rocklaurence wrote:My two cents, the pattern you get wont look like the pictures in the manual--dont try. I once spent 4 hours trying to get my pattern to match what's in the book and it never did. The key is not to get the pattern in the center of the teeth but to make sure that the pattern isnt on any of the edges of the, root/toe/heel/Crown. Ive also had good luck with the original shims even with a new carrier. Because, the shims are to compensate for variations in the Casting process of the case not the carrier/gears. The carrier and gears are machined to very close tolerances.
This. I place my old shims in zip lock bags and label them (inner/outer pinion and ring gear/carrier side of diff)
Even if I mangle them removing them, I have something to start from. I'll mic them and build a new stack very close to their specs.
As Rocklaurence said, the ring gears and carriers are machined very tightly. The cases aren't. So, 95% of the time your old shims will get you very close, if not spot on. It isn't uncommon to adjust one very thin shim somewhere.
And no, the textbook examples aren't real world. I try to find real pics of good and bad positions. After getting into the range for backlash, you simply want the center of the contact to be on good meat of the tooth and not near an edge or too deep into the ring gear.
Patience. We all have to suffer with it.
Just yesterday, I was trying to repair a bubble in the new woodgrain on my Jeep. It appeared a good 3 months after I had put it on. All the others had appeared within a week and were able to be repaired easily. This one wouldn't take. I had allowed the new paint to gas for a month (painted in early August). I decided I'd try to inject a little 3M 94 primer behind the vinyl with a syringe and push the vinyl back down. At first, it looked like success. But about 30 minutes later, I discovered the vinyl had reacted to the primer. It wrinkled up badly. Not repairable by any means.
I was pissed at first, but calmed down and decided I'll wait till warmer weather (about 3 months) and just replace that panel. I ordered plenty from Metro Restyling, so I can do the repair. I had to remember, it was failing regardless.