Advice needed again fitting diff

[t45_ste]

Help needed again fitting my diff. Managed to actually get the diff into the box with the help of tom beverleys pics (cheers tom). Im now trying to set the pre load on the bearings but it aint going to plan.

Ive read on here the method of tighning the nut untill you cant turn the diff by hand then back off until free to turn.

I can tighten the nut right up and the diff still spins? Have i done somthing wrong when fitting the beairngs?

As usual advice is hugely appreciated.

Ste

[ainsley_brader]

does the diff become very tight to turn though?

[t45_ste]

Not "very" tight. Becomes tighter. Dont really know what to feet for? and my torque wrench doesnt go low enough.

[tom_beverley]

I had mine torqued at the specialist and didn't cost much, plus you get the piece of mind its done properly!

Mines reasonably tight and requires a bit of force to turn it by hand. Words like 'reasonable' and 'a bit' etc don't really help though do they lol

My best advice would be if your not 100% with it yourself, take it to a gearbox specialist.

[Stuart]

Not "very" tight. Becomes tighter. Dont really know what to feet for? and my torque wrench doesnt go low enough.

WTF, it takes rather a lot of torque to get that castle nut done up...

[t45_ste]

Im going of the haynes figure of 13.3 to 15.9 lbf in? Is this wrong?

[Stuart]

errr yeah.

I've never used a torque wrench for stuff like that... its all about feel/setting them right.

We are talking about the massive Castle bolt that only has the castelations for drive arent we?

[t45_ste]

Yeah thats the one.Thought it must have been more than the book fgure.Think i may have it set right now. Theres no end float it the bearings and could feel them nipping up. Figers crossed. Thatks to everybody that posted.

[CP]

Unless you know what you are doing the only accurate "feel it" way is to remove the cluster so there is no drag other than from the bearings on the crown wheel/diff assembly. As you tighten it it will get increasing hard to turn. You will need a bar on a flat blade and get it tight. When it wont spin freely and stops more or less straight away you know you have gone past the correct level of torque and it needs backing off. Move it back a few teeth until it frees up again and spins smoothly and freely just off the point you can detect bearing drag. Try it backwards and forwards a few times to dial your "feel"

[t45_ste]

heres a quick vid of how the diff spins

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd315/ste_ed/?action=view&current=Video000.flv