Ford Trac-Lok

[D3thM3tal]

I'm rebuilding the factory Trac-Lok that came in my 8.8 this weekend. (When I did the gear swap we found out there wasn't much left to it)
I've got the kit ordered, and it will arrive Friday, I'm wondering if I can put some extra friction plates in there if I compress the spring some more for a tighter L/S?

Anybody ever done/tried this? I'm thinking I'll put the spring in a vice, compress it, grab it with a giant vise grips and try and put it in that way. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it in the axle or on the bench yet..

Discuss-

[Xtort]

I'm rebuilding the factory Trac-Lok that came in my 8.8 this weekend. (When I did the gear swap we found out there wasn't much left to it)
I've got the kit ordered, and it will arrive Friday, I'm wondering if I can put some extra friction plates in there if I compress the spring some more for a tighter L/S?

Anybody ever done/tried this? I'm thinking I'll put the spring in a vice, compress it, grab it with a giant vise grips and try and put it in that way. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it in the axle or on the bench yet..

Discuss-

I had matts brother do something similar, he put in an extra spacer or two. He knows what he's doing so I guess maybe you want a spacer rather than and extra clutch plate.. Don't forget the friction modifyer or it'll suck

[D3thM3tal]

Ok, because there are clutch plates, and friction plates. I'll use extra friction plates. I've got 2 bottles of Ford Traction Additive, and I'm also getting one with the rebuild kit. I ordered some royal purple synthetic gear lube, and it says in the description that it already has the friction modifier in it, should I add the Ford stuff or leave it be?

Oh wait- from their site

All viscosities of Max-Gear are formulated with hypoid friction modifiers necessary for use in clutch or cone type differentials. No additional additives are necessary.

[Xtort]

Ok, because there are clutch plates, and friction plates. I'll use extra friction plates. I've got 2 bottles of Ford Traction Additive, and I'm also getting one with the rebuild kit. I ordered some royal purple synthetic gear lube, and it says in the description that it already has the friction modifier in it, should I add the Ford stuff or leave it be?

Oh wait- from their site

All viscosities of Max-Gear are formulated with hypoid friction modifiers necessary for use in clutch or cone type differentials. No additional additives are necessary.

Yeah maybe those spacers are the friction plates, lol. As you can tell I payed someone to do it for me .

[loads]

Ok, because there are clutch plates, and friction plates. I'll use extra friction plates. I've got 2 bottles of Ford Traction Additive, and I'm also getting one with the rebuild kit. I ordered some royal purple synthetic gear lube, and it says in the description that it already has the friction modifier in it, should I add the Ford stuff or leave it be?

Oh wait- from their site

All viscosities of Max-Gear are formulated with hypoid friction modifiers necessary for use in clutch or cone type differentials. No additional additives are necessary.

Post up how this ends up! My LS is practically dead, and I want to do this...

[D3thM3tal]

Yeah, no problem. I'll take some pix, I like to take pix of the projects I do. Should be a fairly straighforward operation. Put truck on jackstands - Pull rear tires and drum covers - Crack open the case - Clean it out - Pull retainer bolt outa the 5/8" center pin, remove pin - push axles in, remove c-clips - yank out t-lok spring and carefully remove clutches & shims (remembering order) reinstall in reverse order. I'm wondering if I should soak the clutches in friction modifier before instaltion, I've heard of people doing that, but I'm unsure on the why..

[HARD ON RUBBER]

The kit comes with shims to properly adjust the clutch pack preload. The limiting factory to how tight you can shim it is limited by the cross pin. The cross pin has to fit between the two ends of the axle shaft. You can check clutch pack wear just by jacking up one rear wheel and pushing in and out on the wheel. On a properly adjusted clutch pack the wheel wont have any end play.
Pull the diff from the veh and mount in vice. Pull out old clutch and toss. Soak the new clutches overnight in friction modifier. Re-use old shims and reassemble. Use one of the trucks axle and slid into diff while on the bench.Install c-clip. Can you get the cross pin in? If not, reduce shim. If you can, Measure gap between end of axle and crosspin and add that amount to shim. And if you are looking for a good wrestling match. Add a little more to that. Just remember, If you add to much you will never get the spider gears in or the crosspin in. You might get the spider gears in after a lot of wrestling to find out the crosspin wont go. Good luck.

[Gear Slammer]

I rebuilt mine this past spring. I went with one extra friction disc per side, and one less steel disc. It worked out great. Before I would hit it around corners and the inside rear would start to spin until I was going strait, then both would hook.

Now when you get on it they either both go or nothing. I can definitely feel it backing out of my driveway. Its tight and wants to go strait.

I didn't have any trouble with the s-spring clip. I just beat it in with a big rubber mallet. Adding the extra frictions won't really change that though, just your shims thickness. I had the most fun with getting the spider gears turned back in. They got really tight.

[D3thM3tal]

Oh, boy I'm glad you posted, lol, as my truck sits on the ground, you can grab the bed and shake it side-to-side and it moves a good 1/4-1/2 inch.

Crap, I forgot that I've gota pull the spider gears out So if I remember correctly, the shims sit behind the spider gears, and the clutches have a tab on them that locks them in place, and the shims are splined to the axle without a tab. I put the clutches in, spin the spiders in place, insert axle & c-clip and try and install the center pin. I take it the center pin should barley fin in there when the clutches are properly adjusted? That makes me realize how damn sloppy it was when we did the gear swap! This is going to be fun, being we barley got that pin in with that large 4.56 on it..

[HARD ON RUBBER]

It's not a daily driver. SPOOL ftw

[Gear Slammer]

you got it!! rock and roll

[D3thM3tal]

Hehe.. I drive it to work when it snows, we fill it full of corn to heat the house, we pull out the dock or fishhouse with it. Its a util vechile until I put some Interco rubber under it, then those tires will have to come off to see the highway. A spool would be cool, but selectable locker would rock!

[Turbo302]

The kit comes with shims to properly adjust the clutch pack preload. The limiting factory to how tight you can shim it is limited by the cross pin. The cross pin has to fit between the two ends of the axle shaft. You can check clutch pack wear just by jacking up one rear wheel and pushing in and out on the wheel. On a properly adjusted clutch pack the wheel wont have any end play.
Pull the diff from the veh and mount in vice. Pull out old clutch and toss. Soak the new clutches overnight in friction modifier. Re-use old shims and reassemble. Use one of the trucks axle and slid into diff while on the bench.Install c-clip. Can you get the cross pin in? If not, reduce shim. If you can, Measure gap between end of axle and crosspin and add that amount to shim. And if you are looking for a good wrestling match. Add a little more to that. Just remember, If you add to much you will never get the spider gears in or the crosspin in. You might get the spider gears in after a lot of wrestling to find out the crosspin wont go. Good luck.

110% correct

If you dont mind the rear a little chattery, I'd leave the friction modifier out. All that stuff does, is make the clutches slide across each other easier (slip). I'd rather have a chattery locked diff than a peg legged spinner

Tim

[Chrm97PI]

Yeah, no problem. I'll take some pix, I like to take pix of the projects I do. Should be a fairly straighforward operation. Put truck on jackstands - Pull rear tires and drum covers - Crack open the case - Clean it out - Pull retainer bolt outa the 5/8" center pin, remove pin - push axles in, remove c-clips - yank out t-lok spring and carefully remove clutches & shims (remembering order) reinstall in reverse order. I'm wondering if I should soak the clutches in friction modifier before instaltion, I've heard of people doing that, but I'm unsure on the why..

be sure you soak all the frictions in modifier for 15 mins before you install them in the diff. if you dont you could end up smoking them b/c they wont be lubed when you take it out for your first drive on the setup. this process is a MUST!

[sc0tty8]

I did a rebuild once, 2 beer is doing my next one when I get my clutches.

He doesn't know I am sliding him an f150 s spring though