Well-developed forearms...

And I was incorrect - the actual torque spec. is 75 ft.lbs. - which we all
know IS able to by applied by yanking with a screwdriver.

My bad...

Tom, how do you get 80# of torque with a phillips screwdriver?

beekeep

There absolutely is - what do you think the function of the adjusters is?
They get tightened to somewhere around 80ft.lbs. (don't remember exactly).
That's putting pre-load on the carrier bearings.

All tapered roller bearings require pre-load.

(cross-post to RCM removed - this is a truck issue, not a metalworking
issue.  No need to pollute other groups - something I wish others would
recognize)

1. There is no bearing pre-load on the carrier bearings, only the pinion
bearing, and we aren't discussing the pinion here.

2. If Iggy takes the ring bear backlash now it may be an invalid reading
since the side adjusters have moved, throwing the ring gear out of
adjustment.

Techincally, the backlash value is engraved on the ring gear. But for
practical purposes anything from .006 to .008 should be fine.

Tony

.007 is fine if you're setting up a new gear set.
If he's reusing the old gear set, he needs to measure backlash
-before- anything is disturbed or disassembled.
When he reassembles and sets backlash and bearing preload, he
needs to set the backlash to what he measured originally.

After you clean everything out and check for damage, you re-install the ring
gear/carrier. You'll need a dial indicator with a magnetic base or some
fixture to hold the indicator against one of the teeth on the ring gear, and
rock the gear. Tighten the side adjusters until you get around .007"
backlash. I use a phillips screwdriver, placed in the adjustment hole of the
casting and pry against one of the holes in the side adjuster, tightening
until snug.

Then replace your adjuster locks.

Tony

Really hard to say just looking at the pictures but it looks like the drivers
side adjuster keeper is broken off.  The gears don't look bad but the backlash
should be checked and some prussen sp? blue used to verify the contact area.
You're going to need a special tool for setting the torque on the adjusters.
You have to do it with the axles removed.  The tool is simple enough to make.  A
nut welded on one end of 2' of 1/2" all thread and a hexhead pipe bushing welded
on the other end.  The right size hexhead has to be selected to fit into the
adjuster.  You might as well replace the wheel bearings and seals while you have
it apart.  Don't forget to check the backlash every time you change the
adjusters and after you torque every thing down.  Make up a jig to hold the dial
indicator that bolts to the case using one of the cover bolt holes.

beekeep

I decided to take pictures as I go along. See

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Automotive/Drivetrain-Noise-In-Dodge-RAM-1500-Pickup/

Some findings as I opened up the differential.

1. It is full of gear oil. (means my oil change 2 years ago was successful)

2. On the bottom there is some amount of of, like, 100 grit metal
dust, settled down.

3. There was one foreign object on the bottom, see

  http://tinyurl.com/zr8zg

4. The gears and such, do not seem to have any unusual damage.

i