Item 1: Pinion Nut and Washer Assembly Note
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer and 2003 Ford Explorer. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
- Using the special tool to hold the pinion flange, tighten the nut to set the preload.
- Tighten the nut, rotating the pinion occasionally to make sure the differential pinion bearings are seating correctly. Take frequent differential pinion bearing preload readings by rotating the pinion with a Nm (inch-pound) torque wrench. The final reading must be 0.56 Nm (5 lb-in) more than the initial reading taken during removal.
CAUTION:
Do not loosen the nut to reduce preload. Install a new collapsible spacer and nut if preload reduction is necessary.