Spider Gear Backlash tolerance
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Trailering
Joined: Feb 2024
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Spider Gear Backlash tolerance
Anyone know what the spider gear backlash tolerance should be for an 02 2wd ford ranger with 7.5 inch rear end. I got about 9 thou, not sure if that is good or bad. I am working on trying to solve what seems to me like to much play in the rear axle, and it was causing a clunking noise when shifting into reverse (at least I am hoping its the rear end and not the tranny but I've got the rear diff torn apart now so might as well go through everything). I am going to check the ring and pinion too but I can find those specs on the internet, can't find anything for the spiders. Or if someone could direct me to a repair manual with these specs that would be great. I've got the haynes which is pretty worthless for working on the rear differential.
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Trailering
Joined: Feb 2024
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So I watched a YouTube video online of a guy working on the rear end of a ranger (pretty sure it was the same 7.5) and he noted that the play in the spiders was excessive, and the ring and pinion was about right. And it looks to me to be about the exact same problem as what I have got. So, I am pretty sure it's the spiders giving me an issue. I installed new spiders, and I have the same amount of backlash, so I believe they need to be shimmed tighter, but I don't know what to go by. Any ideas?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 1,367
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From: WA
The axle shaft splines can be loose in the gears also.
If you consider that the carrier expands as it gets hot, therefore loosening spider gear lash, you'd probably be fine just shimming until there was no play when cold. My question would be - what will you be using to shim them tighter? They take a lot of force, the washers behind them are called thrust washers. It's what is used to compress the clutch discs in the LSD's. I don't see signs that shimming the gears is a standard operation. No shims shown in the exploded drawings. I don't see shims for sale.
It might be that what you actually need is a new carrier/case. What the gears thrust against. The diff makers seem to sell the carrier/case and gears as a unit. It might be that they're not "tuneable".
I'm just spitballing, I haven't been inside a diff in a while. Maybe somebody will come along and blow me up. Good luck with it.
If you consider that the carrier expands as it gets hot, therefore loosening spider gear lash, you'd probably be fine just shimming until there was no play when cold. My question would be - what will you be using to shim them tighter? They take a lot of force, the washers behind them are called thrust washers. It's what is used to compress the clutch discs in the LSD's. I don't see signs that shimming the gears is a standard operation. No shims shown in the exploded drawings. I don't see shims for sale.
It might be that what you actually need is a new carrier/case. What the gears thrust against. The diff makers seem to sell the carrier/case and gears as a unit. It might be that they're not "tuneable".
I'm just spitballing, I haven't been inside a diff in a while. Maybe somebody will come along and blow me up. Good luck with it.
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Trailering
Joined: Feb 2024
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What your saying sounds about right to me. What do you think of going the route of trying to shim them instead to save a little money. I would think I could find some thrust washers on the internet somewhere. I think the truck was kind of lurching before hand too along with the clunking when shifting into reverse. My goal is to simply make it drivable even if its not done quite the right way. I've heard of troubles trying to shim worn out gears, but I've got new spider gears for it so I guess my question is whether or not I would get myself in trouble trying to shim a worn out diff carrier.
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