Differential Case and Ring Gear - Traction-Lok

Differential Case and Ring Gear - Traction-Lok

Special Tool(s):

Material:

Disassembly
1. Remove the differential case.
2. Remove the 12 differential ring gear bolts.

3. CAUTION: Care should be taken not to damage the differential ring gear bolt hole threads.

NOTE: The anti-lock ring cannot be reused once removed.

Insert a punch in the differential ring gear bolt holes. Drive off the differential ring gear and, if necessary, the anti-lock ring.

4. NOTE: The differential bearings need not be removed to overhaul the Ford limited slip differential.

Use the special tools to remove the differential bearings.

5. Remove the differential pinion shaft lock bolt and remove the differential pinion shaft.

6. Install the special tool in a suitable vise.

7. Install the differential case on the special tool.

8. NOTE: Apply a small amount of grease to the centering hole of the special tool.

Install the special tool in the bottom side gear.

9. Install the nut in the upper differential side gear. Hold the nut in position while installing the hex screw. Tighten the hex-head screw until contact is made with the Step Plate.

10. Insert a suitable dowel bar in the hole of the nut. Tighten the forcing screw to force the differential side gear away from the differential pinion gears. The dowel bar is used to keep the nut from turning when the forcing screw is tightened.

11. WARNING: Keep fingers/hands away from pinion gears when rotating the differential case with the differential rotating tool.

NOTE: Differential pinion thrust washers cannot be removed independently of the differential pinion gears and so must be removed simultaneously with the differential pinion gears.

Inserting the special tool in the pinion shaft bore, turn the differential case to "walk" the differential pinion gears and differential pinion gear thrust washers out to the differential case windows.

12. Remove the differential pinion gears and differential pinion thrust washers.

13. Remove the differential side gears and differential clutch packs with the selective shim and Belleville spring, tag them RH and LH.

14. CAUTION: When separating the clutch plates and clutch discs, note the sequence in which they are disassembled. They must be reassembled in the same sequence.

CAUTION: Do not use acids or solvents when cleaning the differential clutch pack. Wipe components with a clean, lint-free cloth only.

Separate the differential clutch discs and clutch plates for cleaning and inspection.

Assembly
1. Lubricate each steel clutch plate and soak all friction plates with friction modifier for at least 15 minutes.

2. NOTE: Do not mix the differential clutch packs or selective shims from one side with the other.

NOTE: The Belleville spring is a dished plate.

Assemble the differential clutch packs (without the selective shims and Belleville springs) on their respective differential side gears.

3. Clamp the special tool in a vise. Install the differential clutch pack and the differential side gear (without the shim or the Belleville spring) on the gauge.

4. Position the special tool on top of the differential clutch pack.

5. Install the special tool over the disc and differential clutch pack.

6. Install the nut over the top and base stud.
^ Tighten to 7 Nm (62 inch lbs.).

7. NOTE: Selective shims shown are available as part of the Clutch Pack Replacement Kit F5AZ-4947-BA.

Use the feeler gauge and select the thickest blade that will enter between the tool and the differential clutch pack. The reading will be the thickness of the new selective shim.

Selective Shims:

8. Place the selective shim and Belleville spring on the differential clutch pack.
^ The dished or concave side of the Belleville spring must face up against the thrust face of the differential case.

9. Install the differential side gears with the differential clutch packs, selective shims and Belleville spring into the differential case.
^ Hold the differential side gear assembly in place to prevent it from falling out of the differential case.

10. NOTE: Apply a small amount of grease to the step plate bore.

NOTE: If necessary, insert the dowel bar in the nut bore to keep the nut from turning as the hex screw is tightened.

Assemble the forcing screw, nut and step plate to the differential case.
1 Position the step plate in the bottom side gear bore.
2 Position the nut in the top side gear bore and hold it in place.
3 Install the hex-head screw and tighten it 2 turns after it contacts the bottom step plate.

11. NOTE: Lubricate both sides of the differential pinion gear thrust washers with axle lubricant.

NOTE: Make sure the differential pinion gears are 180 degrees apart so they will align correctly with the pinion shaft bore.

Position the differential pinion gears and differential pinion gear thrust washers in the window of the differential case so they mesh with the differential side gear teeth.

12. WARNING: Keep fingers/hands away from pinion gears when rotating the differential case with the differential rotating tool.

NOTE: It will probably be necessary to loosen or tighten the forcing screw to allow the differential pinion gears and differential side gears to rotate.

Inserting the special tool into the pinion shaft bore, turn the differential case. This will cause the differential pinion gears to engage the differential side gears and "walk" into the differential case. Rotate the differential case until the pinion mating shaft holes are lined up exactly with the holes in the differential pinion gears.

13. Remove the special tools.

14. NOTE: If a new differential pinion shaft lock bolt is unavailable, coat the threads of the original differential pinion shaft lock bolt with threadlock prior to installation.

Install the differential pinion shaft, then a new differential pinion shaft lock bolt finger-tight.

15. Install new differential bearings.

16. Check the torque required to rotate one differential side gear.
^ Install the special tools with the 1/2-inch drive hole as shown.
^ The initial break-away torque, if original clutch plates are used, must be within specification. The rotating torque required to keep the differential side gear turning with new clutch plates may vary.

17. Install the differential ring gear and, if removed, a new anti-lock ring.

18. NOTE: Apply stud and bearing mount to the differential ring gear bolts.

Install the 12 differential ring gear bolts.
^ Tighten to 150 Nm (111 ft. lbs.).

19. Place the differential assembly in the axle housing.

20. NOTE: Differential bearing shims are to be installed with the chamfer facing outboard.

Install a differential bearing shim on the left side.

21. NOTE: Triangles on differential bearing cups must point outboard.

NOTE: Apply pressure toward the left side to make sure the left differential bearing cup is seated.

Install the left differential bearing cap and loosely install the differential bearing cap bolts.

22. Install progressively larger differential bearing shims on the right side until the largest differential bearing shim selected can be inserted by hand.

23. Install the right side differential bearing cap and tighten the differential bearing cap bolts.
^ Tighten to 105 Nm (77 ft. lbs.).

24. Rotate the differential assembly to make sure it rotates freely.

25. NOTE: If ring gear backlash is within specification, go to Step 30.

NOTE: Specification shown is the maximum ring gear backlash allowable.

Using the special tools, measure ring gear backlash.
^ Turn the ring gear without turning the pinion gear and record the measurement.

26. NOTE: The differential bearing caps must be removed before differential bearing shims can be installed.

To increase ring gear backlash, install a thicker differential bearing shim and a thinner differential bearing shim as shown.
^ If ring gear backlash is not within specification, correct by increasing the thickness of one differential bearing shim and decreasing the thickness on the other differential bearing shim by the same amount.

27. NOTE: The bearing caps must be removed before differential bearing shims can be installed.

To decrease ring gear backlash, install a thicker differential bearing shim on the left and a thinner differential bearing shim on the right.

28. Rotate the differential assembly several times to make sure the differential bearings are seated.

29. Using the special tools, recheck the ring gear backlash.

30. Remove the differential bearing cap bolts and differential bearing caps.

31. NOTE: Differential bearing shims are to be installed with the chamfer facing outboard.

NOTE: To establish differential bearing preload, increase both left and right differential bearing shim sizes as shown. Make sure differential bearing shims are fully seated and the differential assembly turns freely.

Using the special tool, install the differential bearing shims.

32. Install the differential bearing caps and differential bearing cap bolts.
^ Tighten to 105 Nm (77 ft. lbs.).

33. Using the special tools, recheck the backlash.

34. Install the axle shafts.