Wanting to learn how to set up differentials

[Cornfield creations]

I was wondering where everyone learns how to set--up ring and pinions and carriers and so on. Our business is looking to add other services and there is a need for axle work in the area. I live in southern Indiana and am willing to take classes for such a thing. If anyone knows of a school in the area that teaches it or if there is something out there that explains it well and I can experiment on something of my own. Any info will be appreciated!!
Thanks in advance.
Matt

 

[readymix]

I learned in high school after fragging the diff in a 65 GTO.

Not sure that there is a school that will teach only that, more likely to be part of a larger curriculum.

 

[ryan22re]

if your boss is willing to pay for your training, then instead, get him to buy two sets of gears for your truck and the tools to put them in. a factory service manual helps too. hands on is the only way to learn. instead of sitting in a class for three months and maybe setting up one rearend, just go do it. you may have to do it several times to get it right, but you'll learn a valuable lesson in the end.


ryan

 

[Cornfield creations]

Yeah, I would rather do hands on since I learn better that way. I would like to swap out the r&p on my 79 k-5, but I am afraid of messing up a great working dif, but I guess there would be no other way to learn.

 

[mofugly13]

I learned by reading everything I could find on it. Particularly the guide that Randy's Ring & Pinion has. And old posts on here. Then I redid the gears on my D70. I made sure that I fully understood all the critical aspects before I even touched a tool. best thing would be to regear your truck, and when you run into questions/problems, get on here and ask, post pics. The members here will be able to walk you through it. You'll need some specialty tools, like a dial indicator and an in/lb torque wrench that wil measure 15-30 foot pounds. Some axles require special pullers for carrier/pinion bearings, and that can be very expensive. I made my own, but I will never have to pay anyone to set up my gears.

If you mess up a ring & pinion install, you'll only wreck the r&p not the whole axle. And if you post your contact patterns here, nobody will let you button it up if it isnt right.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

If you decide to try setting up a rear end on your own, feel free to ask any questions and post up pics of your pattern each time. We will walk you through it.

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

I can't give you an exact source but I built up the confidence to do it by reading everything I could on setting up gears from magazine articles, to stuff online, to shop manuals until I fully understood every aspect involved. Then I tackled a ford 9" on a friends '67 galaxie and it wasn't too difficult, granted a 9" is an easy axle to do a set up on but now I feel confident swaping gears in any differential.

I have had an install go badly on D44 front end but once you bust up a pinion or two you learn that "it looks pretty good" isn't good enough

 

[randy88k5]

I too learned how to set up R&P here on this site. I had a basic idea of what to do, but I knew I would not know exactly how to do it unless I could get into it hands on. I can definately say that a 14bff is much easier to set up than a Dana 60. If you dont want to screw up a perfectly good working axle now, maybe opt for a 14bff upgrade, and build that axle now and do the swap later.

One website I found extremely helpful (thanks to MNorby):

http://www.drivetrain.com/ringpinioninstal.html


Here are some of my posts to give you an idea:

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150321

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149083

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151102
(Much thanks again to those who helped)


The members of this site patiently walked me through the steps, and now I confident that I can do it again without as much help. Just try it, thats the only way you will learn.

Im gonna go finish off those write ups I promised...

 

[Cornfield creations]

I think I am gonna try it on my 79, I decided to stick with the 12 bolt and just put R&P in it, and maybe some axles from ORD. I have 3:07 now, I want to go to 3:73 (my DD and I have 33's) Would I have to go to a different carrier? It had the option of thick gears. What was the line for the 12 bolt for the thick gears? Also I'll swap out the front at the same time corp. 10 bolt

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

3.73 gears would be fine. No, your carrier is fine. The thick gears make up for the 3 series carrier (what you have) if you are going to 4.10 gears or lower. You don't need these either. Just get regular 3.73 gears for a TRUCK 12 bolt (they are different) and toss em in.