Muddy Creek Offroad

10/06/2026

Tacoma 8.4” getting a Detroit TrueTrac, bearings and a solid spacer. Even on used gears I verify flatness of the mating surface with a file.

Limited slip units are a great option for maintaining on road handling and increasing the offroad capability.

Limited slips are by no means a replacement for a locking differential but they are a significant improvement over an open carrier.

09/24/2026

Come hungry, leave happy… or something like that.

100 series 8” freshened up and out the door.

07/10/2026

A few weeks ago I posted the differential unit with missing “parts”. In particular I was referring to the carrier bearings.

When I began assembly on this differential I noticed a discrepancy in the carrier bearing races, visually.

While bearing taper variation among manufacturers—or even changes in specifications over time—is common, something here just didn’t “look” right so I measured each bearing and race using a workbench caliper.

As shown in the attached photos, there is a measurable physical difference between the bearing races…so much so you’d never get into spec.

Even the most reputable parts suppliers occasionally encounter packaging errors. This scenario perfectly shows why I thoroughly inspect all incoming components and maintain precise documentation on each build.

Also..don’t throw your old parts away until you’re done with the build!

06/27/2026

06/25/2026

I trace every build.

In the final stages, setup notes are transferred straight onto the ring gear of each differential. This means if we ever cross paths again, I know exactly when it was built and what specs were achieved.

For those worried about a Monday morning or Friday afternoon build date—relax, we don’t do that kind of work here! 👊

Keen observers will spot a few important details missing here...

We’ll talk about that in a couple of days.

06/18/2026

No matter what, carrier bearing caps are marked before disassembly.

You can use a sharpened punch and put dots on the caps, but on non drop out housings like this 100 series front differential, it’s easy to install caps upside down when using the dot method.

I prefer to use stamps so there is no orientation question on reassembly.

06/10/2026

Teardown and inspection are critical steps in the differential rebuilding process.

While most failures that come through the shop are blatantly obvious, we occasionally encounter a mystery.

This particular 100 Series front differential came in with 310k miles on the clock. The story quickly unfolded when we found almost no carrier bearing preload and zero pinion bearing preload.

We always check the initial backlash and gear contact pattern on every complete unit. Taking detailed notes and staying organized is essential, providing the roadmap needed for a flawless setup.

Here’s to another 310!

05/14/2026

I’d say they got their moneys worth out of this one. We’ll have them ready for the trails by the weekend.

05/06/2026

Scheduled preventative maintenance is required to ensure these trucks get you out there…and more importantly, back home.

04/29/2026

Some days are just…yuck…