Junkers88

Well I took a day off of work and installed my 4.56 thirds with an Aussie in the rear. Took about 6 hours total and was a mess but I did it myself and am damn happy to be able to say so.

Thanks for all the help folks. I needed it.

Jay351

Good job! The rear I found was SUPER easy, just a matter of unbolting, and bolting back up.

The front... well... 4 hands were needed for sure! Its quite the messy job as the front diff is usually covered in all sorts of grease and oil.

bigt

satisfying day !

keep on wrenchin on the drive way!

Jay351

You get funny looks when you drag out your tranny+t-case in your driveway in suberbia...

bigt

yup thats why i built a driveway besides my house with a gate...and i dont have to worry about wrecking the driveway because this IS MY DRIVEWAY!

the tranny tcase got almost as many looks as knocking over a full tub od used diff fluid all over the driveway!

Matt16

I'm in the middle of doing the exact same thing as we speak. Rear 4.56 Aussie Locker, front 4.56 swap. Remember THICK gear oil for the Aussie after breaking it in.

Any pointers for the front diff install?

Junkers88

That might explain the noise I have now. I'm running 75w-90 in there and can hear it when it unlocks.

Go out the night before and hit EVERY BOLT with some kind of penetrating oil!!

Don't take the cross brace out as it will help hold up the diff as you lower it down. Take all the bolts out except the two that thread upwards and support the diff. Put a floor jack under the "tongue" of the diff (just past where the driveshaft bolts up), lift it a bit to take tension of the last two bolts and then take out the bolts. The front end will be supported by the cross brace, the back end by the jack and you can lower it easily. You can put it back in by lifting from the middle of the diff and sliding the front end into the cross brace and lifting the back end with the jack. The hardest part is getting the dang thing lifted into place while keeping the CV connections out of the way.



Oh and on a side note did you have to change your driving style on the road when you got yours installed the first time? I don't know if the locker is going to get smoother with break-in or my driving is wrong or what but sometimes when I turn a corner it will unlock other times it won't.

axekick

Hey guys. First post. I already love this place. Anyway, I've been running 33s with stock 4.10 and an aussie locker for a couple of years now. It definitely changes the way the truck acts but you get used to it after a little while. To me it's worth it though. I was going to go down a crazy little hill with a giant rut in it and my truck was about to tip If I even let off the brakes and rolled down at all. One of my rear wheels was way up in the air and I needed to back out, my locker allowed me to pull right out. My front IFS is open diff. Without the locker I think I would have tipped it for sure.

axekick

I have rear 5.29's on the way. They didn't have the front ones in stock and no ETA. I thought I better look for an axle anyway before I put any money into the fron diff.

Junkers88

First let me say welcome to YT.

Yeah mine does act a little different but I think I'll get used to it.

Where at in Texas are you?

Matt16

I ran 80W90 mineral oil and 75W90 synthetic. The 80W90 was way better. &5W90 was fine in really cold weather, but in the heat, the oil thinned out so much that it was impossible to turn without lurching. My guess is that the thicker oil slows the unlocked to locked process and is really key.

I changed my driving style a bit. I'm more careful with the the throttle around bends and I know how to deal with it if the locker starts lurching- bury the gas pedal OR push in the clutch- either works. Engine breaking around tight corners is to be avoided as well.

904_runner

Hey matt, so your saying that the thicker oil stopped it from lurching around sharp turns? I just recently noticed mine doing this since its been hot out. I think its only 80w90, so i wonder if i buy some kind of thicker oil if it would help prevent that.

Probably synthetic next time, since the diff has all new seals/bearings along with new wheel bearings and seals. Was thinking hevyduty shockproof, but didn't you say you didn't like that matt?

Junkers88

This is what's happening to me. I've got the 75w-90 Royal Purple synthetic in there and it's darn hot here in New Mexico. I'll swich to something a little heavier after break-in. Do you think an 80w will be enough or should I go a little heavier like 110w or something?

Thanks again. You're initial write up really helped me decide on the Aussie.

Brenjen

I found it much easier to remove the front diff by taking off the cross brace, it was a real *@#$! to put back in with the cross brace in the way; much easier when you do it the way ZUK has outlined on his site.

LINKY TO ZUK INSTRUCTIONS

Junkers88

Dang that's a nice write up. I should have probably gone that route. Live and learn I guess.

Matt16

Yes, thicker oil means less lurching, in my experience.

I am putting in 80W140 today, I'll post what its like.


Junkers88: Whats having 4.56s like?

axekick

Thanks for the welcome. I'm in Austin.
My truck has always lurched if I don't act right with the pedals. Recently though, there is noise from the rear end when I let off the gas like the gears are going. Also, I reached under and turned the driveshaft and it turns like a quarter turn back and forth while the truck is sitting still. I'm sure it's time for a rebuild. That's why I am going to go ahead and regear it this weekend. Unfortunately, 4 wheel parts can't get a set for the front so I'm only doing the rear for now. I'll definitely use some thick oil when I get it back together. I'm starting to get very interested in a SAS. If I ran across a good deal on an axle I'd be all over it. I'm not sure I really have the time to do it though. I may just stick with IFS for all the bangin around town I do.

Junkers88

I noticed the difference right away. The truck accelerates better than it did with the 4.10's and 28" tires that came on it. I feel a lot more comfortable in traffic both on the highway and in town. It's also nice to be able to use 5th gear again. I actually filled the truck up a few minutes ago and will post up the numbers once this tank is empty. I'm hoping to get back to the 24.9mpg that I had before the tire change. Trust me in that if you've been running 31 inch tires with 4.10 gears behind a 22re and 5 speed then you'll notice as soon as you leave the drive way.

Let me know how the swap goes.

Junkers88

Nice! I spent a couple of decades down in Seguin.

Might be time for a rebuild indeed. Are you planning on staying with the 33's when you go 5.29's?

Junkers88

One other thing I forgot to mention, and it might be all in my head, is that the truck feels more "connected" to the road. It really feels a lot more stable when I get on the gas a little.

Hell I might just be nuts.........