Chrysler 9.25 information

[ChevyKev]

Here are some things I've recently learned while doing a Gear swap:

1. These axles have side adjusters for adjusting the backlash that take a special tool to adjust. It can be made if you know what to use. I borrowed one from Eric. It is a simple design and works effectively.

2. There are some minor differences in carriers between an open and a limited slip carrier. One being the cross pin is 0.010 inch bigger on the limited slip carrier. WHY? Ask the engineers... :whistle: Probably to sell more parts. What does 0.010 mean? You can't use the pin from a limited slip on an open carrier.

3. When installing a Lock right - the thrust washers must be re-used. What if you don't have any? If none are used the pins won't engauge and the locker won't work. If you don't have them, you go down to Young's Gear and get some.

4. When installing a Lock Right theere are spacers that fit over the C-clips. There are also washers that go under the spacers. Why? Because they made different sizes of C-clips. Some are thicker than others. If you have the thinner ones, you use the washers under the spacers. If you have the thicker ones, then you most likely will assemble the lock rigth and not be able to get the cross pin through, so you have to dissassemble it and remove the washer and re-assemble without them. If I can find the C-clip thickness measurements I'll post them later.

[sevenslats]

Thanks for sharing your frustrations. :knockout:

[ChevyKev]

Yeppers. Here's more:

The C-clip thicknesses are:
0.175" for the thinner ones
0.205" for the thicker ones.
(Stats via Terry Bird at Randy's Ring and Pinion - awesome customer service!)

He also sent me a supplemental instruction for the Lock-Right that should have come with Chris' Lock Right but didn't.

The "thinner" C-clips were the "earlier" model C-clips. (what years were early or later was not listed).

HOWEVER: The differential housing on all late model C-clip axles has an "X" stamperd at the 3 O'clock position on the differential cover mounting surface.

A bit of cleaning revealed no "X" - so we "shouldn't" have to dissasemble Chris' locker to remove these clips once the new and correct sized cross pin arrives.

Again, many thanks to Randy's Ring and Pinion. I will absolutely do business with them over other companies, not merely for the fair and competative prices they always seem to give, also for the incredible customer service. (no, I get no cick-backs for theis plug, juyst telling it like it is.)

[ChevyKev]

EDIT: I had posted:


(what years were early or later was not listed).

in regard to the C-clip thicknesses. Upon further review this is what it says,

"In 1984 Dodge changed the design of the 9 1/4 differential to one with thicker C-clips.
The two hardened steel shims will allow it to fit either differential, which were both in use from 1984-1987."

So evidently the only ones with a thicker C-clip would be 84-87 models, but not all 84-87 models. Clear as river silt.

[ChevyKev]

The C-clip thicknesses are:
0.175" for the thinner ones
0.205" for the thicker ones.
(Stats via Terry Bird at Randy's Ring and Pinion - awesome customer service!)


so... Chris's C-clip measures 0.191 :doh: :banghead:

The cross pin fits in the carrier holes, but will not fit through the center of the locker.
( axleshaft- C-clip - washer - spacer *crosspin* spacer - washer - C-clip - axleshaft)

So we will be taking the inner washer between the C-clip and Spacer out.

For an end result check, the Powertrax installation suppplement says:

"As a final check, determine the axle shaft end play. With the pinion shaft in place, pull the axleshaft in and out. It should move only about .020 inches."

[sevenslats]

pics would be helpful for those of us who haven't been inside a differential in a few months.

Post them up, you know, in your "spare time". :poke:

[ChevyKev]

Removed washers, reassembled, installed cross pin, checked end play:

Drivers side .016 Yeah!
Pass side .025 DOH! :doh:

Call to Randy's said that the .005 is most likely a result of wear over the years and should be fine. :yes:

[ChevyKev]

These Dodges keep coming to my house and wanting to stay!

Found another tidbit of information.

There is no carrier break on the 9.25's. However, the gears do get thicker as the ratio gets numerically higher.

This is important because when you install 4.88's the gears are thick enough to interfere with the cross pin removal. Thus the need to take the grinder to at least one tooth of the gear to get the cross pin to be able to remove so you can install the C clips on the axleshafts. Most likely you will have to shave a bit off of 2 teeth, not jutst one. I had to do this on a Ford 8.8 before and it caused no problems, it is just nerve racking to take a grinder to a brand new ring gear! :shifty:

Also - earlier in this thread I stated the diference of the cross pin diameter from the open carrier to the limited slip. There is one other major difference. The cross pin tretainer screw from an open will not fit a limited slip. It is even less than 0.010 difference... but the diameters are different. The screw threads are the same, but the pin that goes through the coross pin and in the hole on the other side of the carrier is different. Evidently Chrysler manufactures the open diffs and Dana Corp manufacture the limited slip carriers... this according to the guru at Young's gear. :shrug:

BTW - 9.25 ring gear bolts are left hand thread. Yes - righty loosy lefty tighty - which just sounds wrong. Found this out after I snapped one of the old ring gear bolts trying to "loosen" it with a lefty loosy mentality and an impact gun. :banghead:

4.88 thick gears on a Dana 44 in these Dodges require drilling out the ring gear mounting holes on the Carrier to 7/16ths. Make sure when ordering this gear set to make sure the install kit includes the larger sized bolts to bolt the ring to the carrier - or a trip to NAPA to get the proper bolts will be required. :doh:

Hypothetically, if you would somehow strip out the threads on a new pinion nut and it would happen to be a different size than the stock one, don't merely take the counter guy's opinion at Young's that they don't have one - ask to speak to one of the mechanics - who may be nice enough to take the pinion you brought with you in the back, find the right nut, and even clean up the threads for you. Hypothetically speaking, of course. :rolleyes:

BTW - Sentry hardware in NP, Napa, Sentry Hardware in town, Napa in town, Youngs parts counter, and Alaska Industrial Supply - all will not have that wierd size and thread of nut you hypothectically stripped out. AIH will most likely close early for inventory. Alaska Industrial Supply will be able to spec out the threads for you and tell you that you might hypothetically need a nut to fit a 22 mil shaft with 1.75 pitched threads - but they won't have it. They do have a nice thread file kit I may pick up... again... hypothetically. :hide:

[78calico]

:troutslap:Dodge

[ZMonster]

now kev, i had an idea, yes it hurt, and yes the room is filled with smoke...

and i will probably get fish-slapped around for this.

BUT, what if you could install the carrier with the ring gear in place, then when crosspin is needed to install you can just slide the ring gear forward out of the way, install crosspin, then slide gear back, then somehow brace the axleshafts, then torque ring bolts in place....

does that sound possible? caveats?

if so, that would save you the grinding... and heartache when the dodge has to come back... hahaha

[ChevyKev]

short answer is:

















N O


You can't slide the gear forward becuse it is seated on the carrier.
You can't move it sideways out of the way because the back is pinched by the pinion.
You can't install the carrier first, and then the pinion, because the pinion installs from the carrier side of the housing.

No fish slap - I understand asking questions from an absolutely knowledgless point of view. :D:D:D:D

JUST JOKING! NOTICE SMILIES.

Actually, I looked for other possibilities such as what you mentioned, there just weren't any.


Oh - I'd hate to dissapoint ya - so here. :troutslap:

[ZMonster]

fish-slapped again!:eek:
oh drat!

[stomp, stomp, stomp]


yeah i knew there were reasons why but i just couldnt think of any after 30+ hours w/out sleep. at the time, it made sense to me, hahaha:rolleyes:

[Jackrabbit]

I thinks he likes the fish slap;)