Pinion Gear: Service and Repair

Standard Rear Axle Assembly:

Rear Axle Assembly With Traction Control (Acceleration Slip Regulation):

^ Tools Required:
- J 22536 Pinion Driver
- J 23911 Pinion Oil Seal Installer

REMOVE OR DISCONNECT

1. Differential case.





2. Check differential drive pinion gear inner and outer bearing preload. If there is no preload reading, check for looseness of drive pinion gear (23) by shaking. Looseness could be caused by defective inner and outer drive pinion gear bearings (18 and 7) or worn drive pinion gear yoke (3). If the rear axle was operated for an extended period with very loose inner and outer drive pinion gear bearings (18 and 7), ring gear (20) and drive pinion gear (23) will also require replacement.

3. Differential drive pinion gear yoke (3).





4. Drive pinion gear (23), using J 22536. Apply heavy hand pressure on J 22536 toward rear axle housing (16) to keep outer drive pinion gear bearing (7) seated to avoid damage to outer race.

INSTALL OR CONNECT

1. If installing new ring gear and drive pinion gear, measure differential drive pinion gear depth.





2. Drive pinion gear (23) into rear axle housing (16).
3. Differential drive pinion gear yoke (3).





a. Install new drive pinion gear seal (6) using J 23911.
b. Apply pinion gear seal lubricant or equivalent to drive pinion gear yoke (3) and sealing lip of drive pinion gear seal (6).
c. Drive pinion gear yoke (3).
d. Drive pinion gear washer (2) and drive pinion gear nut (1) finger tight.
e. Hold drive pinion gear yoke (3).
f. While intermittently rotating drive pinion gear (23) to seat inner and outer drive pinion gear bearings (18 and 7), tighten drive pinion gear nut (1) until end play begins to be taken up.

Important:
- When no further end play is detectable and when holder will no longer pivot freely as drive pinion gear (23) is rotated, preload specifications are being approached.
- No further tightening should be attempted until preload has been checked.
- After preload has been checked, final tightening should be done very carefully.
- Additional tightening of drive pinion gear nut (1) can add many additional pound inches of torque.
- Drive pinion gear nut (1) should be finger tightened only slightly and preload should be checked after each tightening.
- Exceeding preload specifications will compress the collapsible drive pinion gear bearing spacer (15) too far and require installation of a new spacer (15).

4. Set preload at 1.7 Nm to 3.4 Nm (15 inch lbs. to 30 inch lbs.) on new inner and outer drive pinion gear bearings (18 and 7) or 1.0 Nm to 1.7 Nm (10 inch lbs. to 15 inch lbs.) on used inner and outer cave pinion gear bearings (18 and 7).
5. Rotate drive pinion gear (23) several times to ensure that inner and outer drive pinion gear bearings (18 and 7) have been seated.
a. Check preload again.
b. If preload has been reduced by rotating drive pinion gear (23), reset preload to specifications.
6. Differential case.