74vetteman, I figured I'd be buying a new posi housing when I saw the crack :( . I'm going to e-mail you with a fax number & I'll scan the 4 pages onto the forum, I can really use the info anyhow ;) .

Thanks.

 

74 Vetteman, I understand what you are saying but I don't think you are understanding my question. In a tight turn the posi is supposed to slip, that is why you have a posi unit. If you do not want any slippage than you run a spool. By shimming the side gears you are creating a problem in the spider gears. They need to have there clearance. I would be willing to bet that if you take your apart you will see hairline cracks in the spider gears themselves.
They need to maintain at least.004 clearance. If you need the posi to be have more preload than go with the bigger springs. If you autocross your car, you need that posi to break loose in the turns, if not your car is dragging one of the tires. If the springs are not enough than buy a spool.
Mikeo, you will need to buy a new carrier, there is no way to fix the crack. I have to try and weld them, but it is more expensinve in the long run than just replacing them. The reason your carrier will not come out by hand is that it has a preload on it. If you put a 9/16 wrench on one of the ring gear bolts and then use a torque wrench to spin the pinion you will walk the carrier out of the case. Don't worry about the shims becausr the new carrier will be different and you are still going to have to set the backlash. (That is what those shims are for). Good luck.