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PowerTrax No-Slip Locker
Author: Anthony Senevey (asenevey@msn.com)
Things needed for install:
- Power Trax No Slip
- Heavy duty lock tite
- Heavy Grease
- 3 quarts of differential oil
- Brake Fluid (for bleeding brakes)
- Differential Gasket (or sealer)
- Floor jack and jack stands
- 14mm, 17mm, 24mm sockets and 10mm, 14mm wrenches
- Socket wrench, breaker bar, and an impact wrench (a must!)
- Pin Punch tool
- Hammer and 2X4 (a rubber mallet would have been better)
- Spray cleaner (for cleaning the differential)
- Oven (or some method of heat)
- Scoring tool (nail)
- A friend (can’t imagine doing it by myself)
Actuall Install:
- Secured the front of the truck with jack stands (Most use chocks or a lift)
- Loosened lugs, raised rear end, put on stands, and did a 'shake' test.
- Removed both rear wheels.
- Used nail to score the drive shaft and flange for reference points.
- Put in gear, used one 14mm wrench and a 14mm socket and breaker bar to the four bolts holding the drive shaft on. Once it was loose, used a bungee cord to hold drive shaft out of the way.
- Put truck in neutral, make sure e-brake was not on, and remove the pins that held the e-brake cables to the drums (these had little cotter like pins holding them)
- Used 10mm wrench to loosen brake line, removed from drum and plugged (important point here, I used a method that someone suggested and I DO NOT recommend it. If you look at the picture, you will see a rag around my brake lines and a vise grip holding it on. This worked really well to stop the brake fluid, but it did leave marks on my line and probably compromised the strength. I recommend finding something to plug the ends of the lines).
- Used 24mm socket and breaker bar to remove the differential drain plug and let the oil drain into my handy dandy little container.
- Then used the 14mm socket to remove the 4 nuts that hold each axle on. After the nuts were off, we pulled the drum and axles out together, being VERY careful not to damage the axle seals.
- Used the 14mm socket and breaker bar again to remove the 10 14mm nuts that hold the 3rd member on the housing.
- Removed the differential
- Used impact wrench and 17mm socket to remove the 4 bolts that hold the bracket.
****Be sure to note how the parts are oriented to you put them back exactly the same. If you mix up the spacers, it will cause backlash and gear damage*****
- Used 2X4 block and hammer to (gently) loosen housing, then loosen the spacers, and finally loosen the actual differential from the housing.
- Then took it to a workbench (and yes, as you will see, it was just a vanity with a piece of wood on it, but its better than nothing
- Then I disassembled Johnny number 5.
- Wrote down the writings on the differential in relation to the ring gear in order to match it back up.
- Used impact wrench and 17mm socket to remove the bolts that hold the ring gear on (I think there are 10 or 12). These bolts were held in with heavy duty lock tite and it took the impact wrench 30 minutes to get all of them out.
- Then I had to use the 2X4 and hammer again to get the ring gear off, this took about 5 minutes of going round and round until it came off.
- Used a 1/8" pin punch tool to knock out the pin that holds the pinion in place. The in had to be "pushed" from the bolt side (or the big end opposite of the side the ring gear was on). The other end of the hold was notched, but the pin pushed that out when I pushed it out.
- The pin did not have to pushed out all the way, only a couple of inches, then the pinion was removed.
- Once the pinion was out, I just turned the spider gears and they slipped out, along with the washers.
- Cleaned the assembly, then just followed the Power Trax instructions that came with it, wasn’t hard at all and only took a short time to put it in. I did have to "encourage" the new pinion into place.
- After it was in, I had to put the ring gear back in. I took the advise of a fellow TTORA member and preheated the oven to 200 degrees. Then put the ring gear in there for about 10 minutes.
- Used a pot holder to carry it, lined up the ring gear with the writing, and it fell right into place (it was so easy it almost ticked me off after how hard it was to remove it).
- After it was lined up, used impact wrench and 17mm socket to put bolts back on, and I put lock tite on each one, so it would be same as before I removed it.
- After the differential was cleaned (including removing all of the old gasket) and reassembled, it was ready to be installed.
- Placed the new gasket on the bolts on the rear end, then reinstalled the 3rd member, reinstalled the axles (again, being very careful), used marks to reattach the drive shaft, put the brake lines back in and uncrimped, and reattached the e-brake cables.
- Did the Power Trax test (in the manual), put the wheels back on, and put in 3 quarts of 90 weight differential oil.
- Bleed the brakes, took truck off of jack stands, and went for a test drive.
Opinion:
- At first I was really nervous, it made some noise when engaging and disengaging, but it was just the break in period. I have not been wheelin’ with it yet, but I have done a few tests and it works like a dream. I really like that it automatically engages when it needs to.
- It also has some backlash when I shift, which was tough at first. But after driving for a week I have already been able to compensate for it in my driving so that you can’t even tell its there.
- All in all, I think it is a great product and I will try to give updates.
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