setting axle

[masterbrenden]

hi i am setting up my 7.5" axle with traction-loc and my moms boyfreind has a question...
does the final shims need to be cut out of one peice rather than having a bunch of shims in there, he ask because he is wondering how they stay were they are without moving around and falling out?

 

[merace19]

Which shims you talking about?

 

[masterbrenden]

the shims in the pumkin to move the differential

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Shims are shims. You don't have to figure out what you need and then have a one piece shim made up. They won't move around, they are held in place by the bearing caps and the pressure from the side bearing preload. The carrier should not fit into the housing loosely.

I'm guessing this is the first time you've played around with setting up a differential?

 

[merace19]

What he said^^^^^. there are other shims in there also. The ones on the pinion.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

If you are just replacing an open carrier with a trac lock carrier, you won't have to change pinion depth. Most of the time backlash stays in spec as well, but backlash is all you will have to adjust if anything.

 

[merace19]

Yeap.^^^^ For some reason the 7.5 is a dream when it comes to swapping carriers and gears.
I use to swap back and forth 3.27 gears to 4.10 gears all the time in a race car rear instead of changing complete axle housings. I would just run a big zip tie though the carrier and the shims so not to mess them up where they go. Pattern was always spot on. I may have just been lucky though.

 

[masterbrenden]

we got it all set up my moms boy friend just thought i should ask because we pulled one big shim out of each side
he is used to setting spools in sprint cars with gm rear ends and we were changing gears carrier all of it every bearing,seal,race, brakes,the only thing we did not change was axle shafts
the previous owner set it up "tweaker style" it was a non abs carrier in an abs truck and had about 1/16 to 1/8 inch of play in the carrier 3.73 gear were 4.10s belonged and thiss was because it was what he could find

 

[merace19]

1/8 play on the carrier? That is crazy. Surprised it didn't snap the bearing caps off.