I am going to be forever busy setting up Dana 60's and Dana 44's for racing/off-road abuse and am thinking about purchasing a case spreader. Do you think it is needed when working on these differentials or not?

Do I need a Case Spreader to set up Dana 44 and 60 Diffs? single choice
	No Way!
	Yes!
Votes accepted starting: 12/12/10 10:11 PM
View Results

I have never used 1 and have yet to have a problem

I use mine all the time. Without enough bearing preload, the bearing cup will wear the case, ultimately destroying it. That results from the pinion trying to force the ringgear away from the pinion. There are some diff guys around who can rebore the case to save it.

Check the following link - see section on axle bore face tool... to correct above problem. You won't need the bore tool if you use enough preload on the carrier.

http://quad4x4.com/4x4%20Tools.htm

We never used them at any dealer I worked at and never had any problems.

If you are going to build a bunch of Dana 60s and 44s, you definitely need the spreader. You should also buy the tool used to surface the carrier bores.

if you have a set of calipers and know a machinist there super easy to make

Forever busy doing them? Yeah. I occassionaly do them (like once or twice a year). I use a jack-all with a chain around the diff to pull them out and it works great. You have to carefully hammer them in though and that isn't very scientific.

Sheldon

Hey! If the guy says he is going to set up a lot of dana's good for him, a tool that will make it easier is actually money in his pocket. Why are you peeing in his cereal?

I don't think anyone is telling him not to. I'm at the point where I think it's a good idea to get one and it sounds like he would do more of them than I do. Good tools really help to do a good job.

Sheldon

The easiest way to remove the chunk that I have found is to put a box-end wrench on a ring gear bolt, turn the pinion until the wrench runs into the case, then with a socket on the pinion nut turn it a little more. Warning-if you are doing this on a hoist, make sure you have some means of catching the chunk when it jumps out.....as Fred would say "don't ask me how I know"

I've set up one Dana 44 and 10 to 15 or so Dana 60, never used a case spreader. I talk to one of the local Dodge dealer heavy line mechanic(before I did my first one) and he said you don't need them I pry the carrier out with two long pointed pry bars, remove the original carrier bearings(if that carrier is going back into the same housing)and install a set of honed carrier bearings I used for setting them up, get the back lash correct and reinstall the original bearings(if there good , if I am going to use new bearings I measure the inner race width and add or subtract the shims as needed to get the same preload as when removed)If I'm installing a new spool or carrier, like changing ratio that needs a different carrier, I use the set up bearings to get the backlash AND PRELOAD SET, measure the width diiffernces on the inner races and compensate on the shims on the new bearings. The Mopar service manuals I have(all 6 of them) say to use the spreader and use .012 to .018 (I think ) preload form zero on the carrier bearing preload, that has worked very well for me I have seen one Dana 60 3/4 ton truck center section where the axles tubes run against the carrier bearing destroyed by something or someone not getting the set up correct I had to take that housing to Summer Bros. to have it fixed, they machined it flat and gave us large, harden washer to use a shim bewtween the axle and the carrier bearings It must have worked okay , the customer never compalined or brought it back, it was in a 4 speed race car that ran in the high nines back in the mid 1970s Buy the case spreader and DO NOT over spread the housings I would buy the other tool also

i've done tons of them (only because i'm old) and never needed a spreader, but if i were doing them on a regular basis, i'd get the spreader, and use it sparingly!

Put an old leather glove between the ring gear and pinion gear then turn the pinion nut, the carrier walks itself right out...

You must pry the carrier in and out, regardless. The spreader makes the process easier with less chance of damaging the bearings.

Unless you are using a huge cheater bar, the spreader will not hurt the casting.

To each his own I guess.
Never regreted having one and always use it.
Needing a mallet to "hammer" it together is something I'd like to hear my assembler tell me.
Yep, dealerships and others cheat to save a buck in labor and reduce effort.
Some also reduce the diameter of the bearing case journal so they dont have to use a puller to adjust shims.
Either correct?.... No.
Using pinion to pry out diff does work but chips and stresses those couple of teeth but is effective in a jam.
The right tools will save you time and parts.
How many races you want to score?

I made mine about 20 years ago, and always use it.

The spreader was originally designed for removing the ring gear and carrier from the housing.The rule was never spread the housing more than .010.

There is a wright way and a wrong way
I would get the case spreader.