i have done this before but for some reason im having an issue with setting up the rear. i got new motive gears (3.42) i drive alot now, new bearings,crush
sleeve,reused old pinion shim from 3.73 richmond. well it took forever but i got my settings right for the pinion,checked for preload and im at 20 inch lbs. i set up the new ring gear textbook,pressed all the bearings on but when i installed the carrier and torqued the main caps and spun the yoke its smooth and then i come across a tough spot where its tough to move. heres the weird part, its not in one spot it happens randomly??? i havent even got the chance to
check my contact pattern. im trying to avoid putting a gernade in the car.
can anyone point me in the right direction so i know where to start???
any help would be awesome thanks.

 

I think this is the key - it's not in one spot, and seems to happen randomly. The only thing I can think of that could cause this would be a bad bearing - the rollers in there don't revolve at the same rate as the gears, so the lumpiness could seem random. Maybe you got dirt in a bearing, damaged one pressing it in, etc.

However: Are you sure it's random? Just because the tight spot is not happening with the input or output shaft in a consistent location, does not mean the gears are not in a consistent relationship. Maybe this is only happening when a certain pinion tooth lands on a certain ring tooth. Try spinning it, and paint pen marks on all the gears to show where they are lining up. Then spin some more, and see if the binding happens when the dots line up again. A bent input and misaligned ring gear could bind only when the tight spots hit each other, I think.

I'm no axle expert but I've done one and this is all I can think of. Good luck.

 

I always run a stone across the back of the ring gear before installing it to flatten all the areas around the holes and avoid potential high spots. Or better yet, if you have access to a flat granite surface, use that. Not saying this is your problem, but it is a build step that a lot of guys skip.

 

Now that's a good tip I never thought about. I'll do that when opportunity arises.