Spec X5 Overland Build

[Henn28]

Sorry for the stream of consciousness updates, but I figure if I don't do them as I chip away at this project, I wont do them at all.

To the eye the quaife is dimensionally the same as the OE. The crown ring is a very tight fit, and won't fit over the shiny silver part above the flange when I tried with the ring cold.


The install was straight forward and per the instructions, which called for heating the ring to 100c in boiling water. Since I don't have compressed air to blow the threads out and avoid hydraulic lock, I stuck the thing in the oven at 230 degrees for an hour or so (after my better half left the house for work). After this all it took to get it to seat was some very light tapping with a rubber mallet. I then gave the bolts an initial torque, hand holding the diff, just to make sure it was seated on the flange as it cooled.

The instructions call for red loctite (or 271 permatex), an initial torque to 100 NM follwed by an additional 30 degrees. There are two flat spots on the casting which work nicely for a vise to hold. 100NM was quick, then I marked the bolts, and the case at 30 degrees past the bolt mark (6 pointed bolt head makes it easy to estimate 30 deg. Plus, the red loctite should make up for any slight errors)


The final 30 degree torque was a pain and I'm happy I had my long wrench. I'm guessing a couple hundred FT LBs, if not more at the end of the day.

Finally assembly, with the quaife model number.


My cheap Amazon magnetic dial guage showed up, but I'm at a standstill until my output bearings, diff bushings, and pinion nut locking thingamajig show up (ebay diff showed up without one installed), and I get back from work early next week.