Differential Tools

Written By 4Link 4WD

Having the right tools for the job is essential. With that said, you don’t have to go spend $5,000+ on tools in order to get a well set up differential. There are tons of options from budget to commercial use tools, and what you buy should depend on how often you plan to use them, and of course your current budget.

In order to help with the buying process, we have gone through these options for you to pick out some of the highest reviewed tools in both the budget and professional sections. Below is a quite extensive list of tools with explanations of why they are important, and links where you can purchase them.

Necessary Tools/Supplies:

  • Clam shell bearing removal tool (or set up bearings)

    • To remove old pinion and carrier bearings to replace, and to change shims

    • The PEM puller is the best bang for your buck

  • Beam style torque wrench in/lbs

  • ¼” to ½” drive adapter if using ¼” torque wrench

  • Pinion yoke/flange holding tool

    • To hold pinion stationary while carefully tightening pinion nut for crush sleeve or crush sleeve eliminator (CSE) torque spec

    • 4Link4WD pinion tools - large and small versions

  • Floor jack handle / pipe / tubing

    • To go over pinion tool handle and/or breaker bar handle

  • ¾” breaker bar, ratchet wrench, or high quality ½” breaker bar

  • Race drivers

  • Hammer / mallet

    • To use with race and shim drivers

  • ½” torque wrench

  • Dead blow hammer

  • Brass drift punches

  • Dial indicator on a mag base

  • Micrometer

  • Feeler gauges

    • Checking behind bearing races to make sure they’re fully seated

    • Gearwrench feeler gauges

  • Gear marking compound & brush

    • Checking gear mesh pattern

    • Richmond gear marking compound on Amazon

  • Loctite

    • Used for install of ring gear bolts, carrier bearing cap bolts, pinion nut

    • Loctite 243 medium strength blue

  • Bench vise

    • Can use to help hold carrier for ring gear bolt torque

  • Hydraulic Press

    • Highly recommended for carrier and pinion bearing installation

    • Can use to hold carrier stationary for ring gear bolt torquing (place wood under ring gear teeth and carefully press carrier down into wood)

    • Can usually find used 12 and 20 ton presses on marketplace cheap

    • Harbor freight shop press

  • Fine/medium hand file or machinist flat stone

    • Recommended to carefully use on ring gear flat surface to ensure perfect mating surface to carrier

  • Brake clean or parts cleaner

    • Used to clean inside of diff housing and to clean ring and pinion gears of oil. Need oil free ring gear bolt holes so loctite sets properly

  • Shop rags (lint free preferably)

    • To wipe off critical surfaces such as bearing journals

  • Basic mechanical tools (socket set, pry bars, etc)

    • General parts removal, installation

  • Gear oil

    • Pre-lubricate bearings for installation. Do not install bearings dry

  • Case of beer

    • Well…you could substitute this with your drink of choice. Use for extra patience :D

Optional Tools:

  • Diff case spreader

  • Case spreader adapters

    • Can be to adapt a case spreader to differentials that don’t have holes from the factory that the case spreader fits in to

      • Examples: Ford 8.8, Sterling 10.5, small / mid sized GM diffs, IFS / IRS diffs

    • 4Link4WD case spreader adapters

  • Shim drivers

    • Used to install carrier shims to avoid damage to shims

    • Can substitute with brass punches used carefully

    • Yukon shim drivers

  • ½” breaker bar

    • Could be used for tough fastener removal or crush sleeve install. Sometimes they aren’t stiff enough to crush a sleeve hence ¾” breaker bar recommendation

  • Old bearing races

    • Can be very helpful to place behind new bearings when pressing them on

    • You can use an angle grinder to cut through the race so it doesn’t get stuck on your parts. Can also tack weld the race slightly open or closed to further help 

  • Air hammer

    • Could be used to remove old pinion, with pointed attachment in divot on pinion end

  • ½” impact gun

    • Helps with fastener removal of fasteners

  • ¾” torque wrench

    • May be necessary for high-torque pinion nuts (Ex: Dana 80)

  • Seal removal tool

    • May help pull old pinion seals from housing

  • Seal installation tool

  • Paint marker

    • Recommended to mark bearing caps to not get them mixed up, and to mark all fasteners on final install

  • Shop vac

    • Can help clean out diff after cleaned with solvent

  • Compressed air

    • Helpful to blow out ring gear and bearing cap holes after cleaned with solvent

  • Axle stand

    • Helpful if you do a lot of out-of-vehicle diff setups so you aren’t working on the floor or taking up work bench space

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