New Gear Install Issue

[weekendclimber]

Working on getting a set of 4.88 gears into the rear end today and ran into this issue: It seems they are too wide to fit into the housing. These are Nitro 4.88's that were purchased as a fully built 3rd member from ECGS. Wondering if I missed the part where you have to modify the housing to get them in.

Anyone else run into this? Any suggestions? I'd hate to have to send this back to ECGS because I ordered something wrong. Still have a couple weeks for the core return.

Some pics.

Old ring gear measures 32mm:

New ring gear measures 40mm:

It doesn't fit through this notch in the housing:

Here's a side by side comparison with the old on the top:

 

[2014 Warthog]

I JUST installed that exact same set

It was a very tight fit going in, especially since I had an ARB locker installed and that little copper air tube was also in the way (and comparatively very fragile).

I basically had to tilt the flange end down and work it in, then tilt it up to flush.

I didn't really notice if the ring gear was thicker than stock or not, and I didn't measure it so can't help with verifying that I'm afraid

 

[weekendclimber]

I JUST installed that exact same set

It was a very tight fit going in, especially since I had an ARB locker installed and that little copper air tube was also in the way (and comparatively very fragile).

I basically had to tilt the flange end down and work it in, then tilt it up to flush.

I didn;t really notice if the ring gear was thicker than stock or not, and I didn;t measure it so can;t help with verifying that I'm afraid

Interesting. I do have a Detroit True Trac in it. Hmmmmmm....you think I just maybe gave up too early on it? It seemed to be jamming up pretty hard. You can see where, in that 3rd picture with the calipers, the ring gear was eating into the housing.

 

[2014 Warthog]

They are hard to maneuver I was using a floor jack to hold it as close as I could so I only had to lift it a little. Though grinding the housing a bit is not unheard of. Mine was an 8 inch diff actually. If you have the 8.5 then that may be the difference.

 

[weekendclimber]

They are hard to maneuver I was using a floor jack to hold it as close as I could so I only had to lift it a little. Though grinding the housing a bit is not unheard of. Mine was an 8 inch diff actually. If you have the 8.5 then that may be the difference.

3rd Gen, so 8" rear without locker.

 

[weekendclimber]

Sent a message to ECGS support. Might end up putting the old 3rd back in so I can drive it this week and wait to see what they say, assuming they're off today and tomorrow. I'll post back what I find out. I'm wondering if the notch in the housing has to be widened. Seems to me that this would be the only option.

 

[daniresch]

Totally normal for it to be a tight fit! You have two choices:

1). Try putting it in again as is, like others have mentioned, turning the ring gear by twisting the pinion flange can help "walk it in"

2). Grind a little off your axle housing with an angle grinder. Do a proper clean up and drop the new diff in.

 

[weekendclimber]

Totally normal for it to be a tight fit! You have two choices:

1). Try putting it in again as is, like others have mentioned, turning the ring gear by twisting the pinion flange can help "walk it in"

2). Grind a little off your axle housing with an angle grinder. Do a proper clean up and drop the new diff in.

Okay. I think I just needed some extra mental fortitude and advice on this. Was getting late last night and holding that thing up over my head for so long didn't help. I think I'll give it another go tomorrow and try the pinion twist trick. Any other advice is surely welcome as well if anyone else wants to chime in:ranger:

 

[weekendclimber]

Got it in this morning. Got a return email from ECGS (great customer service BTW) and, as several others suggested, they also suggested turning the flange to walk the 3rd in. After wrestling it for a few minutes and finding the ring gear was moving freely, I looked again and it was the side bearing adjusters that were hung up. Took to bearing it with the 3lbs dead blow, and it got past that hangup.

Thanks for the tips all.

Cheers