Well, I don't have your 50 plus years of experience. But I'm thinking I could do ok.
I found an old shop manual on how to rebuild the steering gear box in my 71 f100. After 3 store "rebuilds", the one I did drove like a new truck.
I designed and built bevel gears for a right angle drive tool used by NASA.
I now design and manufacture industrial gear boxes.
From your post on the other thread I can tell you actually know what you are talking about. I wish you were closer and we could hang out while I set up a pumpkin.
I do plan to get the video from bad shoe productions on how to set up an IRS 8.8.
Austin
Now yer getting somewhere! And thanks for the vote of confidence, the experienced can readily weed out a bullshi!!er. Thing about the 8.8 Ford center section is this: differential side bearing set-up location, as well as preload, are done by use of shims between the outer races and the center section casting. Many other systems use adjusting nuts instead of shimming, making the job much easier. The 8.8, if special measuring tools are unavailable, presents a real headache where things must be assembled and disassembled maybe several times to obtain proper tooth contact pattern AND preload simultaneously.
The Ford Shop Manual is very precise in it's recommending and use of proper set-up tools and technique. The 8.8 uses a scheme similar to the old series of Dana Spicer axles, whereby the casting provides the diff. bearing preload by actually being "spread" by the assembled carrier and it's bearings. A screw-thread spreading tool exerts the high force needed to spread the casting. A "mechanic" who worked for me when I owned a service station used a crowbar to rip the carrier out, and BIG hammer to force it back in! The "spread" is actually not a whole lot, perhaps in the neighborhood of 0.020 inch. Still, the casting is pretty rigid, requiring a lot of force to allow the assembly to be slipped in or out of the housing.
I assume you already know about tooth contact patterns, and the fact that hypoid gears are a bit different than common beveled gears, even spiral beveled gears. I would strongly suggest obtaining a Ford Shop Manual; it excels over all other "after-market" type manuals such as Chilton's by a very wide margin. imp
Edit: BTW, my profile is wrong, sorry, I am located in west-central Arizona, across the river from Laughlin, NV. Help any?
