SLP Firehawk

iTrader: (9)

anyone useing or know how to install a solid crush sleeve or if its even useful for me to consider? i only go to the track 5 times a year but i beat on the car pretty bad and this is the 2nd posi unit i've broken. the pin that goes threw the spider gear cracked on the first auburn and now i found a piece of the eaton posi and the 8mm bolt was finger loose.

i have a general understanding of a solid crush sleeve but how do you set one up?

9000th01ss

iTrader: (10)

They come with shims. You assemble it and check pinion bearing preload with a dial type inch pound torque wrench. Too tight add a thicker shim, too loose thinner shim.

It's not going to keep you from breaking the posi at all.

SLP Firehawk

iTrader: (9)

it will keep the pinion from becoming tighter though right?

9000th01ss

iTrader: (10)

I guess. Not sure how it would get tighter. It's more like it will prevent it from getting looser.

With the spacer you can tighten the nut down as tight as you want and it'll stay solid and tight unless the bearings fail or something breaks.

LS1TORQ

iTrader: (1)

I used one when I did my gears over two years ago and its still going strong. I believe the problem with the crush sleeve is it can "crush" more due to the axial force it experiences from the pinion gear. Then this allows the pinion to move and the contact pattern to go bad resulting in teeth breaking off.

omcar

iTrader: (10)

right LS1TORQ..I went to a solid pinion nut to avoid that issue.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

If your present crush collar is not beat down you can mic it,
assemble the collar / shim stack to same height and be right
on the money. At least this is how it played on my car which
was maybe 10K miles old at the time.

Jawsgear

iTrader: (2)

Solid Preload Spacer eliminates the possibility of the pinion preloadbecoming too loose which will result in a pinion gear with a lot of slop and wear out the gears. Definatley a wise upgrade.

Jeff

Viper

iTrader: (6)

I did it in 2002 and I'm still going strong.

SLP Firehawk

iTrader: (9)

yes i had alot of slop in my rear when i took it apart... the preload was almost nothing and it looks like the old crush sleeve is pretty scored up it has alot of scraps in it... i wanted to eliminate the chance of becoming loose again.. does anyone have a write up of how to install a solid crush sleeve? do you still put the shims behind the bearing like it is now? that would be alot of shims. i'm alittle confused

Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

Yes, you still have to setup the pinion depth as usual - that doesn't change. Typically 1 thin shim behind the bearing (ie: .030" shim). But when installing the spacer, instead of the "crush" sleeve, instead you put the solid, with a given amount of shim with it. This is to basically setup the distance between the inner and outer bearings, and set the bearing pre-load. Add/remove 1 at a time to get that pre-load correct .

What I'd like to know is, does anyone know if/where these are available in Canada?!!?!?!?!

Jawsgear

iTrader: (2)

If you are not changing the ring and pinion you do not need to mess with the pinion shim. Use the old one. As far as the preload spacer simply measure your old crush sleeve thickness to give you a starting overall thickness on the spacer kit. Any questions just give me a call.

Jeff

SLP Firehawk

iTrader: (9)

jeff i got one more question, i'm using a new gear set with old bearings cause they only have about 2500 miles on them should i use the old shim behing the pinion bearing? that way i dont have to keep pulling the bearing on and off to adjust the shim. and how will i know if i have the pinion bearing shim correct size? ( not the solid sleeve shims the tail bearing shim)

Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

I've re-used low-mileage bearings before with no problems, so you're ok there.

As far as which shim to use? That's part of the b!tch to setting up diffs! You have to measure the depth of the pinion gear when installed, and then shim accordingly. Typically they'll come real close by re-using the factory shim (or sometimes no shim at all) but the aftermarket pinion will have a measurement engraved on it (ie: 2.203") ... that's the depth that the face of the pinion must be from the centerline of the axles (which is the line across the faces where the bearing caps go). This is very important for setting up how the pinion/ring gear mesh together!!

Unfortunately, you may have to pull the pinion bearing off a couple times to change shims before you get it right. Then when it comes time to setting the backlash (playing with the side shims) it's more screwing around getting just the right thicknesses, and the right combination, not to mention having to get the carrier installed and torqued in, checking, then un-doing everything each time it's wrong!!

That's why a lot of people hate/don't want/don't know how to do this job!

SLP Firehawk

iTrader: (9)

i must have gotten extremely lucky last time i set up my rear because i only had to pull out the side shims once and reused the factory pinion shim and it was correct depth. then again those were the same gears now i'm swaping gears. i have a general idea of how to set it up but the thing with the line across the pinion gear i'm not sure about that.. i was more or less worried about the solid crush sleeve than anything