9 3/4 Inch Ring Gear

1. Place differential assembly with pinion into housing.
2. Install bearing caps in proper position and tighten just enough to retain in place.
3. Install dial indicator on carrier with indicator button contacting back of ring gear.
4. Position two screwdrivers between bearing cup and housing on ring gear side of case and pry ring gear into mesh with pinion gear as far as possible.
5. Set dial indicator to 0 with force still applied to gears.
6. Reposition screwdrivers on opposite side of ring gear, then pry ring gear as far as possible and note indicator reading. Repeat sequence several times until same reading is obtained. This reading indicates amount of shims necessary between differential case and differential bearing on ring gear side.
7. Remove differential bearing from ring gear side, then install proper amount of shims and reassemble bearing.
8. Remove differential bearing from opposite side of ring gear. Subtract size of shim pack installed on ring gear side of case from reading obtained in step 11 of Overhaul procedure. Refer to Overhaul. Overhaul
Add an additional 0.015 inch to this figure to compensate for preload and backlash.
9. Assemble proper amount of shims as indicated in step 8, then install side bearing.

Fig. 3 Differential Carrier Spreading.:

10. Spread differential carrier, Fig. 3, then install differential bearing outer races and position differential case into carrier.
11. Install differential bearing caps and tighten cap screws finger tight.
12. Rotate differential assembly and tap case with a soft-faced hammer to seat case in carrier.
13. Remove spreader tool and torque cap bolts to 85 ft. lbs.
14. Install dial indicator and check ring gear backlash at four equidistant points on the ring gear. Backlash must measure 0.004-0.009 inch and must not vary more than 0.002 inch between checking points. If backlash is not within specifications, adjust differential bearing shim pack as necessary.
15. Ensure ring gear teeth are clean and free from oil, then coat drive and coast face of each tooth with suitable marking compound.
16. Apply braking force to ring gear, then turn pinion to rotate ring gear one complete revolution in each direction. Accurate contact pattern cannot be obtained unless gears are "loaded" when rotated.

Fig. 6 Gear Tooth Contact Pattern Check.:

17. Examine gear tooth contact pattern, referring to Fig. 6, and correct assembly adjustments as needed.
18. Install housing covers, using a new gasket, and torque attaching bolts to 35 ft. lbs.
19. Install rear universal joint, on rear drive axles, then the axle shafts.
20. Fill axle with specified lubricant.