[Trochoidal]

Originally Posted by cmitchell17

Did you have to do much shimming to get the backlash and stuff right? I want to do more gear changing projects but I have never really tried this process myself, it doesn't seem to difficult the problem seems to be not so quantitative and open to interpretation trying to read the gear contact patch and getting it right. Seems like it could easily turn into a PITA not getting it right and running parts over and over again.

And yes no response from AAM, but I really don't think they make anything for this differential or driveshaft or anything.

No there wasn’t much shimming required and getting the contact patch correct generally only takes me 2 adjustments. Full disclosure, I’m a 40+ machinist by trade. Doing automotive work like setting up a rear is right in my wheelhouse. If this is your first time, some reading and watching videos will get you up to speed quickly. I’ve set up a lot of rears but all of them have been 9” Fords.

Originally Posted by cmitchell17

So I also forgot to add my car was hit on the passenger side rear wheel when I first got it, it ended up breaking the CV shaft and bending a bunch of stuff and maybe some other stuff I can't remember.

I kind of wondered if maybe the high impact could have jarred something. I can't really tell if one of the right or left spider (side) gears are any more losse and jiggeling around than the other. I guess if one side looses preload than both loose preload at the same time?

I wonder if I could try to press the pin out of the carrier and try to take it apart? I guess it can't hurt anything since its got broken teeth and you can't buy parts for it. I am really hoping maybe someone broke their covers or maybe cooler or the whole cast carrier with welded ring gear to it and maybe they can use it or I can sell it, I hate it when I just have wasted things I can't do anything with or can't sell them or even give them away.

I know there was a thread on here a long time ago about the ring gear being welded to the carrier assembly which is the main reason that locks us out of gear changes. It looks like a laser weld and probably something the average shop couldn't replicate.

However, I would think if GKN does really make this there maybe some parts sharing with other platforms that may have some aftermarket.. maybe?

I’d speculate your accident contributed to the failure. I say this because that broken part looks like it was a fractured break and not something you’d see from rotating parts. What I mean is the steel used probably wasn’t some good alloy like a 4140 or 4340. But without actually having handled that part it’s hard to say. Anyway, back to the broken part. If that was hardened to say 35 to 40 HRC I could see it not taking any lateral shock without failure.

As for knocking out the pin and taking it apart, I’d do it just because like you I’d want to see what could be rebuilt.

Laser welded? Maybe it was fuse welded with a tig. Snap a picture and upload it if you get the time.