I have an Eaton posi and 3.73 gears for my 2000 truck. I would like to install it myself. I have lots of wrenches and sockets and plenty of patience. I am going to buy a torque wrench as well. What else do I need? What kind of tool do I need to check lash? I heard you should get the lash at about .008, does this sound right? I also have 2 carrier bearings that came with the posi. I am getting the install kit too. What bearings, if any, need to be pressed in with special tools? Also, any tips on how to shim it? Anything else I should know? Thanks for the help.

 

First, you need to get a magnetic base dial indicator. Use this to check backlash. Put the indicator stem on the toe of the ring gear, and while holding the pinion yoke absolutely solid, rock the ring gear back and forth and measure the play. This is back lash. If you have too much play, add a .010" shim to the left side of carrier, and recheck. If you are too tight, add shims the the right side. Only add one shim at a time. This is basically how it's done. It is much more involved than what I have mentioned, but should give you the general idea. As for your bearings, have a shop press on your new carrier bearing races. .008 is a good target for the backlash. Remember, backlash is a term for play in the gears. Do a search on lycos or yahoo and enter "rearend gears". You should find something with install documents. Good Luck