by CumminsPower59 » Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:57 am
Once you get the diff dialed in, then do the wheel bearings. In the past, I've just used regular petroleum based wheel bearing grease, and it's dissolved with the gear oil over a short time. Prior experience with larger axles (military applications), I put just a thin skim coat on the bearings so there would be a little lubrication on them (but not in between the rollers), set the preload, and buttoned it all up. Then I would verify that the differential was full of gear oil, jack up one side a good 4-6" up and let it sit. The gear oil would run into the low side and fill the cavity with oil. Depending on the temperature of the oil, I'd let it sit for 20-30 minutes, level it back out, top off the diff, and lift the other side and let it sit of some time too, level it back out, check level again, top off and take it for a short test run with as little braking as possible to keep the heat out of the hubs as I'd check the hub temperature with a infrared thermometer. If all was cool and happy, I'd kick it out the door. One thing I did was when I was replacing the gear oil was heat it up to a good 120+ degrees so it would flow easily.
No need to stand the axle on its end, sounds like a lot of work
Ike
91 W350 SRW, 3.07's, NV4500, 370's, THD LPPP, Super HX40, 2nd gen IC swap, BHAF, Isspro's, 2" lift, 285's on 3rd gen 17"'s.
04 VW Jetta Wagon TDI 5speed