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So i picked up a Borg Warner 9 bolt about a year ago and have been slowly collecting parts for it. When i first got the axle i took the cover off to see what ratio it had and to my liking it has a 3.70 ratio. So pretty much all i need to do is order my a Trutrac differntial and some new bearings and seal. Its been about 25 years since I have ever rebuilt a rear axle so its been a fun one. Been fighting with getting the gear mesh pretty close since I had zero shims to go by. The original owner of the axle decided to replace all the bearings and never reinstalled any shims. Fun fun for me. Using the dial insicator to see how many shims to start with on the carrier install. I think the patten turned out pretty good being a used set of gears and the backlash is set at .008. Now take it all apart and clean the axle real good and paint it tomorrow.
What i was measuring on how many shims the diff needed. The previous owner put all new bearings in the axle and put all the shims on the ring gear side and not a single shim on the pinion.
While you have this opened up, remove the bearing caps, grind off those casting tabs and get that area smooth and flat-ish. It kind of looks like someone might've already attempted to grind them down, but it should be done better. That will prepare the caps for the bearing cap studs in an aftermarket cast aluminum differential cover, such as the one from TAPerformance. If you ever get one of those, then you'll have to grind those caps, so you might as well do it now.
While you have this opened up, remove the bearing caps, grind off those casting tabs and get that area smooth and flat-ish. It kind of looks like someone might've already attempted to grind them down, but it should be done better. That will prepare the caps for the bearing cap studs in an aftermarket cast aluminum differential cover, such as the one from TAPerformance. If you ever get one of those, then you'll have to grind those caps, so you might as well do it now.
Thanks for the heads up. Gonna do that tonight after work, cause I still havent done the final assembly. I went out yesterday into my garage and were there is no constant heat on all the time the paint has not dried on the rear axle yeat. Sound like its time for some torpedo action and bake it on.
Got the final assembly done on the trutack differntial. Now I just need to wait on my new caliper mounting brackets and new hardware for the differntial cover.
You aren't going to like hearing this but the calipers are on backwards. Those go on the 4-5 o'clock position. Back lower side of the axle, not the front.
You aren't going to like hearing this but the calipers are on backwards. Those go on the 4-5 o'clock position. Back lower side of the axle, not the front.
They will not work that way. I pulled the axles flipped the brackets 3 different times and this is how the fit.
Hmm they do look different than the ones on my 9 bolt. I recently bought some other backing plates that are meant for 1le/lt1 and they look similar to yours. Do you need other pics from my 9 bolt ?
Nah its all good cause with these brackets they wont work at all on the back side and when you look up a picture of a 4th gen axle they are on the front.
Nah its all good cause with these brackets they wont work at all on the back side and when you look up a picture of a 4th gen axle they are on the front.
These are 98-02 pbr calipers and are mounted different (on front) than the 89-92 (3rd) and 93-7 (4th gen) on rear.
the calipers are designed to be mounted in a certain position on the car even if the brackets are universal. Sounds like your brackets are drilled a bit off if they don't correctly mount the calipers on the rear. Or front
Both types of factory backing plates only allow the calipers to be mounted one way, by design: aft. But the simpler, flat-style, aftermarket backing plates could be considered "universal" and should be able to be mounted any way you want to install them, whether fore/aft, left/right, right/left, simply by flipping them over and around. A possible issue by mounting them in the fore position, like you've done, might be interference between the e-brake hardware and the LCAs and/or relocation brackets(if you use any), which you'll find out when you install the axle. Otherwise, seems like they should work just fine fore or aft.
88-96 Corvettes used the same calipers mounted in the fore position, similar to what you've done, but they have different e-brake hardware, and they're mounted higher than center. Their e-brake hardware can interfere on one side of a 3rdgen axle, but it's a more intrusive hardware design. 3rdgen-style hardware might not interfere, especially without the steel "hockey puck," which I don't see in your picture. Also, your calipers will be mounted lower than center, which might help too.
As for brake lines and hoses, you can configure those any way you want to; no right or wrong, as long as everything connects. But since your hose configuration won't be "factory," some trial and error will probably be required.
Both types of factory backing plates only allow the calipers to be mounted one way, by design: aft. But the simpler, flat-style, aftermarket backing plates could be considered "universal" and should be able to be mounted any way you want to install them, whether fore/aft, left/right, right/left, simply by flipping them over and around. A possible issue by mounting them in the fore position, like you've done, might be interference between the e-brake hardware and the LCAs and/or relocation brackets(if you use any), which you'll find out when you install the axle. Otherwise, seems like they should work just fine fore or aft.
88-96 Corvettes used the same calipers mounted in the fore position, similar to what you've done, but they have different e-brake hardware, and they're mounted higher than center. Their e-brake hardware can interfere on one side of a 3rdgen axle, but it's a more intrusive hardware design. 3rdgen-style hardware might not interfere, especially without the steel "hockey puck," which I don't see in your picture. Also, your calipers will be mounted lower than center, which might help too.
As for brake lines and hoses, you can configure those any way you want to; no right or wrong, as long as everything connects. But since your hose configuration won't be "factory," some trial and error will probably be required.
Thanks for all the information. I had to remove my hocky pucks due to them hitting the lower control arm. Even when i had them on the back side they would hit the lower shock mount. Heck i couldnt even rotate the caliper into place when i had everything flipped.
I did look up were i got the brackets from and they list a left and right. They were not labeled so i may have those backwards.
