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Getting ready to do ball joints, seals, the whole 9 yards. I'm going to also replace the inner axle seals. How hard is it to remove the ring gear, Torque specs for ring gear bearing cap bolts please. Any concerns/issues to look for when I reinstall it?
Ring gear cap bolts torque 135 ft-lb (although you should not need to mess with ring gear removal for a seal replacement job). Bearing cap bolt torque 80 ft-lb. If all of the differential bearing shims get reinstalled in their original positions and original bearings are re-used, gear contact may not need to be adjusted. Adjustment is not for the faint of heart.
Removal of axles and ball joints is a manly job for sure. Removal/re- installation goes much easier if you have the special tools (or equivalents) for ball joints and for the axle seals. There are some excellent how-to threads here on this topic.
Sorry 4WD.
I've never shimmed off of the ring gear before. We always shimmed the pinion gear and set up everything that way. But then again these were Mack truck rear ends. Are these shims half moon, full size?