Just saw this video and you have given me the confidence to do this repair, im normally a hands on guy with experience with engine swaps and other repairs but I've always been nervous to take apart gears and bearings/races due to difficulties
Glad to help! Gears can be challenging sometimes for sure because of gear backlash settings and pinion depths. But as far as bearings going on and off, they are not to bad at all. Just need some tools, methods and time. There are many ways to remove and install them which i am hoping was the biggest takeaway for you. I was fortunate enough to learn from a handful of true mechanical geniuses, and i want to pass along the concepts to the next gen of gear heads before its lost 😀🔧
I like how you supported that bearing splitter the proper way in the press as to not bend the bolts in it. Also freezing the pinion or carrier and or heating the bearings help them go on easier or just drop rite on sometimes.
Thanks! I thought about showing the heating and cooling tricks but I wanted this video to be OLD SCHOOL. And as short as possible. But-Now you are making me wish I had done it. It is a super helpful way to do it for sure. Good call 😃🔧
It's been years since I did this job and I'm older now and watching this video made me miss the old shop days, especially not having access to a shop press or a lift. I have a Dana 35 that's howling like a scalded dog and grinding on an old Jeep ZJ I got for $300. I replaced the axle bearings hoping one of them would be the culprit but nope. When I removed the Diff cover I also noticed the ring gear has 2 missing teeth! so, gotta change the R/P gears too. Thanks for uploading the video and sharing your experience.
I am so glad I stumbled across this video!!!! This was fabulous...all the details and techniques for those of us that don't have a press and have to go to the local auto parts store to borrow a bearing puller kit. Now I know how to use one! I have a complete center section to do in my MOPAR and with all new parts, all I have to do is the install portion. Thanks a bunch. This was a priceless video tutorial!
I'm so glad you liked it!! I really wanted to show some optional methods to get a sense of how they come off and go back on. New tools are really great, but sometimes you need to use the tools you have. Good luck on your project 😀🔧
Great video. I really had no idea what the process was to remove & install the Ring & Pinion. I was just thinking, I'd better educate myself as I'm always paying a great deal of money to get it done. Knowledge is the Key to the Universe.... Using that knowledge is what makes Life Easier.
Thank you! I am so glad you liked it! I hoped to show the concepts of pressing the parts on and off, and how many different methods can work depending on available tools. 😃🔧
Without a press, I would never pound bearings on like that. Much better if no press is available is to put the pinion gear or carrier in the freezer for a couple of hours, throw the bearings in the oven, no preheat, set at 400 degrees and 25 minutes. I use welding gloves and can install bearings in as little as 5 seconds, sometimes may need a little soft hammer persuasion and takes 30 seconds.
You have a great method! I have also used it and it works great. However, we should have a race and see whose method is faster. Then, we should also have a long term test to see if either bearing outlasts the other 😉😀
I agree that the heating/cooling method is more elegant, but, like you, I’ve pounded on lots of bearings with no ill effects. It’s all about applying force to the correct race, as you show in the video.
totally 💯. Thanks for commenting! I think any method is great. I truly do. Doing it one way only to be correct, is incorrect. It's more of a whatever method works best for you type thing. All types of these bearings and races have been installed with great success long before basic or hight tech heating and cooling methods were available. Press fitting is weird at first no doubt, but with experience, simple to install, simple to remove, once understood with good tools and practices 😃 @@calebcourteau
@andrewrodriguez8492 It will work. There's nothing wrong with tapping them on with a piece of pipe and a hammer. Just don't hit the bearing. Stay on the bearing race. The biggest problem you might have is crushing the new crush sleeve. Sometimes, they require around 350-400 ft/lbs before they begin to crush. Then....they crush super easy after that. You can easily accidentally crush the sleeve too much. Whenever possible, I use a solid spacer and shim kit instead of the crush sleeve. If I have to use a crush sleeve, I crush it in a press,just a tad bit, before I install it. Makes it a lot easier. You may want to buy an extra crush sleeve just in case you mess up the first one. Good luck.👍
I'm working on my 55 chevy car. I had it parked in my driveway and my driveway is on a little grade. I noticed a little oil under the rear end, I thought it was a bad seal . Ordered a new one and when it came I pulled the drive shaft and then I felt the pinion and it has a little play. I think it is a little to much. I am going to replace the bearings. I've worked on old crap my whole life but I haven't had to do a rear end. After watching your video I know I can get it fixed by myself. I don't know how I figured things out before RU-vid but I did. I think that I just like watching things like this. Thanks for your video
No problem glad to help! On the pinion, sometimes there is a crush sleeve depending axle style. I have seen pinions get loose with the crush sleeve style but bearings were not noisy. I don't know if the crush sleeve loosens or the bearings wear. But i have tried the torque procedure for the pinion nut and it was loose on some rare occasions. Im not sure if that is the problem. Just something to think about. I would recommend pulling the cover at a minimum no matter what to inspect the fluid condition for metal. If theres metal, track down the source. Most times it is a bad bearing. I hope that helps 😀🔧
I was using a bearing splitter (the tool he used to catch the lip of the bearing race) with a big 55 ton air powered press to pull the pinion bearing off so I could change the shim to adjust the pinion. I didn't cut the cage and remove the roller bearings because I was to reuse the bearing. I apparently didn't get the splitter up under the lip of the bearing race and it exploded. Luckily I was not hit by any of the shrapnel. One piece went through the roof of the metal warehouse style building I was in. I like the puller used in this video better.
Thank you for the video!! I’ve done all of my own work and after replacing my axle bearings. I was kind of nervous to actually take the diff apart but your video gave me a lot more confidence. Looks like I just need a day or two, some patience and probably 12 beers lol
I’ve seen so many vids of people struggling on the removal of these particular bearings , I never imagined you could easily cut through the bearing basket with cutters to removed the rest of the bearing , magnifique . I had a friend mechanic swap my mustang gears to a 3:73 gears , but he was hacking the whole project to the point that I fired him , and decided to do it myself . Are these special cutters ??. Thank you for your contribution to DYI guys like me .
Hey! Very welcome. Glad to help out. The cutters are side cutters. I like long handled ones for more leverage. Here is the perfect side cutter from amazon i normally use. knipex 10" side cutter. Any will work. I misplaced them during the video and used my back up pair. EXTREMELY useful any way you go. Bigger is better, they can cut a lot of stuff 😃🔧 amzn.to/3UcOsKu
Nice work. I would like to offer an alternate way to remove the inner race from the bearing cones. If you take a torch and apply heat to the race with it upside down usually the race will just fall off. You can also put them in the oven to about 250 degrees and they will drop into place on the carrier or pinion. The way you did it works too 😁
I agree. Excellent method! I should have put it in the video. I was attempting to show the interference fit of the parts and how much pressure works. How mechanical force with different simple methods will remove and install press fit bearings 😀🔧
Thanks for the vid. I've been watching these vids for 2wks now, trying to figure out how I can replace my suburban's rear end and afford it. I have the new parts, but now I know what minimum tools I need to buy tomorrow and how to use them.Thank you sir.
Thank you for making this process look easy. I am trying to build up enough courage to attempt to replace bearings on a GM 8.5 with a G80 locker, as it has a howling sound from 40mph.
No problem! You can do it! You will need another video on how to check back lash and pinion depth if you don't know how to do that. Also you may need a video for removing and installing the carrier and pinion and axle shaft components for best results. Someday I will make a video covering that stuff also. Sorry I don't have it now. I wanted to cover the bearings for now and some methods I use. Its simple for me now, but it wasn't at first like anything else. There are a lot of process to cover with axle. The are complicated in they change the direction of motion, but they are also very old devices and simple if you can grasp the concepts of how everything inside works together. It's very doable with time and patience. Clear as mud right? I hope that all helps you sort things out 😃🔧
@@EasyFixShaun I don’t think I could get my hands around measuring back lash and pinion depth, I am looking to swap out the bearings, and changing pinion and ring gears, already have the parts. The pinion and ring gear may be incorrect, was not sure what identifying numbers to look for. Regards
@@jagriv5659 If you are changing bearings- most of the time if you use oem or timken, the original shims are all that is needed to keep same or very similar pinion depth and ring gear backlash. It all needs to be checked and verified after bearing replacement though. In my experience it is usually right in the correct range. If it is not though it all needs to come apart and the process started over. If you are replacing ring and pinion gears for any reason- the pinion depth and backlash measurements will change, so the entire shim placement needs to be setup to get it correct. Using "dummy" bearings is helpful for setting up these measurements in the axle. Sometimes you need to assemble and disassemble several times to get it correct 😃🔧
So I came across a video from you about replacing trailer wheel bearings, looking for a specific answer .... could not find what I was looking for, but your video was so informative and clear I watched till the end. After watching this great video i wanted to show appreciation by hitting like button butThere was no like or subscribe button so clicked on more of your videos to look for that like button. You make good easy to understand videos. Thanks for your time and effort!!!!
I see what you mean,well I have 2019 Honda Accord and everything started from hearing vibrations sounds. I went to the dealership and I got diagnosed with worn tires so I bought top of the line Michelin tires and awful noise was still there. I thought maybe if I drive it for a month it will go away. I went back to the Honda dealership and they told me the same bad tires are making the sound. So after just two months I have spent another 1200$ for the tires and guess what noise is still there. Noise is getting very annoying now,gas pedal is vibrating with acceleration.
It seems to me that mechanics don’t really have time to diagnose the real problem. I would really like to bring a car to someone who knows what he is doing. So I would be really grateful if you can somehow give me a hint where are you working
I would recommend taking it back to the dealership but not before speaking with the service manager or general manager. You have invested in them and have no resolution. Those two managers are your best bet for a revolution. They should be able to figure it out for you and offer a discount from the amount of money you already needlessly spent. That is probably the best bet. If the manager is not helpful i would find the best shop in town and start at square one. I'm sure your problem isn't hard to find. But the best shop will always produce the best results. 😀🔧
This video shows us shade tree mechanics how to do the right thing - the wrong way! I'll be pressing on the diff carrier bearings for my new LSD in my 2009 2.5 swapped miata with an old race, a BFH, and some confidence. Thanks buddy!
I've always liked your explanations, this one was a helpful review. Pinion bearings in particular are intimidating because of all the discussion around crush sleeves and contact patterns. It sounds like seasoned general mechanics avoid that by getting replacement OEM bearings of the exact size and reusing the original sleeve. Likewise if axial preload is already in spec they avoid too much fiddling to adjust backlash. It would be possible to spend hours doing this and still not get it right.
Thanks man! I am glad you like it. Making my day over here 😃. Very True. Everything has to be verified afterwards. I check pinion depth, back lash, and gear pattern after installed. In my experience it usually works out great using the old shims. There have been a couple times I needed to remove everything and start over again with dummy bearings and different shims because the pattern was incorrect or the pinion depth was off. Both those times were related to cheap bearing choices, so i attributed those to minor differences in bearings and the need to use different shims than came from the factory 😃🔧
Don’t be too intimidated . there’s tons and tons and tons of information available and to be honest with you I’m not a mechanic . I’ve never even open the differential and messed with it at all before I literally just do work on my truck as issues come up but I just did my pinion and carrier bearings and I didn’t even have to grind anything.. I have no press or anything I just use my Dykes to cut the cages off I took a handheld chisels that I have and I tapped the rest of that bearing housing off by tapping it off ( also in my Rush and possibly a few beers don’t make the mistake I did and put the wrong Bearing on the pinion gear 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ It Took took a little bit of effort but nothing that I couldn’t handle and I’m pretty small. On reinstall I put the carrier and the pinion gear in the freezer overnight and then I heated up the bearings in the air fryer /convection oven ( no bullshit), I did 225° or something like that for about 20 minutes . They literally popped right on it wasn’t difficult at all. My biggest issue was getting the inner bearing race seated in the differential but I did everything while my rear ended was still on the truck and I was in the garage on the ground. I even managed to do the crush collar no problem. I use the impact until I had no backlash but zero rotational resistance and then I use a breaker bar jack handle as an extension and sat down on the ground and use the leaf springs put my hands on and my feet to push down the breaker bar and I was able to get it to go…again a lot easier than people said And how some of the videos that I watched made it seem … … but there’s so much information available and there’s all kinds of ways to get around stuff…. And I ain’t got a press no nothing like that …I was absolutely able to get all the bearings off and put the new ones on .... i I was able to crush the crushes collar like I said them it’s pretty small girl and I manage the whole entire job including a the axle bearings as well. You just have to have a rotational torque wrench an inch pounds and a dial indicator
@@Truthandloveistheonlyway_4ever Nice work! There are many ways to do the same operation in repairs sometimes. I am glad you found what worked for you with youtube! It is truly an excellent resource for ideas and entertainment. By far my favorite source. Thanks for your comment, I am glad you got your project done 😃🔧
GREAT VIDEO!! I have a 98 Toyota 4runner, 2 wheel drive. The differential is pretty noisy at high speeds. I removed it and looked at it and it looks almost perfect! I know it has over a 1/2 a million miles on. I'm just gonna order a bearing kit and replace all the bearings! THANKS!!!
I learned a lesson to put the pinion nut back on, thread it so it doesn't take any pressure from the press, and then press the pinion out. This way, if it falls, the nut will stop it from going through the bearing separator. Mine hit the floor because the separator broke, got damaged and I had to buy a new pinion and ring--an expensive mistake.
Great video! I've got the same pulling separator, press, and seal drivers! They are great! I regularly cobble together the separator tool to use on press-fit parts on vacuum pumps. If you're creative, it can be configured to do all sorts of things. I wonder if there are any videos you've made that go into choosing shims and setting the preload for the pinion bearing?
The tools have been really helpful for me too! I haven't made a set up video on the bearings but that is a great idea. There is a lot of measurement and theory to it. I will put on my to do list. Thank you😀🔧
piece of old pipe works good for installing pinion bearing also heating the bearing and freezing the pinion sometimes makes them fall into place and when the temp equalizes its a tight fit
Very detailed and awesome video!!! I done already went ahead and bought an entire used differential but that's before I watched your video!!! I wish I had just bought the rebuild kit and did it myself. I have howling from my rear diff after breaking a 3rd axle, I think its finally time for a swap. Awesome video again 🙌🙌🙌
Oh man! Sounds like you need back-up parts possibly anyways? Maybe you can save that the differential on the shelf you purchased for the future. Is this an off-road buggy? Glad to help out either way! 😃🔧
Apparently you can heat up the new bearings in an oven set to 450 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes and they will drop right onto the ring gear and spindle shaft...no hammering or forcing required.
Set your press blocks on their side and you can fit your part between. Put them in a slight "A" configuration instead of an "H" and they won't fall over as easy. You can also space them up with sockets that are the same length.
Oxy cutting tip, on fairly hard, heat a red hot dot on the race and it will fall off. Heat the bearing or race in a hot clean oil bath and the bearing will drop on, you can tap with a pin punch to check. Oil between the bearing race and shaft is ok.
Good tips! Lubrication between press fit parts usually goes ok. But by design the machined parts have an inference and a tight fit and are forced together without lubrication to ensure they dont spin on the inner or outer races. I like to stick with no lubrication method because of that design. its not worth having a problem to speed things up during assembly 😀
This is a great, informative video, thank you! I do have a question, though. What are your thoughts on freezing one part and heating the bearing before assembly? (Like for instance, putting the pinion gear into the freezer overnight, and heating the bearing to maybe 200 degrees?) Thank you again!
Getting ready to tackle my first 7.5” GM diff change. Would you have a video showing the process to find the proper pinion spacer? Just curious, once you get the pinion bearing on, if the spacer is wrong, what’s the best method to get the bearing back off to change the spacer and try again?
I don't have the video you need. Look up videos on how to make a set of dummy bearings to aid in setting up the pinion depth and gear backlash. With dummy bearings it's easier because the bearings slide on and off easily to test out different thickness shims 😀
I was waiting for your procedure on Bearing preload very comprehensive but this part was completely missed disappointing is the honest feedback I hope that helps you otherwise very good video
Sorry for that. This video is about getting the bearings on and off. Pinion preload is simple but technical and requires an entire video to explain it correctly. I will make if for you someday 😃🔧
hi my name is Ramon I saw your video pressing the bearings in how much will you sell oh make me want one of those black bars to press the bearings in like the pinion and the other wheel bearing you have two different sizes will you make them and sell them I'll be very terrific
I don't make and sell tools. But you could make them or have a welding shop make them. All you need is the right size metal to make the tool for your own needs. Once you find your size and length, you may be able to search amazon/ebay and find what you need. I have even used thick wall exhaust pipe with good results a couple times 😃🔧
Why am I having such a hard time getting to zero end play. I broke both a half in beaker bar and the 3/4 in breaker bar today. I still couldn’t even get to zero end play on this customers diff today. I oiled tf out of all races and bearing and had the right shim, I know I installed the crush sleeve but I still have so much end play
I am not sure what is going on there. But I will say I have also broken 1/2" breaker bars on some! Some crush sleeves are incredibly stiff. I have found that a 1/2" impact works best for me because of this. The 1/2" still struggles on some, but it does get the job done. When I am approaching zero end play, I am bumping the trigger and very slowly walking the nut to zero. Once at zero, I test the rotating torque of the pinion. Sometimes I need to fine tune until the spec is met by going tighter. Seems to work good for me. Not always the ideal way to do it. But it saves breaker bars on certain crush sleeves 😃🔧
Press fit =/= interference fit. Press fit the od of the shaft is the same size as the id of the bearing. Interference fit the id of the bearing is smaller than the od of the shaft. It requires heat to remove and install.
Hello I'm having same problem. My question is, if I'm going going to replace all bearings and seals, can I still using the same shims?? And also I need to adjust the carrier after replacing bearings??
Generally speaking if you use the oem bearings that came out of your vehicle the back lash and pinion depth with be really close to "in range" of the specifications. It doesn't always work though so you should always double check the settings and do a gear contact pattern check before and after 😃🔧
Thank you! That old differential ran great and got amazing gas mileage relatively speaking. 20-24 highway mpg from a 440! It was very slow out of the hole. Only removed to install a posi-traction and a 3.55 gear ratio. More fun. Less MPG'S 😀🔧
What about freezing the pinion or carrier and baking or deep frying the bearing? Every video I saw that did that, they were able to just drop the hot bearing right onto the frozen shaft with no tools needed to press it on.
Sounds like a possible u-joint for sure. They often make noise under load and then completely go away while coasting or at higher speeds. I usually check those by hand. They should be tight and smooth. Make sure your vehicle is chalked at the tires so it will never roll no matter what when you remove the driveshaft. People get run over when they disconnect the shaft. Even if it's in park, it won't be as soon as the shaft is disconnected, while you are under the vehicle. I did that once. Be careful! 😃
You need to make sure grease gets out to axle bearings by jacking up both sides of axle to get grease to outer tube. Had one that had heavy load in box and didn't do thst ended up burninv up new axle bearings.
Really? Wow. I have never experienced that or heard of that until now. When fluid level in any axle is full it is higher than the bottom of the inner tube. That fluid will flow from gravity immediately while topping off axle fluid to the end of the tube. Usually the level is about 1/2" or so from bottom of tube and goes right up to the seal lip or higher. Usually if an axle is removed fluid drips out over the seal. But--- if the axle wasn't level and filled, it could be low and not enough fluid would make its way into axle possibly and could cause a bad axle bearing like you have seen. That too bad that happened. Thats a weird one 😀🔧
@Easy Fix doesn't take long and keeps from having bearing issue, all the shops i worked in did this, then you can check level to make sure it's correct.
Differential grease moves slowly, this way you make sure lube is out to both axle bearings and then uou can get correct lube level in differential. Been reapiring cars for fifty years plus.
If the shims are under the main bearing, the bearing will usually need removal and it will be destroyed to change the shim. So if you need to set up your pinion depth, a "dummy bearing" is a great way and can be made out of a seperate second bearing, so that you can install and remove it as many times as you like until you get the proper shim size. Then once you do determine your shim size you can install the replacement bearing for your pinion with the shim you determined you need to use. The dummy bearing's ID slightly is slightly bigger where it slides over the pinion, so they can easily be installed and removed by sliding it off by hand. The inside needs to be sanded to do this and it's fairly easy with the right tool. There are some videos on youtube how to do it if you search 😃😃
Good day! Watching your video. You are a great teacher. I own a 2015 CTS Cadillac and need (2) pinion bearings. Is this considered to be a rear differential but a different name? What is the typical cost for this? I’m being told to go through the dealership. What is y’all’s opinion?
Hi I am so sorry for the late reply. The rear pinion is in a smaller housing on your Cadillac vs the truck on the video. Sometimes there is also a viscous coupler attached to the front of yours to allow awd operation. The viscous coupler allows slippage between front and rear axles around corners. (Always make sure your tires are the exact same size or you will wear this unit out prematurely.) Most times on cars like yours they sell the axles and viscous units as complete units together or separate. So because of that the ring and pinion bearings are not commonly repaired on a lot of cars. It can be done, but swapping out the rear diff as a complete part is more common because of parts availability usually. Only the dealer has access to the new assembly part(s) usually. Normally the aftermarket would offer parts replacement for axles. But yours is unique enough that options are much more limited. Usually aftermarket shops can find and swap it out with used assembly as an option. Sorry I don't have the best answer for you. 😃🔧
Thank you very much for your response!! I’m seeing that it is a hard find. The dealership is so expensive. Other years around mine have a recall. So mad at them for not recalling this part.
Why didn’t you use the bearing puller Why did you cut it off. I just did mine yesterday. All you have to do is find a socket that fits on top and just put a bolt in the middle of the socket. It came right off. I am not pulling your chain. I forgot what size socket I used. Just find one that fits. It’s better than cutting it.
Yup that is a great idea you have! I just wanted to show multiple ways to perform the same function so that the concept of going on and off was a little more clear 😃🔧
My vehicle is 1993 Cherokee (XJ) with 4WD. I’m going to change the front Dana 30 open differential to an Eaton Detroit Truetrac + check pinion bearings (going to change carrier bearings for certain). I don’t have access to a press, but have shell style bearing remover. Do you have suggestions for installing the new bearings without a press?
There are several other options in the video you could try. Pressing parts together can be done with a hammer. You would need to find a spacer with correct ID, OD, and Depth. You could even use one of the old bearing inner races to accomplish this. I have used large 3/4" sockets in the past on side bearings also with success. Just make sure they fit and do not damage the bearing cage or rollers, and make sure they have the proper ID to clear the bearing surface on the differential case. I hope that helps 😃🔧
Anything is possible. I have seen much worse than that on tear downs and in those cases I usually replace them. I have never seen a failure tho or other problem from a nick yet. If it's just a tiny nick or scratch, I am not afraid to reuse them. If it's questionable always replace 😃
Thank you! I am glad you like the channel! I have never had anyone ask me to work on their ride from youtube. I am very flattered! I can not help in that way, but if you ever need any advise, send a comment and I will do my best to point you in the right direction 😃🔧
I'm working on the 1985 chevy caprice classic the rear differential the pinion bearing can you give an idea how to take it out and the torque specs please thanks
I think you have a GM 7.5" or 8.5" axle. Here is a video I found for you on youtube for your specific car. There was a decent amount of search results so you should find more if you need it. I don't have a video on that specific application but that axle is pretty popular so that should help with finding information and parts 😃😃ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cCzmgYoutOY.html
Yup. They have ring and pinions just like typical trucks. They change the direction of the engine/transmission's spinning drive shaft 90 degrees to the direction of a spinning tire. Allowing you to power the tires. The gears also give you desired mechanical advantage for your application 😃
Is there a reason why you didn't apply heat to one and cold to the other so they slide together Without force and make the interference fit when they return to room temperature?
@@EasyFixShaun Yessir I just wasn't sure if maybe there was a reason it wouldn't work. So, generally speaking, yes if I'm only Replacing pinion bearings and Carrier bearings then do I need a dial indicator and all that stuff? Or can I just put it back together the way it was and call it good? Chevrolet C10 10 bolt 8.5
Generally speaking if you use the exact bearing brand that method will work. Check the backlash before and after though to be sure you didn't make a change 😀
Hey I'm doing the front differential bearings on a VW Touareg. Is tapping the bearing or putting it on the press is preferred? I see many shops takes their time and slowly tap in the bearing and not using the shop press. Why is that? Would the press put too much stress on ring gear housing?
I am not sure on the VW front differential. I have not done one. Technically you can press a part together with a hammer, and sometimes it is faster that way. A press accomplishes the task with less sweat equity for sure. I am not sure the pros and cons between hammering and pressing on that vehicle front differential though. I am sorry! 😃🔧
Cv-Axles go bad for sure. They are a wear item given enough time. Typical symptoms of a cv-axle are, clunking/snapping while turning or while accelerating under load. Bearing/grinding type noises are not typical at all for a cv-axle. You might want to check everything out again to pinpoint your problem. You could have a wheel bearing bad, those are very common and most likely with your symptom. Here is a video with a wheel bearing simple test I call the "shake and spin test". Helps easily locate bad wheel bearings. You should check all the wheels and compare to each other. You may find one or more bad bearings 😃🔧 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nl7cU2wHBXg.html
when installing the pinion bearing, set the pinion in a container of dry ice and heat the bearing a bit with a propane torch. it will literally fall to the bottom. then re-grease the new pinion bearing. it was comical when i tried it
You're making it way to hard and are risking hurting the bearings. Put the center/differential/posi unit in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. All you need to do is heat the bearings in the over at 400 degrees and they will drop right on. Put the bearings on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and turn it on to 400 degrees. After the over has pre heated give it just a couple more minutes at the most. Remove a bearing and place it onto the cooled posi unit. It will drop right on without needing to beat on them.