4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

So the differential parts are supposed to come in tomorrow and I have been doing some research and looking at threads on how to pull the rear differential and replace it. It seems pretty straight forward and I don't think that I will have any problems. However, since the front is more complicated, I will be taking my truck to a shop to have them install the front differential after I am done with the rear. This may be a dumb question but here goes...Do I have to remove the front driveshaft if I will be driving my truck with the stock 4.10 gears in the front and the new 4.88 gears in the rear?

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

no... in fact, you can even do some LIGHT 4 wheeling in low traction situations (i.e. sand and snow) just dont put it into 4WD at any time on pavement till its done...

BTW, i know this from experience... i drove an entire trail in my 90 4runner with 4.88s out back and 4.56s up front... but, like i said, low traction... you, however, can NOT dothe same if the front were geared lower than the rear... reason is that the rear will spin slightly faster than the front and bind the driveline/t-case... if the rear is geared lower, it will spin slower therefore "drag" the tires a little bit...
not the safest thing to do, but it will get you by...

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Cool thanks for all the info space! I am not planning on doing any wheeling or even drive it very far with the different gears so I think I will be okay. I should be getting my new gears in today and I am hoping to install the rear 3rd this weekend and take it to a shop to have the front end installed early next week (Monday or Tuesday). Did your truck drive differently or did you notice any extra noise from the differentials?

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

im excited for you! i cant wait to regear to 4.88s and lock it up while im there...

drive differently? noise? hehehe... if your talking about after the regear, no... beforehand, i had sheared all the teeth off the pinion and several teeth off the ring gear, so yes, there was a LOT of noise... lmao!

as for driving differently, after the regear, it was nice having the power(or at least the sense of) back... before, i had pulled the rear Dshaft after exploding the dif, and locked my hubs, so i was FWD for about a month...

if your really worried about driving with mismatched gears, just pull the rear(front is a PITA to pull, trust me) and lock it in 4hi and cruise FWD... wont hurt anything and is probably "good" to help with the break in of the new rear dif...

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Thanks man, I am pretty excited to finally get it geared and locked. Unfortunately my wallet doesn't share my same excitement...Haha

Yeah I can imagine that shearing all the teeth off the pinion would cause a little bit of noise . How did you manage to do that?

I am definitely hoping to get at least a little bit of power back, especially at highway speeds. Its getting pretty annoying that my truck has to downshift just to maintain speed when going up even the smallest hill or incline.

Hmm, I didn't think about that, but it sounds like a pretty good idea. I would just hate to accidently engage 4WD with the different gears and completely blow up my new differential and locker.

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

So I was reading some threads about guys who installed new gears and lockers and I would like to get everyone's opinion about what gear oil I should use after the break-in period. I bought some cheap/crappy 75W90 gear oil at my local auto parts store that I will only use for about 500 miles to break the new differentials. But what should I use after that?

Currently I am running Redline 75W90 Synthetic Gear Oil in both differentials, which is really close to factory recommendations (80W90). In some of the threads that I read, guys were using all kinds of different types (regular, shockproof, etc.) and viscosities (75W90 all the way up to 75W140). Most guys who ran shockproof and higher viscosities said that they helped to quiet down the locker.

So my question is, what brand/type (Redline, Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc.) and viscosity of gear oil should I use after the initial break in period?

smokey0066

Wow I just read through your whole thread. Great job man! I wish I could put that much work into my truck.

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

i run royal purple 75-90... when i get around to locking it, i will run 90-120... mostly because when wheeling the locker will lock and unlock so much... itll help with the noise AND with the wear...

as for how i did that to my dif? well, pinion seal started leaking and instead of replacing it(didnt know about yotatech back then) i just kept filling it up... after 3 months you get a very LOUD bang then some grinding and screeching and this happens...


and some of these chunks are as big as my pinkie...

thats all the oil that came out of the rear end...

and this was 1/4" of shavings build up on the drain plug...


sorry... not trying to pic whore... i just think its better explained visually...

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate the complement and encouragement. I didn't think I could put this much work into my truck either, but then I found YotaTech and got idea after idea. You can always start small and work your way up, that's exactly what I did.


Thanks again for you input, I think that I will take your advice and go with something with a higher viscosity in order to quiet down the locker and help with wear protection.

Holy crapola dude that is intense! Who would have thought that a simple thing like a leaking pinion seal could cause your differential to literally explode like that...

Haha no worries on the pics man. Besides we all love pictures here on YotaTech

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Today I got the rear differential installed. It was my first time ever tearing into the rear axle like this so it took me about 5 hours start to finish. Part of the reason that it took so long is because I ran into a couple of minor problems.

The first problem was trying to get my damn locking lugnuts off! I ended up just giving up and took my truck to Discount Tire and had them remove the locking lugnuts and replace them with standard lugnunts so I will never have to deal with them again.

The second problem that I ran into was how to disconnect the parking brake cable. After about a half-hour of looking everything over I was able to get it figured out and taken off so I could remove the axles.

The only thing that I have left to do is bleed the brakes, but I took it for a test drive and the brake pedal is still responding pretty well so I think it should be okay for a couple of days until I have time to do it. Just after a short test drive, I can already feel that I have my power back which is definitely a good feeling. I can't wait to get the front installed and wheel it! Stay tuned...

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

the e-brake line can be a major pain... glad you got it taken care of!

FWIW, the brakes MAY hold for a bit... but then again, all it takes is for a bubble to make its way to your caliper and you lose your rear brakes... the good thing is that, of course, your runner relies on the front brakes mostly... just dont expect the ABS or the brakes in general to work in a panic stop...

I WANT PICTURES!!!

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Yeah it was kind of a pain...I actually went to use the parking brake today when I parked at work and it is pretty loose now...Fortunately, it is about time to have my brakes serviced anyway so, I made an appointment for today and I will have them look at the brakes, bleed the brake lines, and adjust the parking brake cable. Then I don't have to worry about not being able to stop in time.

Haha okay okay take it easy! I will take some pictures of the new differential when I get home from work. Its not much to look at but hopefully it will satisfy everyone's hunger for some pictures

Also, I was able to find Royal Purple gear oil on Summit Racing and Jegs but they don't have the 90W-120 that you were talking about earlier...The only ones that I saw were 75W-90, 75W-140, and 85W-140. So I am probably going to go with the 85W-140. Do you see any issues with running the 85W-140 in the front differential (no locker)? Or should I stick to something closer to stock like the 75W-90?

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Regear to 4.88's is complete! Yesterday afternoon I took my truck to Krawltex and had them install the new front differential. The guys there are really cool and let me watch the whole process and even help out a little (they couldn't let me do too much because of liability/insurance issues). They do good work and were even nice enough to inspect the rear to make sure that I did everything correctly. Sorry no pics yet but I will try to snap some today.

Updated:

Here is the list of stuff that I want/need to do before the trip...
1) Replace timing belt, water pump, thermostat, etc.
2) Regear to 4.88's and locker(s) - DONE
3) External transmission cooler - DONE
4) Rear storage drawers - DONE


Anyone have any feedback on my previous post?

irab88

iTrader: (4)

sorry, no feedback on your previous post, but glad you got (almost) everything squared away. that timing belt shouldn't take that long to do

can't wait to see some pics (hint-hint)

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

if you cant do the royal purple in 90-120, you might be able to get Redline oil... if not, go with the 85-140... gonna be a little thicker but methinks it wont cause any harm...

BigFishAllDay

4ever4running, I just took a quick read through your thread, and your truck has come a long way. Nice job on everything so far.

Also, congrats on the regear & locker! How much did the shop charge you to swap out the front diffs?

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I was thinking about going with the 85W-140 in the rear and the 75W-90 in the front and the transfer case. I figure going with something a little thicker in the rear will help with wear protection and will hopefull quiet down the locker a little, not that it is very loud to begin with...

Thanks man! Yeah I am really excited that I was finally able to get it regeared and locked. I could immediately feel that I got some of my power back and I am getting much better gas mileage too. The auto locker does take a little getting used to, but its not too bad at all. The front differential took the shop about 2.5-3 hours and they charged me about $220, which isn't too bad at all if you ask me.

For all of you picture lovers, this means you Ian :

Rear Differential




New low profile magnetic drain plug



Front Differential



And for some additional horsepower and traction....a Yukon sticker




Jimmy

BigFishAllDay

Wow. $220 is not bad at all. I thought you were going to say a number alot higher than that. On one hand, that makes me think it would be better to let a mechanic deal w/the hassle, on the other hand, if the front swap only takes a mechanic 3 hours, it couldnt be that bad, right?

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Yeah it's not too bad at all, but keep in mind that the $220 was just to drop the old differential and replace it with the new one because I bought the complete differentials already assembled with the new gears.

Honestly, the rear was not too bad at all and I was able to do it in a garage with a floor jack and jack stands. However, I would not personally recommed trying to attack the front without some sort of a car lift and air tools. The front differential is in a really awkward spot and requires some work to get it to come free, which would be really difficult to do with just having the truck on jack stands. And without air tools, the whole process will just be a lot slower. I just thought it was worth the $220 to have it done by professionals who have the proper tools and experience but that is just my 2 cents.

BigFishAllDay

I'm with you bud. I've been checking out ECGS for a long time, slowly but surely talking myself into pulling the trigger on a $2k purchase for the 'Runner. Most of what's been holding me back is working out the installation, so I appreciate your advice on the front diff. There is absolutely no better advice than the advice you get from someone who's been there, done that. Thanks!