Make Maintenance Easy With An Eaton Master Differential Installation Kit

When it’s time to perform routine maintenance, or install a new differential in a rearend you want to use fresh parts. There are numerous parts inside the pumpkin or center section of a rearend that you need to account for, and trying to source them individually would be a hassle. Thankfully, Eaton has created its Master Differential Installation Kits that have all the parts you need to install or refresh a differential.

Eaton’s Master Differential Installation Kits cover numerous rearends from GM, Dodge, and Ford. The kits have everything you need in one box to complete the task of installing a differential in the rearend of your choice. Each kit uses high-quality Timken or Koyo bearings and includes the gaskets, shims, fasteners, seals, and gear marking compound. You just need to make sure you’ve got the right fluid to fill the rearend with after you’ve finished installing the differential.

The Master Differential Installation Kits eliminate the need to hunt for individual parts for a diff rebuild.

Eaton’s Senior Product Manager, Jason Denardo explains why each kit has different parts and why these parts are so important.

“Every kit is slightly different – but they all come with all the necessary parts to do a complete ring and pinion and differential installation. It’s industry practice to replace all parts that incur wear. Something as simple as a worn bearing, shim, or crush collar can render an installation unsuccessful. By replacing all parts that can be diminished, you are insuring a successful installation.”

Bearings are what keep everything moving inside and around the differential. These bearings are exposed to extreme loads and forces, so you don’t want to use substandard parts. Eaton has filled its Master Differential Installation Kits with top-tier bearings to ensure the longevity and reliability of a differential after it’s been rebuilt with one of these kits.

Bearings plan an important role inside your differential. Eaton has sourced bearings that are as good, if not better than the OEM parts that come in your vehicle.

“Eaton uses only premium bearings in the Master Installation Kits – either Timken or Koyo. These brands are the industry’s premium bearings of choice. You’ll find that many of the OEMs use these same bearings in their differentials and throughout the vehicles, they assemble,” Denardo states.

Now, swapping out a ring and pinion, or installing a new differential isn’t a job that you should tackle on a whim. You need to make sure you have all of the right tools for the job since there are some very exact measurements that need to be taken to achieve the correct tolerances for the installation to be correct. The last thing you want to do is set your ring and pinon backlash incorrectly.

Eaton recommends that even after you’ve purchased one of its kits you work with an experienced shop that’s installed or serviced differentials.

“Most of the installations are done by professional mechanics with rearend experience. However, our Master Installation Kits ensure that all needed small parts are included. This makes install process go faster and ensures everything is correct. A rearend that’s not set up correctly will be noisy, and ultimately have a short life span,” Denardo says.

Grease, bearings, shims, and more, the Eaton kits have everything you need.

Now, while Eaton’s Master Differential Installation Kits may have everything that’s required to properly install or perform maintenance on a differential, that doesn’t mean any kit will work on any differential. You need to do your research before you select which kit you’re going to use. You’ll need to positively identify the rearend in your vehicle to make sure the kit you use will work.

Denardo covers some of the common mistakes people make that can be easily avoided when it comes to the Master Differential Installation Kits.

“One of the biggest issues we see people run into is they don’t properly identify the axles that are in the rearend. In some older vehicles, the axle could be a replacement – also in some model years there may be multiple possible axle housings used. Its very important to properly identify the axle you actually have. A VIN number will usually be one way of identifying the rearend, but really best to get the identifying numbers directly from the axle housing itself.”

Eaton recommends that you confirm what parts are used in your rearend before you purchase a Master Differential Installation Kit. This will prevent any issues when you start your rebuild.

It’s very important to have all the right parts and tools for a job like installing a differential before you begin. That’s why Eaton went to such great lengths to make sure the Master Differential Installation Kits are as complete as possible.

“Using an Eaton Master Installation kit ensures you have all the correct bearings, shims, nuts, spacers, and gaskets (or RTV) needed for a proper installation. Eaton has already done the research on all the small components so you can install with the confidence you have all the correct components,” Denardo explains.

There’s a lot that goes into properly setting up a rearend after a differential has been installed. You really need to make sure the parts that have gone back into the rearend to install the differential are correct. That’s the Eton Master Installation Kits are perfect for the job, they make sure you have everything you need.

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Brian Wagner

Spending his childhood at different race tracks around Ohio with his family’s 1967 Nova, Brian developed a true love for drag racing. Brian enjoys anything loud, fast, and fun.
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