Dana 35 carrier question

Is the C clip Dana 35 driver side spider gear in the differential carrier supposed to have some play in it?

My 95 wranglers rear driver side tire had up and down play in it so I replaced the outer axle bearing and seal but it didn’t fix the play.
The driver side axle moves in and out about a 1/8” more than the passenger side does for the C clips. The spider gear moves up and down less than an 1/16”. The passenger side is completely solid and we had to lightly pound out the carrier shaft, even though the retaining bolt didn’t break off.
We pulled the carrier, and the spider gear is sloppy on the driver side, no play on the passenger side. It’s the same even after swapping the spider gears. I’m thinking because the PO had 2” spacers on the 31” tires it caused the carrier housing to wear. But I’d have thought that’d wear the carrier bearing too but those are fine. The center of the teeth on the driver spider gear have very light Knicks, which makes me wonder if that’s from the sloppyness of the spider gear.

The driver side spider had one thrust washer, the passenger side had two. We compared the bearing spacers that fell out when we pulled the carrier and they each had one that are the same size.
I got new carrier bearings on the way but now I’m thinking it’s more than that.

Someone was definitely in it before because the carrier caps were installed on the wrong sides.

machoheadgames said:

The carrier changed for 3.55-4.10 in 1994 and 3.07 in 1995. The side gear bore became smaller in the newer model. It sounds like somebody swapped in an older carrier with the larger bore and used one of the newer smaller side gears in it or something. There should be practically no play in the side gear to carrier fitment, it should just rotate nice and smooth in the carrier. I’ve pulled carriers apart with 150k on them that still were perfect.

I would take out both side gears and measure the journals on them. If you post up their measurements I can tell you what’s new vs old.

There should be no in and out axle play but it sounds like the loose side gear is creating play that is causing this problem.

Early - 1.625" side gear bore
Late - 1.560" side gear bore

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I measured the journals, the passenger side is as 1.560. The driver side is 1.575.
Both side gears are 1.555 and fit snuggly into the passenger journal, and both obviously wiggle on the driver side.
The side gears fit the same on either axle, they both have a very small amount of movement, but not none.

machoheadgames said:

For the carrier spot to be 1.575” and not yet 1.625”, I guess you do have the 1995 carrier and somehow that one side got wallowed out or something. Definitely no good. Sounds like whoever went in there before had little clue what they were doing, especially with the extra side gear thrust washers.

Best bet is a new carrier and good spider gears, I don’t think you’re going to be able to fix the 1.575” issue. I think I have a brand new Spicer carrier on the shelf with used gears in it if I remember right, if interested. I don’t need it and could sell it, but depends on the ratio needed also. Also being Spicer I paid a pretty penny for it so I may be a worse deal than going somewhere like Yukon or wherever else has some these days. What I have would be for 3.55-5.13 ratio.

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I gotta a friend who works at a shop who was able to track a decent used one down and ordered new side gears and bearings. I kinda knew a new carrier housing was going to be needed after seeing it but thought I’d try a Hail Mary and ask to know for sure before buying the parts.