checking rear-end straightness

[slowgreen99]

Ford 8.8 rear. Im wondering if someone had a trick to checking it or does someone have a jig? I read that's the only proper way to do it...

[bwelch]

Just put it back together with new shit and Marcus will check it when its on the bumper.

[Harry]

Check rear end? You mean like backlash? Gear engagement?

[ShawnBoyMoody]

Check rear end? You mean like backlash? Gear engagement?

For straightness.

[gearmesh, inc.]

How about a set of v-blocks and a straightedge? You could even use a couple of pieces of angle iron. Lay a piece with the throat down on the back of each axle tube and use a straightedge to compare how true the backs of the angle irons are to each other. You will need the back cover off and the carrier removed to do this.

Next, you need to check to see if the tubes have rotated. Usually, if one moves, it most likely wont have its brake backing plate flange on equal clocking with the other side. You can clamp a straightedge to each flange along an edge or lined up with the boltholes and eyeball across to the other side's straightedge.

[trickey]

How about a set of v-blocks and a straightedge? You could even use a couple of pieces of angle iron. Lay a piece with the throat down on the back of each axle tube and use a straightedge to compare how true the backs of the angle irons are to each other. You will need the back cover off and the carrier removed to do this.

Next, you need to check to see if the tubes have rotated. Usually, if one moves, it most likely wont have its brake backing plate flange on equal clocking with the other side. You can clamp a straightedge to each flange along an edge or lined up with the boltholes and eyeball across to the other side's straightedge.

To check the squarerness of carrier housing you will need pinion/carrier set up tools.

[KRYPTONITE]

Just put it back together with new shit and Marcus will check it when its on the bumper.

Fuck yea you know thats right:bigthumb:


NO LIFT TILL THE BITCH FLIPS

[spdracr0]

call Tuten, he knows a guy tha does this, straightening my 9 inch right now...it was a way warped!!

[gearmesh, inc.]

To check the squarerness of carrier housing you will need pinion/carrier set up tools.

A pattern check on the teeth can tell you if the pattern has moved due to the pinion centerline getting out of kilter with the carrier centerline. This of course is assuming the gears were set up correctly to begin with. I have done quite a few gear setups in which the desired pinion depth and backlash dimensions you see scribed on a new set of gears were way off from what the actual housing needed for a good contact pattern.

Always believe the actual contact pattern over the pinion depth and backlash figures scribed on a new set of gears. It all depends on how the center housings have settled out after much application of torque and horsepower. For example, on one Ford 8.8 a while back, I had to set it up with .021" backlash to keep the pattern from running off the ID of the ring gear. That was way far off from the .010" factory desired setting scribed on the ring gear.

One thing about rear ends is that once you get a good contact pattern, you can put the cover on, fill it up, and forget about it for a long time.

[slowgreen99]

thanks Gerald. I will try this out and see what I get out of it.