Are there any shade-tree methods to rebuilding the trac-loc differentials without that special preload tool? I have the rebuild kit, but the Local dealer wants an arm and a leg to put it in, and wont sell me the tool either.
Use the directions they give there. If you're not touching the ring and pinion, or any bearings, then don't worry about messing with lash. I suggest doing the alternate "+1 clutch mod". I did that in my friend's Cougar, and it made a ton of difference. It even felt like a locker for a day.
Ford sells two kits for rebuilding the trac-lok. one of them is shimmed the other is not pre shimmed.
If the trac lok is not shimmed right it will either not work good ( too loose) or bind up on turns ( too tight)
If you do not have the tool to shim them just buy the pre shimmed 8.8 trac lok kit it is somewhere around 100 bucks and as long as you don't mix up the shims it's fool proof.
With regard to the shimming, I didn't use any special tools. When you roll the spider gears in you can tell if you need more shim. Too much shim and the spiders won't roll in. When I did the +1 mod my setup was very tight. I got a lot of clunking on low speed, tight turns.
you dont need to tool i dont use it when im at work i just reinstall the same size shim it had in it when i took it apart. or you can put an extra 10thousands on each side to make it tighter
ive built many of them and do just what mojo said when the spiders go in smoothly its tight enough to work but not too tight to act like a spool ( the ford friction modifyer really does help with chatter)