Differential Carrier Case Swap ... how specialized is this? do gears need reshimming?

MrBlvd

Registered User
I purchased a 93 aluminum rear assembly and obviously wish to use the aluminum housing in place of the cast iron housing. I've researched this subject and have not been able to figure out the following:

Can I swap the housings myself or is this something a specialized shop needs to do. I plan to keep the same gear set.

Is it possible to pull the limited slip clutch set and springs and install them in the "standard" differential?

I've swapped the complete rear assembly before but I've never dissasembled one.

Any guidence would be appreciated

Thanks
 
The pinion bolts the housing. So you have to pull the pinion and the carrier, thus you'll need to re-set the pinion to rear gear tollerances at a minimum.
 
Differential within a Differential

MrBlvd said:
Is it possible to pull the limited slip clutch set and springs and install them in the "standard" differential?
You are asking if you can put one differential inside another differential. No, see a Trac-Loc is a Track-Loc, and an Open Diff. is an Open Diff. You can not put a Trac-Loc differential inside of an open differential. What possible reason would you have for wanting a differential inside a differential? :confused:

68COUGAR
 
I'm pretty sure what he is asking is whether he can take the Trak-Lok and gears from his cast iron shell and put them into the aluminum shell.
 
the Better Question

Kevin Varnes said:
I'm pretty sure what he is asking is whether he can take the Trak-Lok and gears from his cast iron shell and put them into the aluminum shell.
Ahhhhhhh, THAT would have been a better question!!!

68COUGAR
 
It's been my experience with 8.8's that the shims are related to the housing and not so much the gears.

IOW, most of the time using the same shims that came with the rear axle works as long as you're using FORD gears. Aftermarkets are another matter.

In this case it would mean that you would need to remove the pinion shim from the pinion coming out of the aluminum case and transfer it to the pinion you are taking from the iron case. You may find they are the same but you can't count on it.

Carrier shims you'll be removing anyway, so no difference there.

Since you will be removing the pinion gear, the pre-load on the pinion bearings will need to be reset. Preload is merely how tight the bearings are from how much the pinion nut is tightened. Experienced techs will flat-rate the job and just hammer the pinion nut down with an impact until it feels right to them. There is a spec and it requires a inch-pound toque wrench and you tighten the pinion nut until it takes the specified torque on the inch pound wrench to rotate the pinion gear.

Between the amount of torque it takes to run the pinion nut down (it's an interference nut) along with the amount of torque it takes to crush the crush sleeve we're talking about a serious amount of force required, sometimes more than what a quality 1/2 inch drive impact can do. Add in the need to press on and off bearings along with a few more details, and I'd suggest finding someone to do it. Try finding someone in the local late-model Mustang crowd and they can probably point to someone who does that stuff on the side.

edit

Is it possible to pull the limited slip clutch set and springs and install them in the "standard" differential?

Just saw this, and the answer is No. You'll have to change the carrier. The one out of the iron case will probably fit but I don't know that for a fact, not having dealt with an aluminum housing before. They're both 8.8 designs, though.
 
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MrBlvd said:
I purchased a 93 aluminum rear assembly and obviously wish to use the aluminum housing in place of the cast iron housing. I've researched this subject and have not been able to figure out the following:

Can I swap the housings myself or is this something a specialized shop needs to do. I plan to keep the same gear set.

Is it possible to pull the limited slip clutch set and springs and install them in the "standard" differential?


I am not for sure but I think you will need to swap your SC Thunderbird
differentail into the Mach VIII differentail aluminum housing. I don't think
the VIII open differentail will except the trac-loc clutch pack & spring.

Maybe someone that knows more will chime in.I am wanting to do the same job.


Randy
 
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Thank you

Thank you to everyone who provided some feedback .... I have access to presses and dial indicators ... I believe I will "practice" on the 2.73 rear assembly that I removed last year ... I have the Ford Shop Manual and am not afraind to try ... so far, I have done all the work on the car myself and I intend to keep it that way if possible ... I understand the preload on the pinion nut ... It was my understanding to remove it with a torque wrench and record the torque required to break it free ... set the new crush washer to this value ...
 
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