Case Spreader?

bharris68 · Jul 17, 2007

Does anyone know where to rent one? I plan to ask Schucks or Napa if they rent them, but since they seem pretty pricey and somewhat rare to use other than in professional settings - I'm not sure I'll find one?

Thanks for any direction.

Brett. :beer:

skrause · Jul 17, 2007

What about just building one out of scrap and a cheap bottle jack? Seen it done.

bharris68 · Jul 17, 2007

Interesting idea - To be honest, I don't know how much force you need to apply against the case to get the carrier to come loose? I had read or heard about someone hanging the axle from the ceiling - This put enough downward force on the long side of the axle to allow the carrier to slide out...

I can try that, now that I have a come along and a very stout hook setup into a ceiling beam..

All things being equal - I'd rather know that it's being done correctly if you know what I mean... I'm a beginner on axles so I'd like to know that anything going wrong is not because I'm being a total hack

blackcj71 · Jul 17, 2007

big prybar is all ya need:awesomework:

Grommit327 · Jul 17, 2007

blackcj7 said:
big prybar is all ya need:awesomework:

If your shims go on the outside of the bearings though it's hard to get proper preload on some axles without a housing spreader

bharris68 · Jul 17, 2007

I can see the big prybar method blowing up and wrecking my new bearings

I don't suppose anyone has any pictures of this process without using a Case Spreader?? :awesomework:

Lincolnlock · Jul 18, 2007

Put a wrench on a ring gear bolt on the top side of the housing. Turn the ring gear untill the wrench hits the sealing surface of the differential cover. Then use a prybar on the bottom side of the ring gear teeth to pry it out. It's really quite simple. It takes some force to get it out so keep that in mind.

bharris68 · Jul 18, 2007

Excellent - thanks, I'll try that

NotMatt · Jul 18, 2007

What kind of axle are you working on?

bharris68 · Jul 18, 2007

Dana 44 from a 1976 Wagoneer with the Quadratrack. Axles only - I'm planning on putting them front/behind a Dana 18/SM420 combo.

Right now the axles are out of any vehicle, on the floor and stripped down pretty well. I've done bearings and races on the hubs, so this is the Inner Axle's turn at glory.

Little Red Zuk · Jul 18, 2007

http://www.ringpinion.com/Content/HowTo/TechnicalInstructions/Yukon_Installation_Kit.pdf

Edit: Damn, thought it had better pics in it.

NotMatt · Jul 18, 2007

I've never needed a case spreader for a D44. Just use the wrench trick or a large prybar. The shims go inside the bearings, and there's no need to get the bearing preload so tight that you need a spreader to get the carrier back in... I get the preload on the carrier bearings tight enough that it needs a whack or two from a rubber mallet to squeeze it in there when everything's all done, and I've never had a failure.

bharris68 · Jul 21, 2007

After I got the drag link off, I moved the jackstands as close as I could next to the diff - that seemed to put enough pressure on the case that I was able to give it a good yank and it popped right out.

I flipped the axle over and got the pinon out as well. The stack of shims is very carefully saved in exactly the order they came out so that I can micrometer them and then stack them up exactly the same way with new ones.

First - a bath for everything over the parts washer, then knockout the old bearing races, pull the old seals - pop in new races for the pinon, install new seals and off we go with a nice, new sealed diff, new bearings all around and new manual hubs. Thereafter, I can start on the rear axle.. Like it will ever be done!

Thanks for everyones suggestions, I appreciate it!