srvblues00
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- November 22, 2001
- Messages
- 186
- Reaction score
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- City, State
- Denver, NC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 94 Sport / 88 Turbo Stang
This past weekend I was doing my 2nd gear swap on the Mustang. The only problem I ran into was getting the crush sleeve torqued correctly. I have read on a few gear swap sites that it will take around 140 ft/lbs to crush the sleeve, and then it takes a very minimal amount past that to get the correct preload on the bearings. So, I set the torque wrench on 130 ft/lbs, and then took it easy from there. Even at 130, it was way too tight. I was curious, and kept tightening it. I know it got it over 200 ft/lbs at one point before I took it all apart. I then looked at the crush sleeve and measured it with the calipers against a new, unused crush sleeve. The used sleeve was only 0.005mm thinner than the new one.
So then I put in another new crush sleeve, and this time I didn't use the torque wrench, and I went up on the torque very slowly. I stopped to feel the bearing preload about every half turn. There came a point where there was no play in the bearings (at least not that I could feel) and it had correct preload. However, at that point, the pinion nut was no where near as tight as I think it should be. It's loose enough that I could get it off with a 1/2" ratchet without too much trouble.
From the articles that I've read, up until the crush sleeve crushes, there should be play in the bearings. When the sleeve crushes, the play goes away and this is the point in which you have to be careful not to over tighten the pinion nut. My experience was that once the pinion nut came in contact with the front bearing, there was no play.. There was very little torque on the nut then, it just was all the way down the threads on the pinion.
So, my questions are... how much does the crush sleeve crush when torqued properly? What is the thickness of a properly used crush sleeve? Does it really take 140 ft/lbs to crush it? Does anyone have a part by part diagram of the order of all the stuff that goes on the pinion when installed correctly? I am pretty sure I have everything in there in the correct order, but it is acting as if the crush sleeve is not thick enough. I just want to double check it all.. Any insight will be appreciated.
So then I put in another new crush sleeve, and this time I didn't use the torque wrench, and I went up on the torque very slowly. I stopped to feel the bearing preload about every half turn. There came a point where there was no play in the bearings (at least not that I could feel) and it had correct preload. However, at that point, the pinion nut was no where near as tight as I think it should be. It's loose enough that I could get it off with a 1/2" ratchet without too much trouble.
From the articles that I've read, up until the crush sleeve crushes, there should be play in the bearings. When the sleeve crushes, the play goes away and this is the point in which you have to be careful not to over tighten the pinion nut. My experience was that once the pinion nut came in contact with the front bearing, there was no play.. There was very little torque on the nut then, it just was all the way down the threads on the pinion.
So, my questions are... how much does the crush sleeve crush when torqued properly? What is the thickness of a properly used crush sleeve? Does it really take 140 ft/lbs to crush it? Does anyone have a part by part diagram of the order of all the stuff that goes on the pinion when installed correctly? I am pretty sure I have everything in there in the correct order, but it is acting as if the crush sleeve is not thick enough. I just want to double check it all.. Any insight will be appreciated.
