Last week I regeared my rear end Dana 44 with the help of this write-up here on the forum
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...gearing-82262/

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but do the same specs apply for pinion torque and backlash when doing gears on the front Dana 30?

 

Need to save that install thread.

 

You do still need to torque your pinion nut. The torque spec on the D30 pinion nut is 160 ft lbs. minimum and 400 ft lbs maximum.

You will still need to check your pinion preload. The preload on new bearings should be 15-30 inch lbs. This is checked with a beam style toque wrench.

Ring Gear Toque Spec = 80 ft lbs
Differential Bearing Cap Spec = 45 ft lbs
The back lash should be .005" - .008"
The Differential Carrier preload should add between 7-11 inch lbs to the pinion preload when its all set up correctly.

Then run your pattern and make sure its good to go.

Let us know if you need any other advice or torque specs.

 

Torque everything:
Project-JK.com - Jeep JK Wrangler Resource » Jeep JK Wrangler Torque Settings

And then some.

P.S.: You can't just torque down on a JK pinion nut to a fixed torque. The crush sleeve has to be compressed until there is a specific "pre-load" (i.e.: drag) on the pinion bearings.

 

So the manufacture of the gears you install should supply you with specific torque values FT/LB and IN/LB for pinion pre load. So torque pinion to 160 ft/lb ,with tires off push brake pads away from rotors check turning torque on pinion with in/lb torque wrench ,( dial indicator or beam type ) and adjust to spec from there. I've seen many videos on u tube especially for DS installs telling you to just torque pinion to 160 ft/lb and all good . Lol.......

 

160 ft/lb is OK (but not optimal) when replacing the pinion yoke only. NOT when re-gearing.

If you do not remove the pinion from the differential but only the pinion nut, washer and yoke, (such as when changing a drive shaft) the theory is that the crush sleeve will not expand and when you tighten the nut back to 160 ft/lb you will take up all the slack in the pinion bearings and crush sleeve without further crushing the sleeve thereby maintaining the same preload.

Also, rotational torque must be checked with an empty differential. The torque spec is for the pinion preload only and not the entire axle.

"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice they are not."
- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra

These Brits will show you how it's done...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WwCd3HNHYE