Dodge dakota 2002 Service Manual page 141

3 - 68 FRONT AXLE - 9 1/4 AA
PINION GEAR/RING GEAR (Continued)
(7) Install pinion into the housing and place front
pinion bearing onto the pinion shaft. Draw the pinion
shaft into the front bearing with Installer 8982 (Fig.
52).
Fig. 52 PINION GEAR INSTALLER
1 - INSTALLER
2 - DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING
(8) Install new pinion seal (Fig. 53) with Installer
8882 and Handle C-4171.
Fig. 53 PINION SEAL INSTALLER
1 - HANDLE
2 - INSTALLER
(9) Apply a light coat of teflon sealant to the pin-
ion flange splines.
(10) Hold pinion and lightly tap the pinion flange
onto the pinion shaft, until a few threads are show-
ing.
(11) Install pinion flange washer and new pinion
nut.
(12) Hold pinion flange with Flange Wrench 8979
and tighten pinion nut until end play is taken up.
(13) Rotate pinion several times to seat bearings.
(14) Measure pinion rotating torque with an inch
pound torque wrench (Fig. 54). Tighten pinion nut in
small increments until pinion rotating torque is:
• New Pinion Bearings: 1.7-2.8 N·m (15-25 in.
lbs.)
• Original Pinion Bearings: 1.1-2.2 N·m (10-20
in. lbs.)
Fig. 54 PINION ROTATING TORQUE
1 - PINION FLANGE
2 - TORQUE WRENCH
(15) Rotate pinion several times then verify pinion
rotating torque again.
(16) Position the ring gear on differential case and
start two new ring gear bolts.
(17) Install the rest of the new ring gear bolts and
tighten them alternately to seat the ring gear.
(18) Torque ring gear bolts to 140 N·m (103 ft.
lbs.).
(19) Install differential in housing.
(20) Measure final rotating torque with an inch
pound torque wrench. The final pinion rotating
torque plus differential case bearing preload is:
• New Bearings: 3.4-5.6 N·m (30-50 in. lbs.)
• Original Bearings: 2.8-5.1 N·m (25-45 in. lbs.)
(21) Install axle shafts.
(22) Verify ring gear backlash and gear contact
pattern.
(23) Install the propeller shaft with the reference
marks aligned.
(24) Install differential cover with gasket and
tighten to 40 N·m (30 ft. lbs.).
(25) Fill differential with fluid and tighten fill plug
to 32 N·m (24 ft. lbs.).
DR