Well my truck was slightly leaking oil out of the rear pinion seal a couple weeks back. I replaced the seal. Having read that the pinion nut has a torque spec of 120 ft. lbs. When I removed the nut I thought "man that was loose, no wonder it was leaking". Then tightened it to what I thought was the correct amount.


Well 2 weeks later the rear pinion bearing is squealing. I now realize that torque spec is only if you install a new crush sleeve.

I suppose I've altered the engagement of the pinion gear on the ring gear. Obviously that's not a good thing.

Anyone been through this? I figure I'll pull the cover off and inspect the ring/pinion. Hopefully its just a matter of a new pinion bearing/seal/crush sleeve.

 

If it is like the rear I worked on it took about 400 ft lbs to start crushing the sleeve. If you crush it properly, it takes something like 25 in lbs to turn the pinion gear without the ring gear installed. (as I remember, its' been a while) If you crush the sleeve too much, it won't provide the proper preload on the pinion bearings and the pinion could move around. Setting up a rear is not a job for amateurs. I did it a couple times and go away with it but I didn't really know enough to do it properly. I was just lucky.

You may have to get another crush sleeve and precisely crush it. And hope your gears aren't ruined.

 

Yah tear down the rear end and replace the crush sleeve, and I'd do that quickly before you wear new patterns on the gears, or burn up the pinion bearing

 

Better check both the pinion bearings while you're in there. Too much torq=too much pre load. That is probably where the noise, or at least some of it, is coming from.