To sum up what i'm going to explain is, should there be a clunk when letting out the clutch when shifting and an inch and a half of slop in the 3rd member (stock)? I had previously installed an Aussie locker but took it out because i feared it was going to destroy my drivetrain and the amount of slop is now the same as it was when there was a lunchbox locker in there. Later, my transmission went out and i just finished rebuilding it. Every single bearing was absolutely destroyed (synchros and gears were near perfect), whether that is due to the constant clunking i am unsure but i will not take that risk because that rebuild was not very fun. So, Should I take out the 3rd member and rebuild it? Also there is a small amount of slop in the transfer case.

 

Yes, that is not good. Is it cause or effect would be only guesses..

All of these have a lash spec that needs met. More lash means more momentum, means more force, means somethings likely to break or wear out.

PS. Missed the first question.. No it shouldn't be a big bank just a gentle uNF noticeable but not hard/harsh.

 

I'm going to have to run it the way it is for a while. Do you think that the excessive lash is due to bearings being properly torqued but the crush sleeve over crushed?

 

If you've got "an inch and half" (whatever that means in terms of rotation) of slop in a stock 3rd member, something is seriously assembled wrong. It's not uncommon for a lunchbox locker to have 10 degrees or so of backlash at the pinion (drive shaft), but a stock 3rd should be around 0.5 degrees. Even if the pinion depth is way out, it shouldn't be as bad as you describe. I personally wouldn't run it that way, unless you are busy saving money for a new 3rd.

 

If you had that kind of slop when you installed an aussie locker you screwed something up. I have set up 2 diffs with an aussie and no issues like that.

1.5" would equate to about a half a rototation.
Doing an aussie locker you should not have messed with the pinion and therefore the crush sleeve at all

 

At the time that I posted this I thought I remembered a post saying to replace the crush sleeve when retorquing the pinion nut, I must be remembering wrong. I must add that It had this 'slop' before I bought the truck and I installed the locker after reading Aussie's instruction and reading multiple write-ups. It also worked properly. I'll post a picture of the actual distance of the pinion free play tomorrow. After the transmission rebuild, the 'slamming' has gone down drastically but still does not feel right.