correcting pinion angle????

[slammed97]

i measured the angle at the rear end yolk and it is straight up at 0, now the drive shaft is sitting at +15 degrees (to the right of the 0 on the angle finder looking at it from the driver side) also i noticed that the shaft from the tranny to the carrier bearing is also at an angle and the bearing itself is trashed now, is this shaft supposed to be at an angle or is it supposed to be level? if i shim the carrier bearing will it help also? and instead of cutting the front lower link tabs and moving them back to correct the pinion angle can i just add adjustable ends on the lower bars to set it that way?i know that the rear end will pivot on the upper link bars, thats fine cuz as i look at closer now when i straightened everything up months back we actually pull it to far forward and thats why it is the way it is now, i just dont know it the adjustable rod ends will be enough or if im gonna have to cut out the front lower tabs and reposition them?

[VG30E]

you got sum pics of the angle?
I had to shim my bearing a little. You should have enuff adjustment in your links (if they are adjustable) to fix it unless it is horrible.

[slammed97]

ya ill get a pic...

[slammed97]

sorry if they are big.....

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302433.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302432.jpg

[slammed97]

thats at a little lower than i ussually ride at in the rear...

[VG30E]

it hasn't broken yet???

i am no expert by no means but that angle is way off.
Someone else please correct me if I am wrong but I think it is supposed to be -3 at most slammed??

i am sure some one can tell you what you need to do to correct it, but I am pretty sure the drive shaft should be at an upward angle not down. But I have been wrong b4.

[Ice]

the pinion should be set at your Driving Height...
its gonna change little up or down .... main thing is to keep the changing to a minimum..

so do me a favor if you can... take a pic of the pinion angle with the truck layed out... then your drive height, then fully lifted...

also take not how much the angle changes ... around 2 or 3 degree change from drive height up or down is ok....

also , if you did move the axle forward while bagging.... this will cause problems too... cause when your laid out, the axle will move forward due the pivot of the links.. causing pressure on your carrier barrings, and tranny....

so if you can get more pics please... be easier to help.

[VG30E]

Ice would know better than anyone.

good luck.

hope I helped.

[nislo]

Ice hit the nail on the head. You may need to redo your links to bring axle back or make them parallel if they are not. You could also shorten the driveshaft. Sound like it was jamming and wiped out the carrier bearing. The first piece of driveshaft from tail of trans should maintain the center line of the transmission output shaft to the carrier bearing. AKA straight! Then as a good rule of thumb, to set pinion angle you should make pinion parallel to transmission angle of the yoke. That way throughout the 4 links movement the trans and pinion will be parallel if set up right. This will make driveshaft angles equal at carrier and pinion giving no vibrations. However even if the angle are the same some vibrations may be unavoidable due to u-joint angles being out of there working angles. In extreme cases if you have huge wheels and lots of travel u can get cv joints made on a custom axle to give smooth operation.

[slammed97]

well the truck is in the air on jackstand and tore apart right now, im rewiring and replumbing the air, and tryin to correct some things while i have it apart, so i cant really get an acurate measurement ice....in those pics the rear is almost all the way down as in like 1 or 2 inches from being all the way down, i ussually ride with the front all the way up and the rear very low...as for pulling the axle forward that happened when i cut the lower link loose from the xmember to center and straighten up the axle and when my buddy welded the new tabs on he put the about 3/4" more forward than they were originally but everything is square now just the pinion is off worse than before (obviously)...im gettin frustrated with this cuz im on a tight budget and cant afford to send it to a shop...the few ive been to want to redo the whole link system and u can clearly see i dont need a new 4 link, its just the positioning that is off...they all tell me easier said than done, ok i agree but damn... and no it hasnt broken yet....its been this way for about 7 months now and was drivin daily for that time and a year or so prior to the mentioned work i did, it has since been parked so i can get some progress on it...

[slammed97]

ok here are some pics of what im thinkin is an ok pinion angle co correct me if im wrong.....at ride height it is +9 degrees and at full lift it is +7 and all the way laid ot it is +10 degrees....i havent welded anything yet. heres a couple pics of it at ride height....in the last pic that is where im setting ride height...let me know if im off....

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302461.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302463.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302462.jpg

[slammed97]

the upper link bars are stayin where they are....i can pull the lowers back forward a tadd if need be to correct the angle a little more....

[OLDSCHOOL]

+9 is way to much, should be around 1 or 2

[slammed97]

the thing is...if i lower the nose down to much more the im back to the wrong angle that it was at before i straightened up the axle, i.e. the angle it was at when i bought the truck., and it was off then also...

[Ice]

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/draggin95niss/S6302463.jpg

you got that angle finder in the wrong spot for accurate measuring...
you need to turn it sideways and put it at the axle yoke... either remove the driveshaft and put it on the flat part of the axle where the driveshaft bolts to.. or put it off to the side but try'n to keep on the flattest spot...
in the picture... the angle between the driveshaft and axle looks good for drive height.....
if you only change few degrees either up or down.. you should be good to go....

[slammed97]

ice ur sayin to move it back and let it sit on the housing for an acurate reading?

[Ice]

heres some pics on a nissan...
you dont have to take the driveshaft off.. just make sure you have the anglefinder on the flat part off to the side of the shaft....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/doctor_iceman/1999%20frontier/100_1342.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/doctor_iceman/1999%20frontier/100_1343.jpg

[Ronnie]

Don't forget that the pinion angle is the difference between the angle of the axle pinion and the angle of the drive shaft. Measure one then subtract from the other.

[slammed97]

ice i get what ur sayin...ronnie u just confused the shit out of me...hahaha...

[Ice]

Don't forget that the pinion angle is the difference between the angle of the axle pinion and the angle of the drive shaft. Measure one then subtract from the other.

yeah, right on Ronnie....

like he said.. its more then just the axle....

you need to get the angle of the drive shaft too....
if the axle is up 3 degrees and the shaft is up 1 degree, then you got yourself 4degree angle...
if its down 3 degrees and the shaft is up 1 degree then you got 2degree's pinion.
but this is just for drive height, pinion will change when you lift or drop the ride.. goal is to have it change very little....

[slammed97]

where on th edriveshaft do i measure the angle....

[Ronnie]

On the tube. Top or bottom.

[slammed97]

ok...i measured it there and it is the same as the angle on the axle....also is the front drive shaft supposed to be at an angle or is it supposed to be level

[97xenissan]

dont mean to hijack the thread but somone mentioned about the driveline plunging into the tranny, could a slipyoke be installed and on a 2 piece shaft which one is it installed on , cause im having this exact same problem. would a slipyoke even help with this.

[slammed97]

I believe it will but it will need to go on the rear driveshaft...

[Ronnie]

If both angles are the same then you pinion angle is 0. You should have a couple degrees at ride height. And yes the front shaft is on an angle.

[slammed97]

well i got it squard away and welded up last night.....i have no wheels right now so i cant drive it to see how it does but thanx to everyone who replied for all their help and insight...