Rjz5400

So I decided to put a Spartan locker in the front of my 1991 v6 xtracab still IFS. I had been planning the upgrade for a while so here is what I gathered.

Spartan locker for 7.5 front (amazon)
Non-ADD axle tube, stub axle, and shorter bolts
pinion and both axle stub seals
retaining snap ring for stubs
gl5 synthetic gear oil
all the drain washers
transfer case and trans seals
Marlin seat and bushing for trans and transfer case.

Already upgraded my locking hubs to manual ones (I rebuilt from the junkyard) so I can leave one free if I am driving 4WD off camber or in the snow/ice

So I open up the diff and It turns out, the center pin will not clear the ring gear (at least on my 4.56 factory gears) so I had to remove that! so carrier comes out, caps marked, ring gear referenced (tried to mark it too but it flattened my punch!)

then I got a beam torque wrench to check the pinion preload and found it was 20# + starting one way it was 23 the other 20. so now the pinion has to drop out!

Lastly, the spartan was just barely at the minimum clearance when checked per the Zuk directions. .006" and .0055"

I'm currently waiting on my dial indicator and also a new crush washer. I suspect that someone replaced the bearings at some point and went overboard on the nut. the fluid was clear and had some glitter but very little. they used fiber washers all around though, like every drain and fill plug I pulled had a fiber washer instead of a copper or aluminum crush washer.... oddddddddd.

Pics are incoming. I'll take any opinions on my pattern, from what I know about them I'm calling it good; assuming I can get up to the req. torque on the nut and get good PPL without disturbing it. I was nervous about all of it as this is my first time opening a diff other than seals and fluid. I still have to check to make sure the locker will disengage/ratchet when required. Also, I was hoping this would build some confidence to do the rear ELocker mods and gear swap, I thought it would be simply swapping out the spiders for the locker and reassemble.

Rjz5400

Well, I hit a wall trying to get the diff back in. I can't quite one hand bench press the thing while threading in the bolts plus my "captive nuts" are not attached anymore so I have to hold those. I think I'm going to put it on a little platform, drive over it, and try to ratchet strap it up and swing it into place but after a short cool down break. Man, it was a B*&ch trying to jack it up with the floor jack and clear the CVs ect.


167 views but no comments, I guess the pattern is OK. it looks the same after the final assembly. all my specs were at the min. pretty light bearing preload but I think it will be ok in the front, o prob would have tightened it up if it were it in the back. had to get a new crush washer spacer. Yukon I think from Amazon, it fit fine and was the correct dimensions.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Well if you want random comments, you should really poke ZUK since he does lots of these..

The first one looks abit deep, and the (reverse?) 2nd one OK i ve done forgot which image was what.. One looks a bit deep, and the other not centered.. Atleast its not draging off the edge.

Kudos for even taking on this job. I believe a transmission jack attachment makes the whole in and out a lot easier. The ratchet straps should get you there so long as the orientation let's you get enough "oomphf" on them.

Rjz5400

Well I got the front diff and CV axles all back in what a f in hassle!!! Standby for traction report (I put in a locker )
I used a little stand, two rachet straps, and ended up pulling one CV axle.....

No pics, had my hands full doing it by myself.

My first locker but I think it is working perfectly. It really didn't want to rachet that first time but after that it sounds like It should (click click click bang) not BANG!! and did what I thought it would do.

I have to remember Don't get careless on the street even in 2wd with the hubs locked it wants to go wherever it is pointed, BAD

Thanks to the forum and ZUK and other write ups for the inspiration. I'm headed on a trip to Moab to visit a buddy and I'll try to test it out a little....