remove carrier pin without removing ring gear?

On my 96 v6 4x4 with 3:91 gears can i remove the carrier pin (or cross shaft) without taking the ring gear off? if not is it close enough to just grind away tip of tooth? I want to install powertrax locker but dont have tools to set backlash and bearing preload.

 

One thing I have learned from messing around with drive-train components, it is absolutely imperative you do things the way that they were intended. Otherwise you end up with a differential that will eat its gears and get way to hot, or will simply wear until it grenades. Everyone that has installed a locker on one of these trucks takes the third member and carrier out. Lunchbox lockers like that Powertrax unit should be really easy for a good gear guy to take care of. I would just source a master rebuild kit for the differential and take it to someone who knows how to properly set up gears. At least you won't have to have them take the ring gear off the carrier like you would for an air locker.

 

Thats the thing. i live in a small town in NL and theres nobody around that can do this kind of work. I know it should be perfectly fine to just grind a hair off the edge. Id rather that than me try to set up tolerances by " winging it" I bought this no-slip locker before christmas and been trying to find somebody to install for me but nobody wants anything to do with even in nearby towns

 

I would wait until you find a person to do it. Not wise to cut corners on something that is going to put more stress on the entire assembly.

 

third 'don't touch it' hit from here..

I have been through this before, backlash, preload, all very critical for smooth operation, off just a bit, eats them gears real fast...

But, if you insist, at least you will have been warned, if it works, clapping of hands in order...

 

Il have to look farther out of town. Having to put truck in 4x4 just to get around sucks...

 

The carrier pin??

The heck are your referring too??

The carrier is bolted to the ring. You can't remove the carrier without undoing the bearings on an 8.4" diff.

I'd never even taken a diff apart and I set up my own gears...but I have a MASSIVE amount of tools and shop space avalible to me and I am very mechanically inclined.

Now most of the lunch box lockers replace the spider gears in the stock carrier so you won't have to worry about that stuff. As long as you can re torque the bear caps and install the shims EXACTLY where they went, you can pull the diff and pull the ring with the carrier and put in the lunchbox locer and reinstall. If you have to remove the ring gear at all to install the locker. You are looking a a whole different ball game. Then you're gonna need some tools a shit load of time and shims.

 

I was refering to the shaft going through the spider gears. If i could have goten that out i wouldnt have to unbolt carrier at all and wouldnt need to deal with backlash or cap pre load.

 

I never took my spiders apart so sorry can't awnser that. I have lots of photos of it though.

 

You can put a lunchbox locker in without having to reset backlash or anything for that matter.
The ring gear does have to come off, just make sure you put the carrier bearing shims back where they came from.
Lock rights use the factory carrier and just replace the spider gears with the locker. This doesnt effect your backlash, pinion preload, pinion depth or gear runout pattern.
Ive set them up a few times on 8.4's- id reccomend having an impact for the ring gear bolts and be sure to lock tight and torque the down upon reassembly.
Sometimes the ring gear and carrier can be tought to seperate and put back together. One trick I use is to take the ring gear and put it in a toaster oven and heat it up to 180 degrees the put the carrier in the freezer. Freezing the carrier causes it to shrink and heating the ring gear causes it to swell allowing the two pieces to be effortlessly assembled.

 

Does my diff not have the screw type bearing caps? i know the second gen tacomas 8.4 has shims but everything ive seen on first gens online shown the threaded screw type bearing caps

 

The name of the part you are talking about is called the carrier pinion shaft, or King Pin.

As for doing the work you want to do, I would suggest against doing it yourself unless you are very mechanically inclined and have the correct tools, or can get someone who is, and get them to do it. You have a threaded preload/backlash adjuster on each side of the side bearings on your model truck. If you mess with them, you better get them EXACTLY correct or you will have some serious trouble.

My suggestion? Wait.

 

Non trd 8.4 on 1st gens have shims, not adjusters on each side.
Just unbolt the four bolts on the girdle/bearing caps, pull it off and remove the shims from each side. no special tools anybody that can do brakes can do this.

 

Doing a little more research and am finding that my diff shouldnt have the threaded caps. Now im confused..

 

^^^that diff looks nothing like mine. remeber i have the v6 8.4

 

It could depend on the thickness of the ring gear...
thinner ring gears may have enough wiggle room.

others say... page 6

http://www.richmondgear.com/0002pdfs/1000703MIB.pdf

If you end up removing the ring gear...
be sure to mark/index so that the ring gear is reinstalled
exactly as it was prior to removal.

I put my new ring gear in the freezer for few hours prior to install
it still needed a little persuasion, but nothing too difficult.

I removed mine because I went with 4.88's
Sorry I don't remember looking at the cross pin
to see if it might clear my factory 4.10 ring gear.
wasn't a concern of mine at the time.
But I know it won't clear my 4.88's thicker ring gear.

Those 3.91's probably have the thinnest ring gear
Toyota installs.
So if wiggle room is possible...
It's my guess it would be with those 3.91's.

But why would anyone wanna keep 3.91's anyway
when this is the opportunity to change that

I remember it was somewhat difficult removing my ring gear
from it's factory install.
But I wasn't concerned about damaging my 4.10 ring gear
so I got a little more persuasive with my hammer work. Lol

A heavy rubber mallet might be a better choice
and less abusive when when striking.

Sometimes it will go easy, other times not so much
but like separating a ball joint from suspension arm seat
often a simple tap at the vertical plane will release the ball from it's seat
by distorting the ball joint seat opening just enough to free it.
^ requires a steel mallet and smart eye tho'

 

What?

 

How my diff looks from outside

 

8.4's are the same weather its in a 4 cyl, v6, v8 tundra.. If you have an 8.4 it looks like the one I posted, yours doesnt look differnt than any other 8.4 ive seen...

 

Its different on the outside and looking through the fill hole the spider gears are exposed.