View Poll Results: Solid Spacer or Crush Sleeve?
Solid Spacer
8
100.00%
Crush Sleeve
0
0%
Voters: 8. You may not vote on this poll
Solid Spacer or Crush Sleeve?
I just installed a Ratech 4111 solid spacer with shims on my10 bolt AAM 4.10 gears. One thing to watch out for in the Ratech kit is the solid piece of tube I.D size. On my AAM 4.10 pinion the tube part of the spacer kit was at least .125 larger in I.D. than the O.D. of the pinion shaft so when assembled the solid section was not concentric with the pinion. The spacers shims are the correct I.D. Considering GM balances even the differential yoke I didn't want this out of round condition. I ended up wrapping some aluminum tape around the pinion to hold the solid part of the spacer kit concentric with the centerline of the pinion. When the pinion nut is torqued down the spacer will be held in place. Seems pretty poor on Ratech's part.
Last edited by guppymech; May 5, 2011 at 12:42 AM.
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The only advantage to a crush sleeve IMO is that you tighten it down till you get the correct preload, eliminating setup time. The disadvantages though are many.
1. if you over tighten, you'll likely have to use a new sleeve.
2. getting it to tighten to spec can be tough without a good impact
3. at least with my old 10 bolt, the sleeve lost its tension and started howling
A solid spacer takes a bit more time but its spot on and more reliable.
1. if you over tighten, you'll likely have to use a new sleeve.
2. getting it to tighten to spec can be tough without a good impact
3. at least with my old 10 bolt, the sleeve lost its tension and started howling
A solid spacer takes a bit more time but its spot on and more reliable.
The Strange 12-bolt solid spacer fits like a glove over the pinion. No problems installing mine.
Just keep in mind when setting it up that when you have your preload on the bearings set make sure your pinion nut is torqued down. I had mine where I thought it was perfect with about 100 ft-lbs on the pinion nut, but when I torqued it to 200+ ft-lbs it put more preload on the bearings. We're talking only a couple thousandths of an in here, but it makes a difference...
Just keep in mind when setting it up that when you have your preload on the bearings set make sure your pinion nut is torqued down. I had mine where I thought it was perfect with about 100 ft-lbs on the pinion nut, but when I torqued it to 200+ ft-lbs it put more preload on the bearings. We're talking only a couple thousandths of an in here, but it makes a difference...
The Strange 12-bolt solid spacer fits like a glove over the pinion. No problems installing mine.
Just keep in mind when setting it up that when you have your preload on the bearings set make sure your pinion nut is torqued down. I had mine where I thought it was perfect with about 100 ft-lbs on the pinion nut, but when I torqued it to 200+ ft-lbs it put more preload on the bearings. We're talking only a couple thousandths of an in here, but it makes a difference...
Just keep in mind when setting it up that when you have your preload on the bearings set make sure your pinion nut is torqued down. I had mine where I thought it was perfect with about 100 ft-lbs on the pinion nut, but when I torqued it to 200+ ft-lbs it put more preload on the bearings. We're talking only a couple thousandths of an in here, but it makes a difference...
