FREE REPAIR MANUALS & LABOR GUIDES 1982-2013 Vehicles
Courtesy of Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Left Side Gear Backlash Adjustment






1. Assemble the clutch plates.
Alternate the plates as shown.
2. Assemble the guide clips to the plates.
Use grease in the clips in order to hold them in place on the plates.
3. Install the following parts to the differential:
^ The side gear thrust washer
^ The clutch plate assembly
^ The left side gear





4. Install the clamp the side gear in place using a set of washers, a nut, and a bolt long enough to hold the side gear in place.
5. Place the pinion gears and the pinion thrust washers on the pinion yoke.





6. Install the yoke firmly to the differential case half.
7. Loosen the nut and the index one pinion gear tooth to point downward, perpendicular to the case half face.
^ Tighten the nut.





8. Mount a dial indicator on the case half face using a magnetic base.
9. Place the stem of the dial indicator on the pinion gear tooth.
10. Pull the pinion gear firmly into the seat.
^ Rotate the gear back and forth while reading the dial indicator.
^ Record the reading.
^ Do not unseat the pinion yoke. This will make the backlash reading inaccurate.
11. Repeat steps 7 through 10 on the other two pinions.
12. The backlash should be between 0.051 and 0.254 mm (0.002 and 0.010 inch).
13. If the backlash is too high, use a thicker pinion thrust washer.
14. If the backlash is too low, use at a thinner position thrust washer.