tips for tightening pinion nut 742

I need to put the pinion nut back on with some loctite and 250 lbs. It's in the car.

Problems right now-- it will be tricky to get my torque wrench in there for 250 ft lbs (the mufflers and ground are in the way), and the wheels turn even with parking brake. I can get a long breaker in there OK.

So I've read some people just hit it with an impact gun (not knowing actual torque), others use something to hold the yoke.

I was thinking of setting the back tires on ramps, with front tires chocked, to keep them from moving but still have the car up in the air.

Just hoping for tips so I can get under there and do it once before having to clean loctite off because something not allowing me to get it on tight the first time. Thanks for ideas.

I saw somebody on FBBO that welded up a tool to do this. Basically, it's a metal plate, maybe 5"x6"or so with holes drilled into it that line up with the pinion yoke. It also had a large hole cut in the center to allow access to the pinion bolt.

That plate is welded to a 3ft. bar. You use the rear u-joint bolts (or u-bolts) to bolt to the plate, lift the car slightly so you can get under it, torque (or impact) the pinion bolt & the long bar hits the ground so the rear yoke can't turn.

I've never seen one for sale, just this home-built one.

Do not put the car on ramps & tighten the nut, sounds VERY dangerous, I use an impact when in your situation.

I get the whole car up on stands.
Put a large pipe on the handle of a big pipe wrench placed on the yolk.
Spin it against the floor.
Now you can tighten the yolk nut.
Nice tool above, same concept applied.

Jam a pipe wrench against the ground and torque wrench to specs.

Doesn't the pipe wrench [censored] up the yoke?

Nope. The pipe wrench clamps over the square ear of the yoke from the side so you have square bite to square ear. You could use an adjustable wrench if you had one big enough.

I make a universal tool for Mopar yokes that fits on a 3/4 drive breaker bar.

http://arengineering.com/products/rear-end-yoke-holder/

I have used this technique also. Little to no damage and any small marks from the pipe wrench are cosmetic.

I made a set for large and small yoke, they work great.

A lot of us don't have the stuff to make a very nice tool like that.

Thanks guys. My dad lent me a nice long pipe wrench that I think will reach the floor and do the trick.

Those tools look great.

Set the parking brake, and block the tires.

I made a tool just like the one in crackedback's picture. Since you're just right down the road from me, you're welcome to use it.

What u-joints do you have?

Hi Mopowers, thanks for the offer! It's got the small u joints, but the job is done.

I tried having my dad step on the brake and set the e-brake, but there was enough flexion in there that we actually had to hold the yoke still. So we ended up putting a pipe wrench on it with the end of the pipe wrench in a jack stand base. The 2 of us pushing and pulling were able to get a click at 250 lbs.

Lucky enough to have the real thing.

Cool! Is the other end for axle end play?

Yep !

I don't know. One of my friends was setting up a Ford 9" and it would have been a real show without a tool like that. We took a piece of 1/4" scrap plate, cut the hole with a holesaw, drilled the yoke pattern and welded a piece of square tube for a handle. Took us about 25 minutes start to finish with stuff that I would guess 75% of the members have in their shop/garage.

I use the Ratech holder/puller tool. with a breaker bar to hold the yoke.
$30
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rat-18002

For the torque wrench, I use the CDI 2503MFRPH 30-250 ft lbs.

I also have the dial type inch/lb wrench for measuring pre-load when rebuilding the diff.

Interesting, can't visualize how that would work?

Bolts to several different yolks, and has square holes for socket wrench handles.