how to rebuild a positract rearend.

The carrier is on the bench, the large gear removed, the pin bolt is out, the pin is out, the spider pinion gears are out. The side gears and clutches are out. Now match parts up and soak your clutches in fish oil and put it back together. You went by the tag of course to order parts. you have new gear bolts and pin bolt. You use the book of course. for specs. You have a magnetic base dial indicator, a torque wrench. If you do bearings you have a crush sleeve and a new nut, right? You have a dial torquometer, right? You have the ford fish oil to add before the gearlube, right? The axles go in of course thru the side gears and the clips go in past the wave spring between the side gears. The pin has to be out during the axles going in. after all this, did you find something you are doing different? There is no variable.

Here is a link with video on how to do it Ford 8.8" rear end Traction-Lok clutch setups https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GsLDg3C6Hc If this doesn't help, let me know

The spider gears are the differential pinion gears. They go in the carrier after the clutches and side gears are installed. The side gears are spread apart by the wave spring. when it CAN fit is when the spider gears WILL fit. Then you line them up with the holes in the carrier to install the pin, then the pin bolt. The clutches are precoated with fish oil, or (friction modifier) Then you reinstall the large gear with new bolts and torque them. since you pressed your carrier bearings before this, you are ready to put your carrier back in the housing with the shims that were there, and the bearing caps arranged exactly as they were prior to removal and torque them. Have I mentioned the area of your concern yet ?

If you were doing the pinion and or the pinion bearings, (the drive gear) You have completed that and crushed the sleeve, set the turning preload. Then removed the old nut and installed the new nut with sealer and achieved the right amount of turning force required, (using your dial torqometer or your educated, (feel) This is complete before you bring the carrier back to the truck. RIGHT?

During your pinion setup, you replaced your pinion seal and put sealer on the splines of your companion flange. You packed your pinion seal with heavy grease to retain your garter spring. Right ? You can review the information so far and see if this explains what you needed. If you miss any of this stuff it can be difficult to figure out where you need to ask questions. Please read and compare to yours and say where you are.