Just came across an interesting auction on E-bay. This seller a very neat retainer for the dreaded 5th gear nut backing off. I know we are not supposed to post E-bay auctions so do a search for "NV4500 lock nut" and it should come up.

Here are a couple pics taken from the auction...





Seems like a fairly simple solution to the problem? Only concern I have is the amount room the rear slip yoke now has, at least on a 2wd tranny. And what keeps the new retainer in place, the slip yoke? You can't run the yoke tight against the retainer or you will end up with binding when the suspension flexes.

Thoughts?

 

hadn't considered it as a 2WD trans fix....... No, I don't think it would work very well 2WD, but I think I am going to try one on my 4WD..... I have never owned a 2WD, are the trans yokes in these trucks bolt on like GM does?

 

I just don't think those tabs would be nearly strong enough. I have seen these nuts break some fairly beefy welds a couple of times, after somebody had welded their nut to the gear. I had thought THAT would have been a permanent solution.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. We'll never know for sure until someone tries it.

 

very elaborate, ive seen three different options, that all failed, none that took that much work, sloting, or index grinding, the main shaft allows for a folding lock type washer, to lock the nut, with out the main shaft replacement.

 

Tells you just how poor thinking in a design can really screw up what could potentially have been a top notch transmission.
Darned near 20 years and they are STILL losing 5th gear nuts, even with the most elaborate of retention set-ups.
It's like a mouse, if there's a hole to crawl through, it'll do it.

Welding really is the BEST, most permanent option and they even tear that loose, too.

Mark.

 

Buy that part, AND Weld it. lol

 

I don't think this setup will work on a 2wd. They're not splined up to the threads like a 4x4. Plus the speedo drive is right there.

If you spend the $$ www.quad4x4.com has a guaranteed fix. It's around $700 but you get the shaft, gear and nut(s). So it really is only a few hundred more than the regular repair pieces.

$0.02

 

Being a machined part I would trust that over a welded gear any day. From my experience you can have the best (looking) weld between the nut and the main shaft, but it's all up to what happened to the metal under the bead, which is hard to tell without cutting it open/xray. The shaft isn't going to "give", so it'll probably break on either side of the weld when vibrated enough. I couldn't see that "fix" moving anymore then the 5th gear, so seems like a pretty good idea.

Only other good option (besides a torque king shaft) was someone that made two regular hex nuts, tightened them to each other, then welded the nuts together. Similar common metals welded together, plus, and one of the best locknut types known.

 

I see the torque king kit says " sold out ".