3.55s to much for me?

[pantera77]

The price wasn't too bad, but really I'm just looking for a little more traction off the line and in the snow. I don't need something insane. I just liked the fact that it was so easy to install. Back to square one I guess.

[Blaze86Vic]

Get an OEM LSD, it will improve your launch tremendously, and it will improve traction in weather conditions. If you later on decide that you want less slip and more lock, then you can always rebuild the diff (and you can do that in the car).

[Nathan in MI]

Alright, I have another quick question. Assuming I bought a brand new trac lock from summit, and new carrier bearings, if I just took out my open carrier, and in the process took out all the shims and marked which one went where, and swapped my ring gear over to the trac lock carrier, and put it all back together the way it came out would I be safe? Sorry for all the questions but I really don't know that much about diffs.

As the others said, you'd need to reshim it, but it's not that difficult to do. If you have, or can borrow, a dial indicator, you can pretty easily set it up yourself. The side shims on the carrier set the backlash, which is the gap between the teeth on the ring gear and the teeth on the pinion gear.

The procedure is to hold the pinion shaft from moving in some convenient way, then set up your dial indicator so that its shaft is against one of the ring gear teeth. Zero the indicator, and then see how far you can turn the ring gear before the pinion stops it. It should be from 0.008"-0.011". If there's too much backlash, you'll have to add shims to the driver's side and remove from the passenger's. If there's too much, then vice versa. All in all, it's not terribly difficult.

Reshimming the pinion shaft is much more involved, but if you're keeping your stock gear ratio for now, you don't have to worry about it.

[Pirate]

As the others said, you'd need to reshim it, but it's not that difficult to do. If you have, or can borrow, a dial indicator, you can pretty easily set it up yourself. The side shims on the carrier set the backlash, which is the gap between the teeth on the ring gear and the teeth on the pinion gear.

The procedure is to hold the pinion shaft from moving in some convenient way, then set up your dial indicator so that its shaft is against one of the ring gear teeth. Zero the indicator, and then see how far you can turn the ring gear before the pinion stops it. It should be from 0.008"-0.011". If there's too much backlash, you'll have to add shims to the driver's side and remove from the passenger's. If there's too much, then vice versa. All in all, it's not terribly difficult.

Reshimming the pinion shaft is much more involved, but if you're keeping your stock gear ratio for now, you don't have to worry about it.

But you don't understand!!! People could die!!!

Oh, sorry, wrong thread.

[1987cp]

Reshimming the pinion shaft is much more involved, but if you're keeping your stock gear ratio for now, you don't have to worry about it.

Do we have a how-to on this, or would it be easier to just link to one at some Mustang site?

[Nathan in MI]

But you don't understand!!! People could die!!!

Oh, sorry, wrong thread.

Do we have a how-to on this, or would it be easier to just link to one at some Mustang site?

This is the article that I used. Problem is, if you don't get the right shim in it the first time, you have to have access to a shop press to take the bearing back off again, and ideally you ought to have a new crush sleeve each time you check it. I didn't have either one (paid someone with a press to put the new bearing on for me), so I just took the shim from the old pinion and reused it. It's undoubtedly not exactly right, but it hasn't blown up, so I don't think I got it too wrong.

http://www.corral.net/tech/drivetrain/gears.html

[pantera77]

So just installing the carrier dosn't seem to hard. All I need to worry about is the backlash right? I could borrow a dial caliper and one of those cool magnetic block things easily enough. Just have to have new bearings pressed on.

[Nathan in MI]

So just installing the carrier dosn't seem to hard. All I need to worry about is the backlash right? I could borrow a dial caliper and one of those cool magnetic block things easily enough. Just have to have new bearings pressed on.

Pretty much. You'll want to read the pertinent portions of the article in the link I posted just to get an idea of some of the details of the process, but it's really not that difficult.

[pantera77]

Well hello Mr. K-code. What are you doing here?

[cld783]

jealous

[Pirate]

Well hello Mr. K-code. What are you doing here?

Before I forget....again....ask Scott about the 8-disc traction lock mod....

[gadget73]

We used one of the Mustang guides that advocates the truck spring and some extra shimming when mine was done initially, and it popped and clunked and was generally shitty. DId the 8 clutch Pirate mod, and it works great. No funny noises, but I get power to both rear wheels.

Also, I didn't see this mentioned here, but if you're doing a carrier or a whole rear swap, I'd strongly suggest carrier bearings, outer axle bearings, axle seals, pinion bearing, and a pinion seal. Also, don't be too surprised if one or both axles are shot. Usually the right one is going to be more toast than the other, so its possible you can get a good pair between two rears. Left and right axles are identical. Also, this is a spectacular time to go with rear disc brakes, or at least fully overhaul the drums. K codes usually have 11" rear drums vs the standard 10" but both are likely in desperate need of an overhaul by now.

[88grandmarq]

I will echo what gadget said... install new bearings.
K-code we pulled from a 84 town car was worn, pinion bearings were discolored and the races were pitted and flaking.
I would recommend a traction lock rebuild kit too as the stock clutches are most likely fried.

[rellik god]

i got the 8.8 carbon rebuild kit do i have to soak the fibers in the friction modifier or can i just install them and then ad modifier with gear oil when carrier is in

[pantera77]

Yea, it's from a 90 wagon so it has the 11" drums. I'm swapping the whole rear end in hopefully Friday. It looks as if it was rebuilt recently. The ring gear is spotless, the gear oil was clean as could be, no metal shavings or anything floating around, no huge amounts of play in anything. Inside the drums were as dry as a desert. Also whoever put the diff cover on had a silicon fetish. The shoes look new, although the drums were pretty shot so I ordered new ones, along with new wheel cylinders. Since I have to pull the whole axle anyways I bought new gabriel ultras, and new cargo coil springs since mine are saggin. Hopefully this will last me through winter, then I'll have the whole rear end completely rebuilt.