SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

I got my BW 9 bolt on the bench...I have it all coated w/ POR15. Gonna put my LCA Brackets on soon. I opened the cover, and it looks very clean inside...not one gear is chipped, etc...it's pretty dry though. What would be the best way to clean it all out, including the axle tubes. Incase anything got in there. I know probably fuel oil would be best, but I'd need like 50 gallons, lol. I think I'd clean it all out right before I put the new lube in, so it doesn't rust. Who knows if there is rust in the tubes though. Axles are spotless, everything looks good. Any special ways you guys clean yours?

ede

brake clean, rags, long rod

TKOPerformance

Ditto. Wad up some rags or shop towels and force them through the tubes until they come out clean. Use Brakeclean copiously. I use a long piece of electrical conduit to ramrod the tubes. It's like cleaning a gun barrel with patches, only bigger.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Sounds good. Thanks! Should I worry about jostling anything inside? I can just spray the crap everywhere? Will any seals get screwed up, etc.?

TKOPerformance

Everything should be fine. If I had the rear on the bench I would probably toss seals in it just as a preventative measure. It's a lot easier to do it now than when it's back in the car.

I recommend drying everythign with compressed air too. Make sure that you get all the Brakeclean dry before adding fresh oil.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Sounds good. Where can I get seals for a 9 bolt, and which ones would you change? How can I get the Axle bearings and seals off the axle? From my knowledge, 9bolt.com is the only place for parts, but they never answer e-mails, etc.

TKOPerformance

I'd replace the pinion seal, the axel seals, and the cover gasket. Pulling the axel bearings with the differential in the housing requires a tool for this purpose (slide hammer with inside fingers or a plate to go behind the bearings and accept the slide hammer). The seals pop out easy with a seal puller. Be sure to re-set the pinion drag after replacing the pinion seal. You will need a new crush sleeve to do this.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Where can I get the seals? How do you reset the Pinion drag? By the way, what IS the pinion drag?

TKOPerformance

You should be able to get the seals at NAPA or other local auto parts stores.

The pinion drag is the amount the pinion bearings are preloaded, expressed in lbs/inch. Typically with used bearings you would shoot for something in the 6-10 lbs/inch range. This ensures that the bearings opperate under the proper load and do not burn up from being either too tight or too loose. This figure is set with a collapsable crush sleeve behind the front pinion bearing (yoke side). You torque down on the pinion nut until there is no more fore-aft movement in the pinion assembly, and then start cranking it down in 1/4 turn increments and taking readings with either an lbs/inch torque wrench or a drag gauge until you get the right spec.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

hmm, I see. Where can I get the right spec for it? It's a 9 Bolt from an 86 I believe. 3.27 Gears, Posi. When I loosen the nut on the end of the pinion (that's where the yoke goes for the driveshaft, right?) will anything fall off, or spring out, or something? I've never dealt w/ rearends before, and don't want to screw up anything.

TKOPerformance

No, nothing will fly out when you take off the nut. Remove the nut, pull off the yoke, pull the seal, and remove the front bearings and you will see the crush sleeve behind it. Take that out too.

I would ask someone over at 9-bolt.com what the correct spec would be. Make sure you tell that that you are re-using the old bearings. It will always bea range though, not a specific number.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

I see. That sounds pretty straight forward. Can I get the bearings for the pinion at Napa too though? Might as well get all new while I'm at it...

TKOPerformance

Sure, just get the numbers off the old bearings and races. The bearing industry uses a universal numbering system, so even if the bearings are different makes they will have the same numbers. I highly recommend Timken bearings if possible.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I found off the site:

Pinion Bearing Preload (New) 12-15 inlb
Pinion Bearing Preload (Used) 6-7 inlb

So, I tighten the bolt all the way until the pinion stops spinning around, then back off it to the correct spec?

I searched NAPA and they don't have Timken bearings. Also, there isn't a Timken reseller close to me (I looked on their site). Would regular Napa's be fine, or do they wear more, etc.?

TKOPerformance

NAPA's bearings are very high quality too. I've never had a problem with one. I think they just started to be made by NAPA in house, but for years they were Timkens in a NAPA box. All of NAPA's in house parts are the best available. Their new top of the line suspension stuff is amazing.

No, you never back the nut off. When you install a new crush collar you will notice that the pinion assembly can be moved fore and aft, even when the nut is fully tightened down (finger tight). You will have to use either an impact gun or a breaker bar and something to hold the yoke to start crushing the collar. You then tighten down the nut until the fore/aft play is eliminated, but there is no load on the yoke yet, it still spins freely with no apparent drag. Then start tightening down the nut in 1/4 turn increments, checking it with a drag gauge or lbs/inch torque wrench each 1/4 turn, until you get a reading that is withing spec (6-7 used or 12-15 new). Once you have that reading it is done.

You will need to set the drag without the carrier in the rear. If the carrier is installed you will get false drag readings from the drag of the carrier bearings.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Ok kewl...So your saying I have to take the carrier out to get a correct drag for the pinion bearing? I'm not sure what you meant by that last sentence you wrote.

TKOPerformance

Exactly. Otherwise your readings will be false, because there will be drag on the pinion from the pinion trying to spin the carrier.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

So, I have to take the whole carrier out just to change the pinion bearing, hmm...I think leaving it how it is sounds better to me...lol

I was looking at the bearings on the axles...doesn't look like it could slide out from down the axle, nor the hub side. Do they spread around the metal plate that is directly behind them? You have the hub, then the seal, then the bearing, then a plate, then the remaining axle. It doesn't look like it would get around that plate.

TKOPerformance

Viewed from the end of the tube, you have to unbolt the axel retainer (9-bolts don't use c-clips). There's a window in the axel flange to allow you to use a socket to remove it. Then the axel slides out with the bearing and retainer plate attached. You will have to press the bearing off in a press to change it. The seal should be part of the retainer plate, or between the plate and the bearing.

Leaving the pinion alone is the easiest thing to do. If the rear doesn't need to be rebuilt you are probably best just to leave it alone. It's hard to describe, but once you've done one or two it's really simple.

SweetRide45

iTrader: (2)

Thanks a lot for the info. I'll keep that in mind if I ever find the bearings go bad, etc. At the time, I think I'm just going to use the Brake cleaner and flush it all out. I won't touch the bearings and seals until I really NEED to.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it