Excess differential play

This video shows the excessive amount of differential play to the left rear wheel. I don't have traction-lock (but I'd like to some day if it's not an outrageous expense). I also hope to move from my 2.75 gears to something like 3.25 or so.

If you turn up the volume, you can hear the "clunk" when it runs out of play. My question: what's the best way to solve this problem, taking into consideration my goals for the rear end?




Doc

pull it out and see what is worn out, then go from there.

Could be anything causing that from worn axle shaft spilines to worn thrust gears, worn shafts etc.

First you will have to open things up to see what you have.

For the cost of rebuilding a rear end you could switch out the open diff for a traction lock , the cost would end up the same.

I would recommend servicing the bearings while your in there.

First you will need to get inside and inspect everything for damage.

Doc I wouldn't put to much thought in that diff.

So, sounds like upgrading the rear end would probably be best since that's the direction I want to go anyway, and not spend a lot of time taking this one apart and all that.

How much work is involved in replacing the pumpkin, and can I do it myself without any really special tools?

Thanks for your input!

Doc

Doc look in the WIKI section

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-how-to-rebuild-a-ford-9-inch[/b]

Doc,it actually sounds pretty normal.You have a little slack in all areas of the rear end.When you have it up like you do all the little areas sound like one big slap. The true test is to see the amount of slack between the pinion / yoke and the ring gear.Get both sides off the ground (using jack stands of course) and grab the pinion and move it back and fourth.You will be able to feel how much slack you have between the ring and pinion gears.

From what I hear I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.Especially if you are going to upgrade.

The differential is really pretty easy to work on,say compared to an engine are trans.For the most part it is very straight forward and simple once you have been in one.

The only voodoo is setting the ring and pinion up and make them run quite.I am still working on that one! This takes alot of patience and practice.I have two center sections that I am working / exsperimenting on now. I am trying to teach myself.There is an excelent wiki blog on this site right now !

If you buy another center section that is ready to drop in you can easly do it in a few hours.

It takes me about an hour to change my canter sections out.I have a 3:50 traction lock and a 4:22 traction lock to play with.

Thanks, Roy and Eddie. Ya, Roy, I remember 72HCode's original post of his rebuild of the diff, and it scared the bejeezuz out of me with the special tools, patience, knowledge, and cojones required for him to accomplish the rebuild. So, now I'm REALLY thinking that a bolt on swap of the pumpkin is the only sane way for a semi-literate, semi-lazy guy like me to fix the problem, as Eddie described.

Anyone here just swapped out the pumpkin/rear axle, or could point me to a website?

Thanks!

Doc

oh flat out a ready to go pumpkin would cost about the same as rebuilding a totally hosed rear end. plus you get a manufacture guarantee and sky is the limit for how strong you want it.

I just did mine because i had never rebuilt one before.

Wait till i get into my c-6 transmission

Definitely sounds like a bolt-on swap of pumpkins or complete rear ends is the way to go. Has anyone here done that?

Doc

I took mine to a shop to have my gears/trac loc put in, but I was there helping the entire time. I just didn't want to chance breaking my expensive trac loc because I had never been in a rear end before.

I had several bad bearings in mine that needed to be replaced. So if you do just replace the entire pumpkin, i'd check everything else to make sure its good. Entire rear ends are usually expensive.

It wasn't that hard to swap out the diff/gears/bearings, just read the instructions that come with the parts.

Thanks, Widowmaker. Sounds like something that I should be able to handle once I get finished with the engine.

Doc