What they are refering to is a magnetic protractor (pro-mag). A torpedo level won`t work unless it has an adjustable bubble with degree marks but it won`t have the accuracy you really need for checking the two other angles. Rolling the yoke should work to see if it is bent. Have you tried exchanging the two yokes for one another? I feel for ya.

 

I did swap out the yokes with the sam problem. Also on the frame, I started this project with the guidance of the tech article section of this site and everything basicly worked like it said. The Springs bolted up to the same spring holes as my old rear end. The only differance was the rear end support arm brackets (don't know the technical name) were differant, however the 2wd frame has the holes for the 4wd brackets so they just bolted right up. Where could I get one of these protractors to check the pinion angle? I am almost ready to say that if anyone in central Mo. wants a cheap truck to come and get it.

 

Don't give up hope yet... When you changed the u-joints, did you use new ones or re-use old ones? Also, did you have a driveline shop check the driveshaft balance? Another thing, if you happened to take the driveshaft apart at the slip-yoke, did you get it back together with all the u-joint crosses lined up with eachother? This has to be something simple...

 

I replaced with new, or with used stuff out of my old truck that did not have the vibration the following:
axles, wheel bearings, differential, ring and pinion gear, pinion bearing and race, u-joints (three times) driveshaft (three times), transmission, transfer case, clutch, pinion yoke, and pilot bearing, (there may be something I have forgotten) If I put the rear on jackstands and remove the differerntial so that it just runs with the pinion gear spinning, it still has the wobble. I would like to take the driveshaft off and spin the rear end to see if the yoke is wobbling, but I can't spin it fast enough to tell. I don't know jack about pinion angles, but the suspension is all stock. I think it has to either be in the rear end or something to do with the pinion angle. I would go to a junkyard and just replace the whole rearend, but I would like to find out if I need ot first. When I put the new pinion bearing race in, it seamed to fit tight but is it possible for the housing to oval out for some reason?

 

The pinion gear bearing race would be destroyed if it was out of round and it would hold fluid for very long either. You need a dial indicator to check for run out on the pinion gear.

How are you torqueing the pinion gear down when you replace the yoke and when you replaced the gears?

 

I am just tightening the nut until it feals good and tight. I know this is not the right way to do it but I dont have a torque wrench. Today I went out and tried to find the proble by isolating things. Her is what I did and the conclusion, maybe I am doing something wrong and this will help.

1. put the rear axle on jackstands and took a good look at whats going on. The rear end of the drive shaft moves up and down about 3/8", If I look at the pinion yoke it also moves up and down, but not as much, maybe 1/8". I could tell that the pinion shaft had this same movement in it because the pinion seal rubber was moving with it.

2. Removed the driveshaft at the pinion yoke and put a srew jack under the yoke and jacked it up until it just touched, when I rotated my tires I could see that the yoke did not touch the jack in the same place on oposite sides like it was bent.

3. Replaced the yoke and ran the truck again with no change.

4. Took the rear end cover off and removed the axles, ran the truck again with no change.

5. Removed the differntial carrier and ran it with no change.

6. swapped out the pinion gear and ran it with just the pinion gear with no change.

Here are my conclusions, please correct me if I am wrong on something.

1. It can't be driveshaft because it does the same thing with 3 differant drive shafts one of which was on the truck with the old rear end and it didn't have the wobble and I wouldn't see the actual pinion wobble if it was.

2. It can't be my yoke because it does it with two differant ones. One of which was also on when 2wd.

3. It can't be the differential carrier or axles because it does it with them out.

4. It can't be the pinion gear because it does it with two differant ones. one of which was also in before.

5. I dont think it's the pinion angle because the suspension is all stock. I dont know anything about pinion angles but I don't think I would actually see the yoke wobble. (but I don't know)

The only conclusion I can come up with is that I have done something wrong, am overlooking something, or have a gremlin in the rear end. Any ideas?

 

If I recall you didn't have this until you swapped axles. My guess and this is based on your method torquing the pinion is that the pinion was bad to begin with and the method in which your have put the pinion together may have left room for and error.

How do the pinion bearings and races look from the rear axle that you are having problems with? If there is any question on how they look shot me a couple of pics and I will look them over.

I haven't built an 8.8 axle yet but I have done a few 9 inch rear third members and the pinion nut is torqued to around 175ftlbs or on new bearings you should have about 15inlbs of drag on the bearings. Used ones should be around 10inlbs of drag.

 

I thought that could be the problem before so I took the races out of my other rear end and tried it, it didn't work. The big bearing on my old pinion gear looked OK and I replaced the small front one. So both pinions were doing it with differant big bearings.

 

I feel for you. There is nothing worse than problems like this. Keep us posted as to what you find out. If i can think of anything else i will post again.

 

Well, wtih my luck i fiquered it would eventually come to this. Out of options and ideas I dropped the entire rear end today. I am going to take it to the salvage yard where I got it and see if he will swap it for another since I was told the drive train was good. I will also throw in my 2wd t-18 to sweaten the pot. If it still does it after that, there will be a big fire at my house and a whole lot of swearing. Thanks for everyones help.