ok so i have an 84 TA L69. i know it has 3.73 no posi. now the only carrier i could find to fit my 26 spline axels is an auburn rear.
one is there Auburn Gear Differentials or there Auburn Gear Pro Series Differentials. anyone have any first hand exp. on these??
also...i've never messed with ANY rear end so i don't know what to do, will i need a special tools? i'm sure i'll need a new gasket kit and all. will i need new gears??? i want to stay 3.73 and mine only have 69k on em. i have no idea what i'm doing so please be kind

 

you'll need a depth mic or pinion setting tool, pinion yoke "special tool" in/lb dial type torque wrench and a ft/lb torque wrench, bearing seperator, press or a shop to do it ,0-1 mic, mag base and indicator, plus common hand tools

 

If you re-use the same gears, you won't have to disturb the pinion at all.

You'll need a pair of new carrier bearings. Most likely you'll be able to re-use the existing carrier shims, but it would be wise to have some on hand, jsut in case the factory ones break, as they have been known to do.

Put the car up on stands, under the "frame", at the front of the rear control arms, and let the rear end hang down. Take off the wheels and teh brake drums. Remove the Panhard bar from the left end of the rear end. Take off the cover, be ready with a big pan or something to catch all the fluid. Note the carrier "backlash, which is how far you can rotate the carrier one way and then the other without moving the pinion; essentially, the clearance between the 2 gears. Rotate the carrier until you see the 5/16" screw; take it out with a 6-point 5/16" box-end wrench - not a 12-point, not any other tool; tap it gently with a hammer to breal it loose if necessary; DON'T BREAK THE SCREW, it's a real hassle if you do. Pull the screw out, rotate the carrier so that you can remove the cross shaft. Push the axles in one at a time and catch their C-clips when they fall out. Pull the axles out of the housing and inspect their bearing surfaces; if there is any roughness or visible damage to that place on the axle, REPLACE THEM. Remove the 4 carrier cap bolts, remove the caps paying careful attention (mark them?) as to which is which, and which way they go. Pry the carrier out. The shims will fall out too, again, pay careful attention to which ones went on which side. Unbolt the gear from the carrier: note that the ring gear bolts are left-hand thread.

It would be a good idea to replace the axle bearings and seals at his point, even if they look OK; They're real cheap. Using a 6' long piece of ¾" water pipe, knock each of the old bearings and seals out from the opposite side. Install the new bearings carefully with a hammer and punch, and install the seals with a flat block of wood and one big whap with your BFH; DO NOT attempt to tap the seals in around their edge, they will leak every time. Put the new carrier bearings on the new carrier. Put the ring gear on the new carrier, and torque the bolts to 65 ft-lbs. Put the carrier in along with the shims, back where they came from; you may need a large C-clamp or something to compress the bearings far enough to get the carrier back in. Torque the cap bolts to 55 ft-lbs. Check the backlash and make sure it's the same as it was. Put the axles in one at a time, push them in too far and slide the C-clip over them, and pull them back out until each C-clip is in its little bore in the side gears. Put the pin and screw in. Put the cover on with a small smear of ultra black silicone, don't bother with a gasket. Fill with fluid through the plug in the pass side of the housing. Put the Panhard bar, drums, & wheels back on.

Done. Should take around 2 hours of steady work with no breaks.

 

hmm, maybe i'll let a shop do it. but as far as the carriers go, has anyone dealt with either of them