What's new

Skittles aka: Timber Tiger

I like 3/4 full. Anything under 1/2 sloshes around quite a bit at any speed.

So it makes to much noise at 1/2 full? Or some other issue? I've only had water in tractor tires. (Can't hear it) I had to buy some fancy gadget to put water in my tractor tires.
 
So it makes to much noise at 1/2 full? Or some other issue? I've only had water in tractor tires. (Can't hear it) I had to buy some fancy gadget to put water in my tractor tires.
No, it’s not a audio issue, it’s a vibration issue.

Think of it this way.., as the tire spins the water moves but much slower inside the rim. With a water level below the rim centerline it will roll up with the tire and crash back onto itself... causing a way fuckoff balance issue at speed. Now over half tire/hub then it doesn’t have near the room to “slosh around”. This keeps the balance issue to a minimum.

But also remember, my rig is a dedicated OG rock crawler, like cone dodger shit. I don’t care how bad it drives at speed, I just want the best performance crawlin’.
 
So get your tires off the ground, remove the valve stem, and fill. don’t forget to pop the hose off every now and again to release the air as you fill.

Just buy the farm store tractor tire fill valve. Has a button to release the air as you fill. $15. You can't be that cheap if that's a JT chassis.
 
Someone want to say “I told ya so”?

C3A89BB3-87DC-42C0-A95B-6E5712A6D4E2.jpeg
 
What broke?

Do they make a larger spline pinion for the 9.5?

Lower pinion bearing came apart because I didn’t disassemble and clean the third when I broke my axle shaft.


Pinion shaft is two kunt hairs smaller than a D60, no need for me to worry about breaking one of those.
 
Last edited:
How many hours on it since the axle break? Driving high speed or crawling?
Guessing, it would be about five hours. I made it one full trip and the next is when it cut loose. Takes about five minutes of high speed driving (20-40 mph) to get to the area then it’s all crawling.
 
So working on getting my gears set up and I figured I better share.

I made a attachment that helped pull off the carrier bearings and got my new bearings and ring gear on.

0F87327C-BFC3-4A39-AB0A-BE5B93F6AD0E.jpeg


18F4C416-BE26-468F-BB50-A69CAD47DE01.jpeg
 
Getting the pinion pre-load taken care of. This part always seems to take forever. These 9.5’s have two locations to stack shims, on the bottom of the solid pinion spacer and on top of it. You always have a shit ton of shims, but they always seem to be only like three different sizes.

203B4C2C-74C0-4C7B-9BF6-DB6D569DDF82.jpeg
 
This is how I press the bearings onto the pinion. The stand for the pinion allows the case to float, then the capped tube slides over the pinion and presses the bearing into place

DCC9E706-0867-453A-A3C3-9FAB912DB725.jpeg


F27065BB-DE34-48E1-B386-FB74A4E42E43.jpeg
 
I also built a holding jig. The wings bolt on to the third and allow me to flip/move/ the third any way I need to while setting up gears. I have built the same set up for 8” thirds also.

EDA6A108-1786-4AB3-B81E-B49C3A56AF48.jpeg


AD9910FC-E689-40F8-B184-36F60DAC0CB1.jpeg
 
I'm curious....how much does a 9.5" 3rd member weigh compared to a 9"? Also is the pinion higher on a 9.5"? Kind of looks like it might be.
 
I'm curious....how much does a 9.5" 3rd member weigh compared to a 9"? Also is the pinion higher on a 9.5"? Kind of looks like it might be.

It is definitely more centered than a 9”. It’s not a rock shovel and has good clearance when rotated up.

As for weight, who knows? I’ve never been a bathroom scale on parts guy.
 
So in my opinion getting the carrier bearing preload is super critical with these Toyota drop in thirds. I shoot for a minimum of 100 ftlbs. That means anti seize on the pre load nuts and making damn sure the threads are spot on aligned.

3CB5D2CA-47F4-4790-8E0A-1DA7221647E5.jpeg


C8C38F32-1C74-4561-A69B-54E2F9435BCC.jpeg
 
ZUK built a hi pinion 3rd for me in February 2007. He torqued the adjusters to 150 ft lbs. I beat the fuck out of it for years. It’s still kicking on the big island last I heard. What box of gears did you go with?
 
ZUK built a hi pinion 3rd for me in February 2007. He torqued the adjusters to 150 ft lbs. I beat the fuck out of it for years. It’s still kicking on the big island last I heard. What box of gears did you go with?
Funny you mention his name... everything I have learned about setting up gears has came from him and studying his build threads. Great guy.

I usually can’t get them tighter than 120 ftlbs, I start losing the ability to hold the third in place.


I got my set this time from Randy’s and they sent me Motive Gear...

I have been using Just Differentials for gears in the past but I decided to switch it up for no real reason.
 
Last edited:
Funny you mention his name... everything I have learned about setting up gears has came from him and studying his build threads. Great guy.

I usually can’t get them tighter than 120 ftlbs, I start losing the ability to hold the third in place.

I actually talked to him on the phone last year when I put a locker in the front of my brothers 99 4Runner. Told him who I was and he remembered right away. It could have been the nice Kona coffee I had sent in appreciation. Super nice guy. I was thinking about sending him a set of 3rds to regear. He’s a lot closer now that I left Hawaii. Shipping that 3rd was fucking expensive.
 
So, two ways to set the pinion depth on these 9.5’s. One is to space the bearing on the pinion, like every 8” third. The other is under the main pinion bearing race like on a D60. I used to struggle with this till I made a race driver out of a old race and flat plate. Much quicker than dealing with the pinion bearing press on/off.

62087B00-77D0-4C2D-84F5-9FF0F1A37FD3.jpeg


185E6161-C616-4D28-AFEB-81D833D1876B.jpeg


FE1D340F-70C4-4297-A092-C8EC889B0E8C.jpeg
 
Got the load bolt set at .003.

I never fooled with load bolts. I think I understand the principle. When you say .003", that means the ring gear would have to deflect/warp that much before hitting the bolt, correct? I assume the bolt is very smooth where it hits? Is the ring gear dead true where it hits?
 
I never fooled with load bolts. I think I understand the principle. When you say .003", that means the ring gear would have to deflect/warp that much before hitting the bolt, correct? I assume the bolt is very smooth where it hits? Is the ring gear dead true where it hits?
You are correct on all accounts.

Here is a pic of the old ring gear that came out when the pinion bearing shit the bed. You can see the contact point all the way around the gear.


5CD1E602-F763-489F-BEFC-BBBD21036C77.jpeg
 
I have been battling a leaky Atlas for some time. This time I decided to try Right Stuff. If this doesn’t work I’ll be half tempted to weld the fucker closed😜

18726A1F-C009-440A-8594-B9123B6FDF3E.jpeg


B532F02F-E4DE-439C-856D-506529827487.jpeg
 
Top Back Refresh