Ot 95 Chevy 2500 differential

Can I change the pinion bearing on my rear end without adjusting the shims for the pinion /ring gear mating?8600 gvw locking differential if that makes a difference

No whole thing needs re-shimmed

If you find a pinion bearing with the exact same depth as your existing one should be fine. Its darned close usually for japanese bearings as they have good tolerances.

My experience is more with japanese stuff, often grind out an old pinion bearing set so you don't need to press it on and off to setup the shim stack for a new ring and pinion then swap to the new bearing last time and press it home.

A lot depends on the condition of the gears. If it has been run with the pinion bearings loose, the gears will no longer be in tolerance.

That being the case, you can probably get by with just replacing the bearings, putting in a new crush sleeve, and be good to go. But, it will be noisy! And I've had noisy ones run a long time with nothing but the annoyance.

If the pinion is just loose and leaking oil, I have gotten by with tightening the pinion nut just enough to crush the sleeve slightly to tighten the bearings.

The other alternatives are to replace everything and shim it, a very difficult job, especially if you don't have access to an assortment of shims.

Or, find a good used one, open it up, clean it out, replace the seals, use the best of the brakes.

There are better folks on here for this job then me ....But...

The whole thing is suppose to be set up all over again.

But like some of the others have said you might get by just changing out the bearing(s). If it's the small bearing in the front by the yoke it would be better since it shouldn't change pinion depth much. only taking up the wear on the back bigger bearing by the gear. If replacing the big bearing, it would depend on the bearing being put in if it has the same tolerances as the old one.

My question for you is why are you asking. Is the pinion just loose and you want to tighten it up? Or is there really a bad bearing that needs replacing?

yes, as steve says... if run with the brgs loose crown and pinion needs replacing, or just have to live with the howl.
when ever brgs. are replaced the the backlash and pattern have to be checked also. and yes it can be time consuming.

If the bearing is just noisy and the ring and pinion look great 99% of the time you will get away using the original shims.

You would need to check the original set up and re-check when assembled.

As you've no doubt figured out by now, properly setting the pinion depth requires a special gauge and dial indicator. I had the differential on my half-ton Chevy rebuilt by a shop once and did it myself a second time. When I disassembled it, I found it still had the original thick factory shim, so the shop didn't bother resetting the pinion depth. When I purchased the parts from a (different) rear end shop, I asked them about setting the pinion depth and they told me it would be fine using the original shim. So that's what I did.

Out of curiosity, I just now googled on "pinion depth gauge" to see how much they cost. Summit Racing sells a variety of reasonably priced tools. If I ever do another differential, I'll probably buy a gauge and do the job right.

This is the one i use
T & D universal pinion depth gauge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk6imita0cc

Sounds like as much as I would save money doing it myself,I want it done right to insure a "quiet" rear end.what I can do is remove the whole axle and bring that in to a good shop.a man has got to know his limitations.thanks guys

People are over thinking it. Unless the ring and pinion are being changed, re-use original shims in original locations. Use a new crush sleeve and set the pre-load to specs. The 14 bolt that is likely in your truck was probably not quiet when new, no rear end is. All rear ends make noise, setup just puts the noise in a speed range most people don't drive at. You want the noise coming in at 30 and out by 50. BTW, if this has the removeable pinion cartridge, the gasket is your shim, re-use it.

Pinion is not loose,and no leaks even at 290,000 miles. It's just a loud hum that even I can hear.i want it quieted down.maybe 1/16 play in the bearing when I push up the yoke

Short answer yes. Same gears, same housing, same reading as Sprint posted.

I don't know just how loud it is. if not too much I'd just make sure it has a good oil and full and live with it. If it's really noisy It just needs an inspection first. It might be bearings or it could be the gears are going bad. Just need to get in there and look. If the gears look good, try the bearings and see what happens. To remove the big bearing from the pinion you will need to take it to a machine shop that has the tool to get under it and press it off.

No loose motion up/down/in are out is acceptable other than back lash motion. From what I read its a bad pinion BRG... Get'em all while you are there...

https://www.ringpinion.com/Downloads/installations.aspx

Look at "Yukon Installation Kit Instructions"

What is the torque on the yoke nut supposed to be when reinstalling?

when using new brg's i do it by feel. keep tightening the nut with impact till you are crushing the sleeve and have a good drag on the pimion when turning it by had. this gives a good preload on both pinion brg's.
once you have a noisy diff. you will not get rid of that noise till you install a new crown and pionion. the crown and pionion has to be set up to mate with the proper contact pattern on the crown gear and the proper preload on the axle brgs. so when this is done and its noisy there is no getting rid of that noise, other than a new gear set. and sure you can run it noisy, so take your pick. you need to have a dial indicator, micrometer, and the gear marking compound for this job.

Its on page 10 "Crush Sleeve Design"

The spec should be on page 3 a new brg and old brg spec.

OK, I have set up literally HUNDREDS of rears in my time as a mechanic. Some things to know....

First, if you are getting a kind of ringing/howling noise, it could be that the ring and pinion are worn out. Test for ring and pinion noise by driving. Noise will be more on either the coast or power side. If it is the same on either, it is probably NOT the ring and pinion. Also, ring and pinion noises generally come in at some speed, and as speed increases, they fade out.

Second, to replace pinion bearings, you only need to re-use the original shims. Pinion depth is set BEFORE bearings are installed, and is the relationship between the pinion gear and the housing. The depth measurement is taken with the bearing cup in place, and varies by as little as .001". New pinions are mark4ed with plus or minus numbers that indicate deviation from "nominal" pinion. Bearings come into play later. They are installed AFTER depth is measured and shims are selected. Therefore, the old shims will be fine.

Third, bearing preload. Once you have changed the bearings, preload is set by the crush sleeve. It should be MEASURED with a "sway bar" type torque wrench. You tighten until the correct drag is MEASURED.

Fourth. Carrier bearings and wheel bearings can also cause noises. Be sure that you are replacing the right bearings or you could end up spending a lot of money on parts without fixing the problem.

Lastly, Noise is NOT inherent in ALL rears as previously stated. That is the reason that these gear types are used. They run quietly!

If you have any other questions, feel free to email me.

I beg to differ. If you listen to any rear end, it have a slight whine between 30 and 50 under power. It is inherent to the gear style, and all do it no matter who made it. Just some vehicles are designed to mask the noise better. Case in point, drive a truck without a bed topper. Then put on a plain aluminum topper on the bed. Drive at the same speeds, you will hear the noise due to the drum effect inside the bed. I worked at a Chevy dealer, Chevy trucks are horrible with a cap on. I dealt with all the rear ends, I had to explain the bed topper thing constantly.