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Front Pinion Wiggle.


ajh

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My front diff was rebuild and set to spec (I stood and watched them do it and it was all correct as far as I could tell) but 5000km later (possibly earlier but I just found this) and the front pinion flange can wiggle side to side about 1-2mm which is likely where the vibration at 120kph comes from.

What could cause this if things were setup correctly? I know I broke a rule and replace the pinion but not the ring, would they really bed in enough to need a bunch more shimming? (I suspect the answer is yes)

If I drive it for the rest of the week before re-shimming, just highway to and from a job, am I likely to do any damage with that little movement?

Thanks.

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My front diff was rebuild and set to spec (I stood and watched them do it and it was all correct as far as I could tell) but 5000km later (possibly earlier but I just found this) and the front pinion flange can wiggle side to side about 1-2mm which is likely where the vibration at 120kph comes from.

What could cause this if things were setup correctly? I know I broke a rule and replace the pinion but not the ring, would they really bed in enough to need a bunch more shimming? (I suspect the answer is yes)

If I drive it for the rest of the week before re-shimming, just highway to and from a job, am I likely to do any damage with that little movement?

Thanks.

Most likely the head / tail bearings were not placed fully home, and or not shimed up properly at the start

I would put my money on bearings - which with the forces involved have "Fully" seated now and as such you have the

play. Almost certain you'll need new H&T bearings, and hopefully CWP set up won't be damaged through incorrect mesh

and having be run in a way they shouldn't have been.

Watching someone do it means diddly - if the bearing wasn't fully home they you wouldn't know qwithout a physical

check before building. Best speak to them, but its one of those things that they may say "Non" but in a nice way

as its next to impossible to prove either way faultwise - it could just be "One of those things" but doubt it.

It COULD just be also that the flange it loose, to check undo 4 x prop bolts and there is one big nut - do it up if loose :D

HTH and Good luck

Nige

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I have a front from a 1993 90 I could pull, bit in addition to the differential assembly what other parts do I need to swap at the same time, the 110 being a 1992 and therefore a 10-spline? There is also a chance this one is bad and lmost any replacement I am likely to find here will be from a Discovery so the same as the 90.

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I am exhausted and stuck running an event this week away from manuals etc. Please correct me if I am wrong but pinion height shims require removing the diff but bearing preload shims can in theory be done in-situ after removal of the flange and seal?

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OK, I had two of the thick shims in place, removed one and now it's tight, possibly a bit too much but I can still turn the pinion with one hand with everything but the prop still attached so I figure it'll work until I can get some more selection and do a proper bench-setting.

I ran into another issue though, I was feeling some free-play in my steering and I tracked it down to where the HD track rod attaches to the bracket that then bolts to the drop-arm, the thread was allowing movement. I'd have thought that there would be a jam nut at that end but I don't seem to have received one. Happen to know what thread that is so I can get a nut without taking things apart first :) Should be the same as the one on the TREs.

Once this is sorted the steering should be tight and precise (no, not for a Defender but for any vehicle :) ) now I just need to correct the castor to make sure that it gains back some self-centering, precision without self-centering just encourages over-correction. :(

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After a test run I am pretty sure it's too tight. Off to see the Guy who set it up to see if he pilfered my thinner shims as the one from the 90 that was already out only had a single thick one too.

There has got to be a better way to do this kind of thing.

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Re-shimmed the diff, I think I need to pull out the thinnest one and it'll be good, however the transfer case output is also moving (probably due to the D2 flange differing from the D110 one I suspect, is shimming this up the same process and the same shims?

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Sorry to pee on yer fireworks, but I would query if you can shim a diff

properly with it built fitted to a LR and meshing with the CWP :(

Worse, is that if the builder didn't get the preload right, what about

the pinion height, which is as / if not more importnat ?

Wrong either way will see a very quickly wrecked unit,

Nige

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It has not been a particularly fun week. At least next week I'll have time to take things apart and get them setup as well as possible given any wear/damage.

All of the advice has been helpful and is appreciated.

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