spin it as hard as you can and it only turns 1/4 to 1/2 turn (for new bearings). Anything else is way too much and promotes exessive wear!

What is and what should never be....
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Sure pinion bearing pre-load will work fine by many "homegrown" methods! But the correct way to do it is with an inch-pound wrench. Same is true about head bolts, yeh! they may work if you just tighten them in any sequence but the correct way..... you get the picture!

Have you ever heard of any diff failure from too much pinion preload? I doubt it! But to little? I've seen many!

And another thing, if the seal(pinion) is already installed(which it should be in a crush sleeve rear) it will stop the pinion from rotating after release!

Ron

PS You set your rears up the way you want, but when you put out big coin for parts, I'll do it right the first time! Thank-you!
 
Got 8000 miles on "this" last install and no prblems. Have changed the fluid twice since the install and no metal.
PS, muscle memory is "real"!

What is and what should never be....
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Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again.................
 
Well I do agree with you that things should be done the right way. And if I had 300 bones to throw at an inch pound wrench that measures 20 inch pounds correctly then I would get one. But after be trained by a professional and knowing what 20 inch pounds feels like, I'll stick to my way, as it works for me.

What is and what should never be....
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And where do you recommend I get an in-lb torque wrench to measure 14-19 in lbs while rotating?

Brian
Click to see <a target="_blank" href=http://tx85gmcguy.alloffroad.com> My 85 Jimmy </a>
Who put a stop payment on my reality check?!?
 
LOL, better call the bank adn get a loan. The only ones I've been able to find is from Snap-on and they are aaaaaaahhhhh hhuuuuuu $275.
Jc whitney has one for 19.99. DO NOT BUY IT!!!!

What is and what should never be....
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