tools needed for rear end work..

[fbodyjohnny]

just bought a 5 lug conversion kit so i also went ahead and bought the 3.73 gear kit and a new trak-lock diff for 31 spline axles. taking the step ahead now to get any tools i might need, so what all am i going to need? this will be the first thing i do once i get outta afghanistan next month. thanks

[butt86]

just bought a 5 lug conversion kit so i also went ahead and bought the 3.73 gear kit and a new trak-lock diff for 31 spline axles. taking the step ahead now to get any tools i might need, so what all am i going to need? this will be the first thing i do once i get outta afghanistan next month. thanks

gears are something much better left to the professionals....

[jw33]

If you are using a FMS gear set 99% of the time you can reuse the old pinion shim and be spot on. Evenything can be done in your garage on jack stands with normal tools. You will need a press, or access to one, dial indicator, magnetic base, and a hell of a long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar to crush the sleeve. I've done several sets of gears and it is pretty basic once you understand how it all works. Great learning experience. Hell, if your converting to 5-lug, 31 spline diff, gears, ect, I'd just about go ahead and pick up an entire rear end from the classifed section to save myself all the trouble working underneath the car. Swap the entire thing out and re-sell the old rear end when your done.

[fbodyjohnny]

im feelin pretty confident in doing it all. my dad will be helping me and he has done more work to cars in his days than most shop techs/mechanics in Illinois. i gave him the info on what all i bought, and im pretty sure he dont have the tools he used to have so im trying to get a list built up that way i can get it all and be ready to tackle it when i get home.

[HarrisonTX]

Tools needed for rear end work: Astro Glide.

[Blue302stang]

gears are something much better left to the professionals....

X2. gotta have tools to set pinion depth, backlash, and so on. Shop press usually helps with pressing on the bearings and so on.

[fbodyjohnny]

If you are using a FMS gear set 99% of the time you can reuse the old pinion shim and be spot on. Evenything can be done in your garage on jack stands with normal tools. You will need a press, or access to one, dial indicator, magnetic base, and a hell of a long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar to crush the sleeve. I've done several sets of gears and it is pretty basic once you understand how it all works. Great learning experience. Hell, if your converting to 5-lug, 31 spline diff, gears, ect, I'd just about go ahead and pick up an entire rear end from the classifed section to save myself all the trouble working underneath the car. Swap the entire thing out and re-sell the old rear end when your done.

thanks, i've actually thought about buying a junkyard rear end to build up that way i could have my current one also switched over to 5 lug to have as a spare. idk why i didnt do that, how much do they usually run? wouldnt take much to find one in a junkyard and torch it off and haul it away to strip it, sandblast it and powdercoat, puttin the works on it wouldnt take much either. he told me about needin a press, he took care of that, and what is a magnetic base? im ready to do it, the whole conversion overall is going to be fun, i love workin on shit i can actually learn on and bust a few knuckles on.

[fbodyjohnny]

X2. gotta have tools to set pinion depth, backlash, and so on. Shop press usually helps with pressing on the bearings and so on.

can that all be adjusted without the bearings being pressed onto the pinion or is it a one shot deal, once its pressed, its done.. ??? no adjusting after that?

[jw33]

X2. gotta have tools to set pinion depth, backlash, and so on. Shop press usually helps with pressing on the bearings and so on.

Just FYI, but 9.9 out of 10 mustang shops would never even check that. IMO you're paying them to not deal with old 80w90 and laying on your back in the heat.

[fbodyjohnny]

thats the way i see it. im confident i can do it all no problem, if i know what tools i need, i can do it all in a good day of work and have it out breaking it in for a couple hours, then come back and crack it open to check up on the markings, seal it up again and be done.

[jw33]

Most folks who change out the gears with other ford gears just another ratio slap the old pinion shim on the new pinion and go. If it bother you too much you can check the pattern, but the vast majority of the time it's close enough. Dial indicator is used to check backlash the magnetic base is just to hold the dial indicator. Stock 8.8 can be bought/sold all day for around $100.

[Bassics]

It always helped me to use a low-mile pinion bearing that was honed out and a pinion nut replacement that wasn't single use. That helps you get the pinion depth pretty close. You will want an inch-pound torque wrench for that. You need some way to set up a dial to measure pinion depth and also backlash. If you are going to replace the pinion bearing along with the gears, then leave the old one on there and use an electric skillet with motor oil in it to heat the bearing, while you put the pinion in a baggie in the freezer. Slides right on. Use a piece of pvc and a light hammering to push it all the way down (it will bounce ever so much).

There are better ways but that gets you there. Study Ford THD so you know what you are looking for. And don't shave the pin if you don't have to, there are better ways. In fact a locker style is much more forgiving, it will accomodate 31 spline with 4.56s while a trac loc struggles with 4.30s. If you start needing to shave things then you probably want to have a simpler one under your belt first, like 31 with 4.10s or a 28 with 4.30s.

About half of mine made noise. I shattered two (that didn't make noise). I was cool with that. In the end it is better for me not to waste time on it when a properly set up shop can knock it out right the first time.

[Bassics]

Wtf

[fbodyjohnny]

hm. i might just look into buyin a junker, then i could take care of business while chillen in the hot tub drinkin beer lol. but seriously, thank you for the info, so the tools,
press, or access to one, dial indicator, magnetic base, and a hell of a long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar to crush the sleeve. everything else is just good old fashion sweat and bloody knuckles right? also, i bought a new trak-lock diff, any specific gadgets needed for that?

[Bassics]

Just FYI, but 9.9 out of 10 mustang shops would never even check that. IMO you're paying them to not deal with old 80w90 and laying on your back in the heat.

Yeah, lonestar obviously never checked either ring gear runout nor backlash. Even after being warned that runout was a concern and being asked to recheck it. I don't hear many people using them anymore LOL!

Put the ring gear on slowly and in steps just like a head onto a block. Ring gear runout (after learning what had happened) was the major issue I had with noise and vibration.