[Neurosis]

I obviously dont want to drive 100's of miles in 4 wheel drive while breaking in the new front gears. How do you go about breaking in a front differential gear set?

 

[Jim_Lou]

I've never heard of anyone doing anything but driving differential gears, front or rear. If they're set up properly they should be good to go. If not, how you break them in won't make any difference anyway.

 

[1437]

thins might help.........

if you have a TJ and stock hubs up front then the R&P is going to turn when your driving, cause TJ lock into 4x4 in the t-case...so you should drive 500 miles then do a fluid change......

later
john

 

[Olin18]

Re: thins might help.........

Yup, breaking them in means drive them for a few hundred miles then change the fluid. Did you replace your carrier with a locker... I know that some lockers require specific fluid. Make sure you check before you head out. (that is if you have a locker)

 

[Neurosis]

Re: thins might help.........

There is no locker in the front.

I wasn?t sure if driving without the pressure on the push side of the gear would make a difference since when driving without the transfer case locked in there would be no force on the gear but only drag. I notice that everything ive read about breaking gears in has more to do with heat damage then gear wear so im not sure what the idea behind it is. I?ll ask them when I pick up the Jeep today.

 

[Guest]

Basically your heat treating the wear pattern. You should put about 300 miles on them before you start hammering them. So drive down to Portland, have a Henry's and drive back.

 

[Neurosis]

Haha.. thanks skip. Im going to drive it around a bit tomorrow. I'll be taking the day off sick.. cough cough.. and breaking them in before this weekend so I can really test them out.

BTW, those t-case bolts worked great. I now have some terrible vibration after installing that 8.8" rear. Time for the sye kit i guess.

signed... I. M. Broke

 

[upalittle]

Did you keep track of the total cost of doing the 8.8 swap and gears? I know you ran into issues you didn't anticipate, but what about unexpected expenses? Not prying, just planning.