I have been playing with my extra 3rd members.. I am NOT a differential guy.. not an expert.
This is NOT about setting up new gears, or R&P's into different 3rds, or changing carriers..
This is JUST about getting the preload and lash BACK where it was before disassembly.
I have read about counting turns, and several other methods.. but I found this one to make more sense... please bear with me, and critique this if needed...
I played with this SEVERAL times over the rainy weekend, since I couldn't work on the Tracky..
I came up with this.. shoot me down if I am wrong..... and maybe we can turn this into part of the Modification Manual we were talking about in another thread.
I have a pretty neat way of getting the preload and backlash VERY VERY close without even having to use a dial indicator.. I played with the 5.62 a few times yesterday, while I was waiting for the rain to stop (never did....) I would do it with a dial indicator, and without.. and it was within .0005 or less each time I did it... I set it up a BIT looser than stock.. as I wanted the preload to be high enough, and without the tool to set the backlash, if I set it low, preload would be low too... I set it at about .010 instead of .008.. felt good... nice click, no clunk... (As Eric would say..)
Instead of marking, and counting turns and such... I just mark both adjusters as to their original positions.. and then upcap the bearings and remove the races/bearings/adjusters..
When I go back together with it, I start with the ring fully seated in the pinion with no lash at all and both races seated on the bearings fully.. then I slide the adjuster furthest away from the pinion down into the threads with the mark I made in the correct position.. it should (and does) slide into place perfectly.. I install that cap and snug it down..
Then just slide the the other adjuster in whereever it goes in easily, don't worry about the marks.. install the cap carefully, making sure the adjuster meshes with the threads in the cap and the 3rd member.. start turning the adjuster in.. when it contacts the bearing, you will notice the mark is halfway, more or less from it's correct position.. you will have to use a spanner wrench, or a soft solid punch to turn the adjuster (with hammer) into it's final marked position.
Of course, after this method, I checked it with an indicator, and it was within specs..  I did it meticulously, and sloppily, and every time, the backlash was the same, and the preload felt the same too..
It makes sense.. as the pinion side adjuster is the adjuster that actually sets the backlash, the ring side adjuster sets the preload.. (actually, they work in conjunction, but bear with me)
SO, if the carrier, ring gear, bearings, races, pinion, caps, adjusters, etc... are NOT changed, or changed side to side, or anything... AND the backlash and preload was correct when you started.. (big if's there.....lol) then the ring gear side adjuster will always fit straight down in the threads at the final marked position... and the pinion side adjuster will always NOT fit straight down in... it can't as in it's final state, it is this adjuster that is holding the carrier (and therefore the ring gear) away from the pinion (Creating a tiny amount of Backlash...) and it the whole adjusting assembly (both left and right) are under pressure... PRELOADING the bearings by actually spreading the caps/bearings/races away from each other...
See, you just start with the ring fully into the pinion, adjust the ring side adjuster till it holds the bearing/race/carrier against the pinion.. then force the ring/carrier AWAY from the pinion with the pinion side adjuster until the preload and backlash are set in one final adjustment.
Forgive me if this is hillbilly, or half-ass... but I am no differential expert.. just a fair mechanic and for grins I did it over and over yesterday.. and just ONCE today.. my way.. then checked it with a dial indicator and I got the same amount of backlash before and after installing the spool...
