In the event that the driveline bolts are a pain, and please corect me if this is wrong as I am recalling this from memory, you can remove the half-shafts and follow the steps minus unbolting the driveline, then pull the driveline and the diff out as one unit as the drive line slides outa the tranny.

Watch for fluid running out after the drive linecomes slides out as this is a mess in the works.

~Brian

That was my main reason that I said to just unbolt the driveline. I'd rather take the time to undo 4 nuts than spend alot of time cleaning up gear oil.

Agreed, but my 4 bolts are so messed up from the previous owner's install that I think that I am ahead by doing that!

There is noise from the backlash being off in the rear end anyway and I think that the chances of the pinon nut being backed off are slim...

Agreed, but my 4 bolts are so messed up from the previous owner's install that I think that I am ahead by doing that!

There is noise from the backlash being off in the rear end anyway and I think that the chances of the pinon nut being backed off are slim...

Have you searched "diff clunk"? There are lots of reasons that you might get a clunk when you go from off throttle to on throttle, and I can't remember anyone ever finding out that the problem was backlash. Backlash is set by shims on the sides of the pinion, not by the pinion shims or nut torque. Usually that clunking noise is the diff mount/strap, the control arm bushings, a bad u-joint, or worn splines on the stub axles.

BTW I think I figured out why mine was such a bitch. I have a 70 and I moved the diff back and swapped it for an R200 but didn't move the strap back (figured that one out years later). I actually had to jack the front of the diff up to stretch the strap over the front of the diff until I could get the front diff crossmember bolts in. So yeah, the strap was in the way, and yeah, I was being a dumbass.

Backlash is set by shims on the sides of the pinion, not by the pinion shims or nut torque.

Oops, should be shims on the sides of the CARRIER, not pinion.

Yea I thought of all those things, the only reason that I am going with a gearing issue is that there is a kind-of high pitched howl that just about makes you want to jump outa the cabin tooling down the road.

Also, when I am almost rolling to a stop, you can actually hear the gears in the diffy almost as if they are not "meshing" together right....