What it's the pinion bearing pre load?

I attached the spec for the preload. The easiest way to install it is shown in the manual. Once you install it you need to use something to hold the flange in place while you crush the new sleeve. You can use the tool shown which you can get at most parts stores or you can put two bolts in the flange and use a pry bar to hold it in place.

Let us know if you have questions. Thanks

I attached the specs for the rear end. This should be all of them.

As for the preload. No this can be done with the carrier in place. Basically it is done anytime the pinion comes out or if you remove the pinion nut. You can reuse the crush sleeve if you are not taking the pinion out like if you are just replacing the pinion seal. This would just require you to measure the turning torque in inch pounds before you take the nut off. Then you tighten the pinion nut back to this inch pound. If you go to far, you cannot loosen the nut to reach the proper torque because you have crushed the sleeve more and it will loosen up and cause noise and other issues.

Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks

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Can you get a video or some pictures or how you are doing this? Then at least a video of the play that you are seeing? That way we can figure out what may have happened.

Normally if you still have play and everything is installed correctly then you have not crushed the sleeve yet. Are you using a cheater pipe? If not that may be your issue. You need a lot of torque on this to crush the sleeve to leave you with the proper turning torque, which is the part measured in inch pounds.

Here is a video of someone doing this on this rear end:

https://youtu.be/8APYO2sZyJU

Holy cow. So in the video I posted, after he tightened the nut and stopped he showed the play in the flange. That is where you have play? As much as was shown there?

If so, clearly something isn't right and I have not experienced that before. So unfortunately I would think we need to take it back out and start over. If you replaced the pinion bearings, did you replace the races as well?

Okay. If you changed the bearings, then you should have measured backlash and pinion depth. If you did not check this then I am sure the pinion depth is not correct.

Here is a video that goes through the entire process for the 8.8 inch. Clearly pay attention to the shimming of the pinion but if you did not shim it then that is the issue. There is no washer as the slack is taken up by the shims.

https://youtu.be/sf1a8i0mqCw

Let us know what you find with this.