I have been working on converting my van to 4WD. The biggest hurdle after installing the UJOR kit was going to be re-gearing and installing a locker. Which means pulling the rear axle.
When I installed the rear lift blocks, it gave me fits. So I knew I wasn't excited at all about this. I have to rebuild the transmission, which I will do myself also. But that seems easy compared to the fight I knew I was gonna have with this rear end.
It's almost been a year since my UJOR kit install, and I need to finish it. No reason I haven't other than the fact I just didn't wanna. But I got it done.
Anyway, here is my DIY install of gears and a locker. Skill level? If you can do a UJOR DIY kit and rebuild everything on a front axle (other than gears), you can do this. Lot's of people act like it's pixies and fairy dust when it comes to this job. The main thing you need to have is patience.
Tools I used other than common hand tools.
A dial type inch pound torque wrench. I used a Precision Instruments PRED2F150HM.
1/2" and 3/8" torque wrenches.
Shop Press. I have a small 12 HF press. Works great.
Bearing puller. Also HF. $10.
Digital calipers.
Magnetic dial indicator.
Cost me about $300 in extra tools I didn't have. But will use again.
First thing I did was pull everything off the axle I could. I have steep driveway (yay, lucky me), and wanted to take everything off I could before I pulled it. The e-brake cable is a bear to take of btw.
Axle out!
My van had a ABS tone ring. This doesn't fit between the gear and diff. It fits around the ring gear with a tab holding it. It kinda freaked me out when I saw it:
Everything out, knocking out races. You need to replace all the bearing races.
Testing the fit:
My pinion used pre-load shims, not a pre-load sleeve. You need to install the pinion bearing with the shim from the old pinion for baseline. Then add preload shims until you get enough preload from the pinion to meet specs.
After getting the pinion pre-load right, I installed the diff. After taking it in and out about 200 times, I finally got the right backlash from the ring gear. Then I decided to check the mesh pattern.
After a couple adjustments, perfect tooth patterns:
Locker installed:
All buttoned up:
This isn't a tutorial, just saying that you can do it. Just takes time, and more time. I could have paid someone, but I like knowing I did it myself.