Pinion Flange: Service and Repair

Drive Pinion Flange and Drive Pinion Seal

















Removal

1. WARNING: If equipped with fire suppression system, refer to Fire Suppression System for Important Safety Warnings. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious personal injury.

NOTE: Remove the rear brake discs to prevent brake drag during drive pinion bearing preload adjustment.

NOTE: When removing the rear brake caliper in this procedure, it is not necessary to disconnect the hydraulic lines.

Remove the rear brake discs and rear brake caliper.
^ Support the rear brake caliper with mechanic's wire.
2. Remove the driveshaft.
3. Install a Nm (lb-inch) torque wrench on the nut and record the torque necessary to maintain rotation of the pinion through several revolutions.





4. Use the special tool to hold the pinion flange while removing the nut.
^ Discard the nut.





5. Index-mark the pinion flange and the drive pinion stem for correct alignment during installation.





6. Using the special tool, remove the pinion flange.





7. Force up on the metal flange of the drive pinion seal. Install gripping pliers and strike with a hammer until the drive pinion seal is removed.
^ Discard the seal.





Installation
1. Coat the new rear axle drive pinion seal lips with long-life grease.

2. NOTE: If the rear axle drive pinion seal becomes misaligned during installation, remove the seal and install a new seal.

Using the special tool, install the rear axle drive pinion seal.





3. Lubricate the pinion flange splines with rear axle lubricant.

4. NOTE: Disregard the index marks if installing a new pinion flange.

Position the pinion flange.





5. Using the special tool, install the pinion flange.





6. Position the new drive pinion nut.





7. CAUTION: Do not, under any circumstance, loosen the nut to reduce preload or component damage may occur. If it is necessary to reduce preload, install a new collapsible spacer and nut.

NOTE: Remove the special tool while taking preload readings with the Nm (lb-inch) torque wrench.

Use the special tool to hold the pinion flange while tightening the nut.
^ Rotate the pinion occasionally to make sure the differential pinion bearings seat correctly. Take frequent differential pinion bearing preload readings by rotating the pinion with a Nm (lb-inch) torque wrench.
^ If the preload recorded prior to disassembly is lower than the specification, tighten the nut to specification. If the preload recorded prior to disassembly is higher than the specification, tighten the nut to the original reading as recorded.





8. Install the driveshaft.
9. Install the rear brake discs and rear disc brake calipers.

10. WARNING: If the vehicle is equipped with a fire suppression system, repower the system. For important safety warnings and procedures, refer to Fire Suppression System. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury.

Repower the system.