If this helps the sailsbury axle of a cortina details are crownwheel and pinion backlash 0.004-0.008" pinion bearing preload 0.001-0.003" collapsible spacer length 0.453-0.461".
A bearing backlash is what happens when the bearing loses motion or clearance. This tends to be caused by gaps that cause a period of non-motion.
The shim between the inner bearing and the pinion is critical and if it's lost you need special tools to set the pinion depth. replace the bearings and seal with an new crush sleeve thighten the pinion nut until the sleeve crushes and you can't move the pinion up and down. Then very slowly tighten the pinion nut checking the rotational torque. You will need an inch pound torque wrench, when the preload is correct it should take between 20-25 inch pounds of torque to rotate the pinion. If you get it too tight you need to replace the crush sleeve and start over. Proper bearing preload and gear mesh are critical.
35 foot lbs.
Depending on the vehicle, a diff bearing kit is a kit you can purchase that contains all the parts to freshen up a differential. This usually includes the pinion bearings and races, pinion bearing shims, pinion seal, pinion crush sleeve, pinion lock nut, carrier bearings and races, carrier bearing shims and a new gasket.
The bearing are sealed and can not be repacked.
77ft lbs
Which differential bearings? Pinion bearing? Carrier bearings? End axle bearings?
I would suspect a defective universal joint on the driveshaft. Can also be a bad wheel bearing or axle bearing. And lastly, a problem with the rear differential. Check the gear lube level in the differential first.
If you overfill an differential and it does not have a vent or the vent is plugged the oil, when it becomes hot and expands, will blow past the seals causing at a minimum a leak and at worst bearing damage. Always fill the differential to the bottom of the fill hole.
Pull the 4 nuts that hold the u-bolts to the differential then slide the differential slightly forward on the spline to remove the U-Joint from the differential. You may need to pry it out. If it's a 2 piece drive shaft with a center "carrier" bearing, remove the 2 bolts of the carrier bearing, then slide the splined shaft out of the transmission. It might be a good idea to have a pan or oil absorbent material available to catch the oil that will drip from the transmission tailshaft. Pull the 4 nuts that hold the u-bolts to the differential then slide the differential slightly forward on the spline to remove the U-Joint from the differential. You may need to pry it out. If it's a 2 piece drive shaft with a center "carrier" bearing, remove the 2 bolts of the carrier bearing, then slide the splined shaft out of the transmission. It might be a good idea to have a pan or oil absorbent material available to catch the oil that will drip from the transmission tailshaft. Pull the 4 nuts that hold the u-bolts to the differential then slide the differential slightly forward on the spline to remove the U-Joint from the differential. You may need to pry it out. If it's a 2 piece drive shaft with a center "carrier" bearing, remove the 2 bolts of the carrier bearing, then slide the splined shaft out of the transmission. It might be a good idea to have a pan or oil absorbent material available to catch the oil that will drip from the transmission tailshaft.
remove rear cover from differential, find 1/4 inch bolt in the third member that holds the 1 inch diameter pin between the axles. Remove the bolt and the pin, push the axle that you want to remove in towards the differential and remove the C-clip that keeps the axle in the differential. Pull the axle, using a bearing puller remove the oil seal and the bearing. Replace the bearing and the oil seal, make sure it is installed in the right direction or it will leak. install the axle, C-clip, pin, bolt, rear cover, and differential oil.
It could be axle bearings, however it is more likely a pinion or carrier bearing since you say the noise seems to be coming from the differential housing. With the vehicle up on a lift around 45 mph, use a mechanic's stethoscope to help pinpoint the noise. You should be able to at least determine if is coming from the axle bearing or the differential, sometimes you can tell if it is a pinion bearing (noise more pronounced near the driveshaft) or if is a carrier bearing (more pronounced near the rear cover).