01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

You should check it yes. After a wheels in the air launch these new gears are not very quiet anymore

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was curious how much experience you've had using that spreader on 12 bolts. Have you had any issues with it? What size angle iron did you fab that out of? It looks like you took two pieces of 2x1/8" to create square tubing out of it? How far have you been spreading your cases?

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

I did because it was bending the hell out of the angle iron. Strong square tubing would have been a better choice. I didnt realize the force it took to spread a housing. I have since rebuilt several diffs and havent picked this tool back up. There may be a figure for maximum case spread recommended but i dont recall it. If you are familiar with loading carrier bearings, Id set to final shim thickness (where it requires some firm hammering), and just spread it enough to use light tapping to get them inserted. At the end of the day the hammering was easier then possibly revising this tool or making a new one for each different style rear end i was doing, 7.5 GM, this one, 8.5 GM, which is what ive done since I made this tool. Heck i didnt even use it when i swapped gears last fall, guess i forgot i even had it.

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the feedback. I was reassembling my 12 bolt (same used bearings and gears that came out of it) and I cracked the shim that was previously in there. I don't know how much preload it was setup with, but I'll find out when I get a new set of shims to replace it with. I just don't want to have the same problem when I put new shims in so I was thinking I would build a spreader.



Do you use a shim driver for putting yours in or just a deadblow? Also, do you put the carrier in loose and add the final shim after or somehow drop the whole setup in at once w/ shims? I couldn't figure out how to do the later without dropping things.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Measure that shim, and replace it with equal thickness total and you should be good. Funny as it sounds, my method for getting them in (and if they are in a pack of varying thicknesses put the thickest ones on the outside and inside like a sandwich to protect the thin ones as you hammer) is I use a normal 3/8" drive extension....like the short one thats maybe 4 inches long, with no socket on the end. Its hard, its flat, its slightly wider then the shims, seems to work good. 1/2" would work fine too. I use whatever hammer i have next to me, usually the 3 lb mini sledge just go easy.

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

Thanks I may do something similar, although I will use a dead blow. I think my problem may just be that it was a cast shim and couldn't take the shock.

I talked to Yukon gear & axle and the tech guy there suggested doing the same. He advised against a spreader ("seen more guys do damage than good"), but he did point out that the cast shims are easy to crack without a driver.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Wow, ive never seen one crack.....hmm i guess i mostly go back with the rebuild kit shims but still. Interesting.

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I was a bit surprised. I've seen thin shims bent but never had a shim crack like this. It makes sense now that I realize it's cast. If I had though ahead of time I would have installed the cast shim by hand and hammered in the aftermarket shims on the opposite side instead. Live and learn!

IN2LS

Just picked up a used strange 12 bolt it has the eliminator kit. I need to replace one of the backing plates how do I get the axles apart to do so ? Will I have to replace the bearings after the fact.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

When I needed to remove my stock backing plates I had to cut the bearings off and replace with new ones.

IN2LS

Thanks. torch? Cut off wheel??