Setting up a locker in a Salisbury diff

chris snell

Administrator
Callsign: NW5W
Staff member
I need to install this Detroit in my Sals soon. I've been reading up and it sounds like some people use a spreader to pull/replace the diff and some use a rag, jammed into the ring gear, to force the diff out of the housing.


Who here has done this job? How did you do it? Did you check the backlash or just yolo it?
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
You arent loosening the pinion nut so you wont change the ring to pinion fit, thats what Keith K told me back when I did it the first time. I've done it several times and never needed any spreader. A light pry / tug and they pop right out.
 

Roverman2010

Well-known member
Fitted a tru-track to the 101, first time working on a Sal axle, didn't need a speader as UD said abit of a tug with a couple of pry bars. Be ready with something it catch
It heavy MF. As you are NOT touching the Pinon it's a straight replacement.
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
yep, as John said a folded up packing quilt or similar for it to land on is key
Keep the hardware thats holding the spring loaded detroit compressed. I've owned my original Detroit purchased from Rover Tracks in 2007 a couple of times because others didnt want it so I'd swap spiders back in for them. The unload bang of a detroit in a fast food drive thru or bank teller window is diasarming for some.
 

chris snell

Administrator
Callsign: NW5W
Staff member
No luck budging his thing. Time to get a spreader I guess. Funny, we had the same idea with the packing quilts.
 

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Roverman2010

Well-known member
No luck budging his thing. Time to get a spreader I guess. Funny, we had the same idea with the packing quilts.

Chris, just be careful with the speader, a wiseman told if it didn't out on its own use the prop shaft and spin it out. I didn't need to do it so not sure on that.
 

LR Max

Well-known member
Get a box end wrench, put it on one of the upper ring bolts. Rotate 3rd member until wrench is in contact with the top of the diff housing.

Go find an old couch cousin. I live near da hood, so finding one at 7am in the morning is easy and convenient (9pm, not so much).

Place cousin under diff housing. You'll thank me here directly.

Get a crowbar. With the curved side, go under the 3rd member, and pry like hell. It'll pop right out...and onto the cousin. Don't try to catch it. SOB weighs like, a billion lbs (or if you don't lift, bro, then that is what it feels like). You might be able to ease out, but for safety's sake, assume the little turd sucker is going to shoot outta there like he gotta put more money in the parking meter.

Re-installation: procure deadblow hammer and commence to wacking the crap out of it.

Oh, put a piece of tape on the bearing races. They'll come out too. And if they explode all over the place then you won't have any idea which side is which. A piece of tape is easy.

Once removed, the detroit goes in easy. If you have a press, now is the time. Open her up and remove the spiders. Install the detroit. There is a big spring. Compressing that with a press makes life 45873489293x easier.

Lastly, if your axles aren't new, you'll kill one in about 4 years. So I recommend replacing them every 5 years or so (they go early...because old axles).

This is all I know from destroying my Salisbury repeatedly over the past 15 years.
 

LR Max

Well-known member
lol yes. Cushion. Or cousin if you don't really like them.

As for my neighborhood. The fact I don't hear gunshots at 2am anymore is very nice.
 
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