How much work to change a carrier vs regear?

[deadbeat son]

My TJ's Dana 30 has 4.56 gears and an Eaton E-locker. I bought a new (relatively) TJ Sport yesterday, and will end up regearing it to 5.13 and would like to go with E-lockers front and rear. As I prep my old TJ for sale, I'm contemplating removing the locker and installing an open carrier so I can reuse the locker in my new build.

Is it close to as much work to set up the existing gears on a new carrier as it is to regear completely? I understand the pinion depth should be set, but can the carrier just be shimmed to the same specs as the locker that I pull, or is there more to it than that? Obviously I'm someone who has never worked on differentials (other than changing the lube), and I don't do the best with fiddly tasks.

Thanks!

 

[Rickyd]

Changing carriers is easy. You measure backlash before taking it apart and replicate it on the new carrier.

That said,you do need a dial indicator and magnetic base,torque wrench,press and maybe bearing puller depending on how its shimmed.also shim kit that may or may not have what you need.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Since the pinion depth is good, it would be quite a bit less. You still have to find the right shim combination to set your backlash and carrier preload, but it's not nearly as much iterative assemble-check-disassemble-adjust.

 

[deadbeat son]

Changing carriers is easy. You measure backlash before taking it apart and replicate it on the new carrier.

That said,you do need a dial indicator and magnetic base,torque wrench,press and maybe bearing puller depending on how its shimmed.also shim kit that may or may not have what you need.

Since the pinion depth is good, it would be quite a bit less. You still have to find the right shim combination to set your backlash and carrier preload, but it's not nearly as much iterative assemble-check-disassemble-adjust.

Thank you both! I think I would take it to the shop that did my previous regear, but evidently they went out of business.

 

[Rickyd]

Weigh increased resale of your jeep w/locker vs hassle and cost of the swap. How much will you actually come out ahead?

 

[deadbeat son]

Weigh increased resale of your jeep w/locker vs hassle and cost of the swap. How much will you actually come out ahead?

That’s exactly the math I’m contemplating. I think it would depend on the labor cost to swap carriers. I’m not sure how much value the locker would add to resale, $250? $500?

 

[Rickyd]

That’s exactly the math I’m contemplating. I think it would depend on the labor cost to swap carriers. I’m not sure how much value the locker would add to resale, $250? $500?

Labor,gear oil,carrier and bearings,misc shop costs. Subtract that from a new elocker.

Then how much you can upsale your tj w/locker? Luck plays a role there?

 

[deadbeat son]

Did I really post this in the How-To section? Oops, I meant to put in the general forum. I'm definitely not holding a clinic on how to change your carrier here...