Hi,
Had a clicking sound from the rear end and I decided to take the cover off/inspect and change gear lube. I found the spiders to have alot of slop but no chunks missing despite being low on lube for I don't know how long. So how involved of a process is it to put new spider gears in my 7 1/4? Thanks for your help, Nico

It's not that hard a job, but you have to make sure that everything that is worn is replaced. Check Randy's Ring and Pinion for parts. The spider gears mesh with the side gears so they are probably worn too. Open up your factory service manual to see what's required to R&R the spider and side gears. Don't forget to check the backlash and make sure the carrier and pinion bearings still have some preload.

I broke a 7 1/4 because the cross pin hole in the case became oval allowing the pin and spider gears to move around.

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Joshua