Help replacing carrier bearings in rear diff

'98 TJ 6-cyl, all stock, dana35:

My rear diff is making a loud whining sound at all speeds, particularly when coasting (when clutch is disengaged) and appears to be getting worse. My daughter commented this AM on the way to school it sounds like a jet plane reving its engines. Can hardly hear the radio anymore. Interestingly, the sound disappears when making a right turn and gets worse making a left turn. Took the diff plate off to drain and clean the housing. All gears look good, but the carrier is real loose. There is little side-to-side movement but I can move it up and down with my hand quite a bit. In fact, the carrier bearings are loose to the point I can move them with my finger. I'm assuming the carrier bearings are shot. Anyone agree? If so, is this a DIY job? Seems I'd have to pull the axles out, remove the carrier bearing housings, pull the whole carrier out and simply replace the bearings. Is this so?

Reply to
GTK
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This is likely to be more complicated than you think. Loose carrier bearings will cause the ring and pinion to mate improperly, leading to abnormal wear patterns and premature wear. That noise is probably more from the ring and pinion, than from the bearings. A dial gauge would be nice to have, so that you could say definitely what constitutes "quite a bit". There is a special tool to pull the bearings from the carrier. Depending on local conditions, you may be able to rent one.

I think that you are looking at ring and pinion replacement. Take another look at that ring gear. A little experience would be good here, to let you know what a good one looks like. Whether ring and pinion replacement is a "DIY" job, now that is a subject for debate. If you can read directions carefully, and are exceptionally patient, it may be. Dealers have access to special tools, which are supposed to make this operation idiot proof. Let's just say that they make it somewhat resistant to the antics of idiots, but not completely so.

If your carrier is that loose, then chances are good that your pinion is too. If the assembly decides to "let go", well then you could be sitting in the middle of the highway, with a locked up rear axle. That is not a pleasant thought.

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

Thanks for the info. I do agree that the noise is most likely coming from the ring and pinion since any play in the carrier would misalign the gears. My concern is to get the carrier bearings replaced ASAP so no further damage is made. The movement of the carrier by hand, if I had to guess, was about 1/4 inch up and down motion. The carrier bearings were so loose I could move them up and down, and side to side with my finger.

Reply to
GTK

I am very confident ripping an engine down, in the driveway in a snowstorm even, but I take differential work to people that are 'supposed' to know how to do it with their special tools.

I had a so called 'Jeep' shop replace a yoke and they couldn't even do that right, it destroyed all the bearings in short order. I then went to a 'machine' shop to have it fixed right and to the tune of about $500.00 and am hoping they did it right. I seem to be hearing some noise lately....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

GTK wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Dare I ask the burning question: Is this a Dana 35 axle?

Reply to
SoK66

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

That's what I thought!

Reply to
SoK66

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