Jeep axle pinion set-up

[Piston Broke]

Having obtained my Jeep as a bag of bits, I've got to the front axle rebuild.  Looking at setting up the pinion in the axle casing, the book (TM 9-1803B para 26) tells me to use "gage 41-G-176" to check the distance from the face of the pinion to the centre line of the diff case bearing.  As I failed to find a gage 41-G-176 knocking around in my garage, I was thinking about how to make up an alternative.  I noticed however that the book stated that said gauge should be used to check that the setting between pinion face and bearing centre line is 0.719".  It's quite obvious though that the distance between the two is something over 2" (as of course it would be, given the diameter of the crown wheel).  Can anyone explain this, or am I being stupid and looking at this competely the wrong way?

[Jerry Jeep]

Hi i have the tools to do axles and setting up the pinions the most important bit is setting the pinion hight can you see the size on the face could be for example + 1 to +8 or -1 to -8 its a long job if you have never done it before i can do it for you if you need got to do one for myself next week on the Nuffield jeep all the best jerry      this is a +2 

[Jerry Jeep]

sorry i did a bit about setting up diffs go through my posts on By Jerry Jeep
June 11, 2020 in American Vehicles 

[Piston Broke]

Hi Jerry, Thanks for that and thanks for the offer.  My thought was to machine up a shaft that would fit between the diff bearings, with a section in the middle with a radius close to the pinion depth setting.  Another plate would be machined that would clamp on top of the pinion and reach under the radius on the shaft, the combined thickness of shaft radius and plate being the pinion depth plus say 5 thou. I would then shim up until a 5 thou feeler fitted between the two.  Sound feasible?

If not, where are you located?

[Piston Broke]

Thinking about it, probably easier just to have a straight shaft between the bearings and clamp a thicker block to the pinion, otherwise the same principle.  Less machining and the fiddling about measuring is closer to the top of the casing.