Eaton/Detriot TrueTrac install problems

Mark and I are I nstalling TrueTrac diff in Dana 35 rear end using OEM axles and the supplied axle spacer and have way too much travel in the axle shafts. The C-Clips have no signs of wear. Max side to side travel tolerance is .04in and we have .062 in. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you fix it?

I assume you're talking axle end play? Pulling and pushing the axle away from and toward the carrier cross pin? If so, just curious what your end play measurement was prior to installing the new carrier? If it was about the same, I would ASSUME you are probably safe. I just did a quick Google Search and found a Jeep Forum post on a 93 YJ with a Dana 35 and they had almost a 1/4" (.250) and several guys on the forum said it was normal. I myself do not know on that differential.

If you didn't measure before hand and it's not too much work, I would put the old carrier in just to see where you are at. Did you change the axle bearings or races during this repair? Would that have an effect on it?

I know it's not encouraged to quote other forums, but I think this may be what you have going on:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1045262

Possibility of the wrong diameter cross pin?

WJCO said:

I know it's not encouraged to quote other forums, but I think this may be what you have going on:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1045262

Possibility of the wrong diameter cross pin?

Click to expand...

What you should do is copy and past what you want to share from that forum onto here.

Cool. Will do that in the future. Thanks.

This exactly the problem! Mark is going to machine shop and have the correct size made tomorrow.

Post:

Dana 35C and the Detroit TrueTrac
I was in the process of replacing my worn out Trac-loc with a Detroit Truetrac and found an anomaly I thought you all should be aware of. Since the Dana 35C is a C clip style axle the axle end play is controlled by the cross pin. The Detriot TT uses a button to do the same thing since it uses a helical gear driven diff. Once I got the backlash set I slid in the new axles and found .062" between the button and axles. After a phone call to Eaton I found that Dana made these diffs/axles with two different cross pins, one that measures .687" and one that measures .718". I ran out to the garage, measured the cross pin out of the old axle and sure enough, it was .718". I asked Eaton if they could just send me the correct button and the response was "No, we don't make one." Stellar customer service if I do say so myself.

Anyway, I just brought the supplied button in to a local machine shop and had them make me one at .718" out of some 4140 stock and all is good, but that was an unexpected expense and it was not cheap.

Glad you can wait until tomorrow. I was going to suggest tack welding the very ends of the axles in a few spots and then grind them down until you got the proper clearance!!! I know that's the redneck way to handle it, but if you guys can wait until tomorrow, having a machine shop get you a different pin is the right way to fix it.

New spacer fixed the problem. We still have .035 movement in the the axles. But eaton says less than .04 is acceptable. Put the disk brake assembly on and she's ready to be installed.

Awesome. How much did the machine shop charge. Just curious, as well as if other people search this forum.

Didn't ask how much it cost. I will get the bill in couple of days and post it.