QU50614 Early Pinion Crush Sleeve for 1973-1987 GM 14 Bolt Rear Axles

QU50614 Early Pinion Crush Sleeve for 1973-1987* GM 14 Bolt 10.5" Rear Axles gets installed between the outer pinion bearing and a shoulder on the pinion stem. The Crush Sleeve which is also known as the Collapsible Pinion Spacer, controls the pinion bearing preload you set when you properly tighten the pinion nut. This is a use once and discard part, NEVER reuse a Crush Sleeve! *May also be used in some very early 1988 R-V trucks

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Dan the Gear Man® Tech Notes:
Installation
Late Pinion Crush Sleeve
Matching Parts
Applications

Tech Note 1: Installation
The initial overall length of this spacer is greater than the normal separation distance between the outer pinion bearing and pinion shoulder. As you tighten your pinion nut against the yoke, you will push the outer bearing against this Spacer. At that point the nut will seem tight but your pinion will still be loose. You now must increase the torque applied to the nut by a substantial margin to initiate the compression of the spacer. Once it starts to compress, the required torque needed to continue tightening the nut will still be high, but reduced from the amount needed to start compression. As the Spacer collapses, your pinion end play will gradually disappear. When all end-play is gone, you have to be very careful as it will only take a small movement of the nut to go from too loose to too tight. If you over tighten the nut, you MUST get a new spacer and start over!!! Never back off the nut to try and reduce the rotating preload of the pinion!!!!

Tech Note 2: Late Pinion Crush Sleeve
QU50614 fits all 1973-1987 GM 14 Bolt 10-1/2" Ring Gear full float rear axles. According to the GM Parts Books, it will also fit some early production 1988 R/V (old square body style) 3500 1 ton trucks. If you have a later production axle, see QU50555 Crush Sleeve.

Tech Note 3: Matching Parts
Matching Parts for QU50614 Pinion Preload Spacer:
QU30093 Pinion Nut

Applications
Chevy/GMC:
14 Bolt 10-1/2" Full Floating Rear Axles: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987

May also fit some very early 1988 R-V trucks.