The Dana-Spicer model 35 equipped on the 1991-1994 explorers
does not have any carrier breaks. I have compared the 3.27 carrier with my new 3.73 carrer, they are identical. The gears are infact
'thick'.
Pretty cool huh? Ill get a picture of the two carriers side by side once i get everything buttoned up.
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If you are ever tearing down a Dana 35, and need some advise, i'd like to share some knowledge.
1) Of course, the carrier does not have a carrier break. You can use any ratio you want on the stock carrier.
2) This model 35 uses a
roll pin instead of a bolt to retain the cross shaft, which is a major pain in the ass. Although you dont to remove the cross shaft to remove the c-clip (unlike with the 8.8)
3) The roll pin should hammer right out with a ball pein hammer and a sturdy punch. If your roll pin does not move, to the point where you are getting your punch stuck in the pin, stop indefinatly. I kept trying to drive the roll pin, and drove it right into the cross shaft. My stock carrier is ruined! haha, so learn from me. What happends is that cross shaft
twists after so many hundred-thousand miles, twisting the roll pin right along inside of it. Use a die-grinder to make a notch in the cross shaft, so you can try and 'hammer it back in place,' to untwist the cross shaft, and ultimatly the roll pin. I tried this method but i ended up contacting
Randy's Ring and Pinion, they will sell you another carrier for less then $50 bucks. Remember to get a new cross shaft and roll pin with it
4) This model 35 is an outside shim design, identical to the 8.8
5) The pinion shims on this differential are actually behind the 'Head-pinion bearing' race, the race for very front pinion bearing (the large one!) You will probably destroy your stock shims trying to remove the race =) Becareful while removing that race!! its too easy to nick this aluminum housing and put nice gouges in it. Use a die grinder to grind down the outside diameter of that race to make changing your pinion depth easier.
6) That front spacer/shim/huge dish behind the pinion head is actually an oil slinger. You will have to add this in as part of your pinion depth. If its on backwards it will contact the ring gear, putting nice gouges in the slingar (with a swishy-swashy griding noise!). LOVE IT!
7) Somewhere in the middle of swapping to gears you will notice that your magentic base on your dial indicator doesnt stick to the freakin third member!!! Why? Because its aluminum! And exactly how much of this third member is aluminum? ALL OF IT! haha! You cant get an accurate Backlash without your dial indicator being STRAPPED to the housing. What i did was use a 'Hand-vice' or a clamp, and clamped that sucker down on the lip of the housing. From there i was able to stick the magnetic base on the clamp, because it's STEEL! haha, works like a charm. After a while i realized that a peice from the M5OD transmission mount i had kicking around in my parts bucket was a perfect fit to screw onto the third member via cover bolts/holes. works even better!
8) This goes for everything... USE AIR TOOLS, it will make the job 10x QUICKER/EASIER!
9) If you find yourself struggling to put your new ring gear on your carrier, try this little trick to make things... complelety lazy/painless. Put your ring gear on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven at 300* degrees for 2-4 hours. Also put your carrier in a freezer for this time. Once time is up, your ring gear with FALL on the carrier with no effort. This will help prevent the gear from warping due to you banging on it with a BFH
Some say banging the ring gear wont hurt a thing, but i say thats why your backlash changes in from tooth to tooth. Keep this in mind if you are trying to remove a siezed ring gear from a carrier. Use the 300* degree baking method to remove a ring gear (also.) You will have to do a little bit of hammering, but its more like a heavy tapping, heheh. After you have removed your carrier/RingGear from the oven, put two ring gear bolts in, directly across from eachother, and bang on those. The gear should pop off pretty easily, but with some moderate effort.
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