LEAKAGE. Do not know wur its coming from

[Ldub]

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...bearing+repack

Found that in about thirty seconds using a forums search. (bearing repack)
Pictures & everything...nice job Kenny!

[JHarris1385]

I sometimes forget about that serach button. How easy of a job is that, how much is a packer? And more importantly to me how easy is it to mess this job up and screw something else up in the process?

Man I have lots of questions.

[Ascinder]

Answers to your questions:

1) Yes it is the kind of fish scale for weighing fish. You need it to adjust the torque setting for that retention ring so you aren't over tightening your bearing loads on the outer bearings.
2) I have no idea why you would need an impact wrench, I never used one once during the entire process.
3) You can manually repack the bearing by hand and they will be fine, as long as you really take your time and make absolutely sure you get grease everywhere inside them.
4)The snap rings are used to hold the differential oil seals in place along with the bearings if I remember correctly. I think there are two per axle for what you are doing.
5)Chopper is referring to swapping out the CV joint axle assemblies which rumor has it can be found for around $80 rebuilt each Here: http://www.alldiscountautoparts.com/...e=arc&s=1&my=1
6) If you don't have one, get a torque wrench or be able to rent one from an auto parts store. You definitely don't want stuff haunting you later because you misapplied a torque setting.
7) Read the procedure over in the manual a lot you are only going to get more confused, then more familiar. I printed out the sections I was using so I could have the at the ready for reference and so I didn't get axle grease, etc on my computer keys
You should be OK with the jackstand setup you have there. You may or may not need some cutoffs of wood to help distribute the weight more evenly when you jack on some places, and you want to make sure the back wheels are very securely blocked/chocked.

You do have to drop the axle, at least a little bit so you can maneuver the CV axles out. The bearings you are after are on them towards the insides. It is also a helluva lot easier to take the CV axles out with the differential brackets still on them. They will be just dangling and being held on by the oil seals and bearings. It is a tight fit getting them out. This is where you may have to have them pressed off. I have a light shop press at home. That's what I used.
Any more questions, let me know. I will try to get that walkthrough ready to send to you by tomorrow. I really don't have any pictures, but I can tell you exactly what sections of the manual to use and where you'll likely run into trouble spots.

[JHarris1385]

Thanks for all the help guys. I am busy at work for once today and do not have much time to reply. But I did find this on the web. It states that 75W90 is the equal to regular 10W40????????????

[Ascinder]

It states that 75W90 is the equal to regular 10W40????????????

Apples and oranges man, you are confusing differential gear oil with motor oil. The differential oil for the VX comes in pretty much two flavors: 75W90 and 75W140. They are different from normal motor oils. The are thicker and smell funky. I personally used the Mobil1 75W140 full synthetic and it was pricey ($18 a bottle I think) as hell. You can use an off brand non synthetic for far less, but personally I didn't want to chance it. You may also want pump for this stuff as it can sometimes be a PITA to fill the differential, although you can just try and use the bottle. I looked at the temperature ranges listed on the sides of both types of bottles and really couldn't find a compelling reason to use the 75W90 at all. The 140 is good across a far broader range and where I live the temps like to stay on the higher side, and then dip really low at night. If you are going to service the rear at the same time as the front don't forget to get a tube or bottle of limited slip differential additive(LSD) for the rear differential only.

[JHarris1385]

Well I almost got some fluid in there but even my pb blaster could not break that bolt loose. I did go to home depot and check the prices on an torque wrench and they said they do not carry them for rentals. The cheapest one I could find was near $200. I do have a small compressor at the house, that my bro uses for art (5gallon I think). That would do, if I was to find a wrench for rental right?

>A how-to on this one would greatly appreciated. <

I thought I posted the webiste with the comparision of oil last post but I guess I did not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear_oil

yeah its wiki i know.

[JHarris1385]

This is on the drivers side. I just did a MS paint-job for you all. Since I have once again forgetton my camera sd card at home.

[etlsport]

j.. u sure u arent thinking of an impact wrench? u need an air compressor for that and they are a big more expensive.... a torque wrench looks just like a socket but the bottom has torque values on it... you can get them at most stores for $100 or less.. ive seen them as low as 15 from harbor freight, and from what i hear they work just as well or better than craftsman ones.. which are known to break easily

[JHarris1385]

So does and impact carry torque settings? From the posts above Ill need to be able to dial specific torques.

[etlsport]

no it sounds like u were looking at impact wrenches... what you actually need is a torque wrench... usually they arent hooked up to an air compressor and can be had for $100 or less

[JHarris1385]

I got confused and mixed the two when typing I was at work doing a report at the same time.

Earlier it was mentioned an impact wrench for removal.

Then a torque wrench to get the settings right. So Yeah I should have said this. Is it possible to get an impact wrench with torque settings?

If all fails I will buy just a torque wrench and use some pb blaster. I think the Harbor freight in my neck of the woods just opened. Are they normally cheaper than HD or Lowes, Sears?

[Ascinder]

You should be able to get a torque wrench to rent from most auto parts stores. Like etl said though, you can pick one up for pretty cheap at harbor freight and they work just fine. I personally use a harbor freight wrench, and being a little skeptical about the quality and accuracy took it to my old work out at the Nat'l Guard base and checked it for calibration on our special testers. It performed better than anything else in the competition including craftsman and Snap on. I see what you are saying about the gear oil, but having personally used it I think that Wiki is full of crap. Anyone who has handled gear oil and motor oil can tell you right off that gear oil is heavier, almost the consistency of fresh honey. Also, the operating parameters are different by far if you read the rest of the article. What bolt are you referring to when you say that you cant get it off? Often times a length of pipe over the end of your socket wrench is you friend to loosen things. Another almost essential item is a pair of duckbill pliers for all the cotter pins you'll be dealing with. They make the job so much easier IMHO. You don't need an air compressor for anything on here as I mentioned before. Just make sure the torque wrench you get ahold of has a fairly broad range of settings. Go through the reassembly procedures you will be performing in the manual and see what torques you will be dealing with to get a better idea. DO NOT CONFUSE inch pounds and foot pounds. You can seriously damage things if you do. I think there are very few inch pound torques on the VX anyways. On the nuts you will be taking on and off it is usually the preferred method to start at the lowest torque setting(if there is a torque range) to try and line up the cotter pin hole. If it isn't lining up within the range you either need to add a thin washer to help align it, or feel ballsy enough to just crank down till it lines up. Use new cotter pins, they are cheap.

[Ldub]

I think the confusion regarding torque/impact wrenches is stemming from the mention in the past of an impact wrench being a handy tool to have when removing the little phillips head screws that hold the bearing tensioning collar in place...they are fairly soft & the heads are easily stripped. (rounded)

It was a HAND impact wrench that was recommended (also harbor freight), which can be used with a phillips bit & struck with a hammer.

[Ascinder]

If all fails I will buy just a torque wrench and use some pb blaster. I think the Harbor freight in my neck of the woods just opened. Are they normally cheaper than HD or Lowes, Sears?

Harbor Freight is known for having pretty much the cheapest tools around. Some people curse their name, others praise them for offering reasonable prices. Personally I have used them for years and have yet to have had any problems. In fact, many of the hand tools in the Snap On catalog are identical(yes in quality too). They are willing to replace any broken hand tool for free forever just like sears, but for substantially less up front. To me, unless you are going to use these tools absolutely every day like a professional mechanic or a contractor, then they are a good blend of cost vs. effectiveness. For the average occasional/infrequent do it yourselfer, they are ideal. I don't know if you know this or not, but you aren't going to be using the torque wrench to take things off with. At least you really shouldn't. They can be damaged and then the settings you dial in won't be in any way precise. If you have wrenches with a box end, and an open end, you can use one and link another through the other end to create a longer lever, or use a large socket wrench and a hollow length of tube around the handle to get the leverage. You should also look up their metric socket sets while you're there. I think if you get the right two, then they should have any and all sockets you will ever use on the VX.

[JHarris1385]

I cant not get the fill plugg off the front diff to even top it off. I have loaded it with PB Blaster and still no luch even with a breaker bar. Any ideas?