Straight, detailed, no fluff. I’ll walk you through the full theory, the parts, the common failure modes, and a practical step‑by‑step procedure for removing and replacing an epicyclic (planetary) gearset in a truck gearbox/axle assembly. This is written for a beginner mechanic but assumes you can use basic shop tools and a press. Work safely and treat this as a guide — use the official Ford/gearbox workshop manual for model‑specific dimensions, torque values, and special tools.

Safety first (must do)
- Work on flat level ground. Use wheel chocks.
- Disconnect battery. Lock out ignition.
- Use a hoist or transmission jack rated for the weight of the gearbox/axle. Never let heavy assemblies hang from soft straps or blocks.
- Wear goggles, gloves, steel‑toe boots. Use hearing protection when press/hammering.
- Support the gearbox securely before removing any mounts. Do not rely on jacks alone — use stands.
- Drain lubricants into a proper container. Dispose of used oil/metal filings per local regs.
- If you are not confident to lift/press/heavy‑work, get professional help.

What a planetary gearset is — the simple theory (analogy)
- Think of a miniature solar system:
- Sun gear = the central “sun.”
- Planet gears = the “planets” that orbit the sun while spinning on their own axes.
- Planet carrier = the arm that holds the planets (like the frame that holds the planets at some distance).
- Ring gear = a fixed toothed “orbit” around the planets (an internal gear).
- By holding one member fixed and driving another, you get different speed and torque outputs. Planetary gearsets are compact ways to get reduction or multiple ratios in a small package.

Why this repair is needed (symptoms & causes)
- Symptoms that indicate planetary wear/failure:
- Whining, growling, or metallic grinding from the gearbox or axle area under load.
- Loss of drive in one ratio, slipping, or impaired torque transfer.
- Metal particles or shavings in the gearbox oil/filter.
- Excess backlash or play in the output shaft.
- Hot gearbox or burnt oil smell.
- Common causes:
- Insufficient lubrication or contaminated oil (abrasive wear).
- Bearing failure (pitting, brinelling) leading to misalignment of planets.
- Overload/shock load (e.g., towing beyond limits), broken teeth.
- Fatigue from high miles; poor assembly or incorrect shims/clearance.
- Corrosion from water ingress.
- What goes wrong physically:
- Planet gear teeth pitting or broken.
- Ring gear sections cracked or worn.
- Thrust washers worn thin causing axial play.
- Bearing inner/outer race spalling.
- Carrier cracked or bolt threads damaged.

Main components you’ll encounter (and what each does)
- Sun gear: central gear; transmits input to the planets.
- Planet gears: multiple gears that mesh with sun and ring; mounted on pins or journals in carrier.
- Planet pins / shafts / bushings: the mounting points for planet gears; can be solid pins or bushings bearing-supported.
- Planet carrier: holds the planets; can also be the output element.
- Ring gear (annulus): internal-toothed outer gear that meshes with planets.
- Thrust washers / thrust plates: reduce axial friction between carrier and housing.
- Bearings: tapered/roller or needle bearings supporting carrier, sun, or ring ends.
- Snap rings / circlips / retaining bolts: hold assemblies and bearings in place.
- Seals and gaskets: keep lubricant in and contaminants out.
- Spacers/Shims: set endplay, preload, backlash.
- Housing (planetary carrier housing): the casing that supports the ring and bearings.
- Oil galleries/plugs: lubrication passages and drain/fill plugs.

Tools & consumables (minimum)
- Gearbox/transmission jack or engine hoist.
- Set of metric sockets and spanners (impact optional).
- Torque wrench (capable of gearbox torque range).
- Hydraulic press (or arbor press) and pullers for bearings/gears.
- Bearing pullers, gear pullers, circlip pliers.
- Dead blow hammer, brass drift, soft mallet.
- Dial indicator with magnetic base (for backlash measurement).
- Feeler gauges, plastigage (for clearance checks if required).
- Micrometer/inside calipers (measure bearings/shafts).
- Clean rags, non‑chlorinated degreaser, parts washer.
- Replacement gaskets, seals, bearings, planet gear set and shims as required.
- High‑quality gear oil of correct grade per manual.
- Anti‑seize and thread locker (type per manual).
- New bolts where stretch/torque‑to‑yield specified.

Preparatory checks (before teardown)
- Record symptoms and take pictures of linkage, mounting, and wiring for reassembly.
- Check oil level and magnet in sump for metal debris. Keep metal samples for comparison.
- Acquire the correct replacement planet set and all bearings/seals — never reuse bearings if visibly worn; replace snap rings if deformed.
- Obtain the gearbox/axle workshop manual for torque figures, shim pack thicknesses, endplay/backlash specs, and sequences.

High‑level removal and disassembly (sequence)
Note: This covers a typical planetary set service inside a gearbox or axle carrier. Exact removal points and order vary by gearbox model. Always have the manual handy for specifics.

1) Remove gearbox/axle from vehicle
- Drain oil from the gearbox and remove auxiliary connections (linkage, speedo, breather, electrical).
- Support gearbox with jack/hoist. Remove bellhousing bolts, mounting brackets, driveshafts or prop shafts. Lower gearbox/transaxle carefully.
- Keep a tidy parts tray labelled with bolt locations.

2) Remove outer housings to access planetary pack
- Place gearbox on clean bench. Remove front/rear housings or covers — often ring gear/planet carrier is inside a removable carrier housing.
- Photograph orientation of any eccentric spacers, shims, and fastening sequences.

3) Remove retaining rings/bolts and extract carrier assembly
- Remove circlips/retaining plates that hold the carrier or ring gear.
- Extract planet carrier assembly carefully — carrier can be heavy. Note bearing arrangements (outer vs inner).
- If ring gear is bolted into carrier, remove bolts and separate ring.

4) Disassemble the planetary pack
- Remove planet carrier cover (if present) and extract planet gears one by one.
- Inspect planet shafts/pins for wear. Some designs use needle rollers/bushes—note their orientation and spacing.
- Remove sun gear if needed (may slide out once planets are removed).
- Remove thrust washers and check for scoring/wear.

Inspection and measuring (critical)
- Clean each part with solvent and lint‑free cloth.
- Inspect all gear teeth under bright light:
- Look for pitting, spalling, broken teeth, scuffing, or pronounced wear.
- Check bearings for smooth rotation, noise, roughness; replace if any roughness or endplay.
- Measure gear tooth thickness and profile wear if you have appropriate tools.
- Check shaft journals for scoring and measure diameters against manual tolerances.
- Check ring gear runout and roundness.
- Check thrust washer thickness and compare to new specs; replace if beyond wear limits.

Replacing parts
- Replace entire planet gear set, bearings, thrust washers, and seals if any damage or wear is found.
- Replace ring gear if any cracks/broken teeth.
- Replace carrier if cracks or damaged mounting bores are present.
- Always use OEM or equivalent quality parts. If a single planet tooth failed, it's common to replace the whole set because metallurgy and hardness must match.

Reassembly (key points)
- Clean and lightly oil bearing bores and journals.
- Press new bearings onto shafts or into housings using proper size adapters — press on the bearing race, not the rolling elements.
- Refit sun gear, then insert planet gears into carrier with bushings/needles correctly oriented.
- Install thrust washers in the correct faces and order.
- Fit ring gear to carrier if separate; torque bolts to manual spec using the correct sequence.
- Reinstall carrier into housing. Use new circlips/snap rings worn ones can fail.
- Reinstall any shims/spacers to achieve correct axial endplay. This is critical: too tight = bearing preload and early failure; too loose = excessive play and noise.
- Use dial indicator to set backlash between sun/planet/ring per manual spec (typical truck backlash is small – measured in thousandths of an inch or hundredths of a millimeter). Adjust with shims where fitted.
- Check planetary carrier bearing preload or endplay — set to manual spec. Some designs use tapered roller bearings with preload, others use thrust washers with shims.
- Apply correct sealant to housing mating surfaces and torque bolts in pattern/values from the manual.
- Replace external seals (output shaft seal, input shaft seal).

Practical tips when setting clearances
- Use a dial indicator on the carrier to check rotational endplay; compare to service limit.
- Check gear mesh by applying a thin coat of gear marking compound to teeth and rotating under slight torque to see contact pattern. The pattern should be centered without edge loading.
- If backlash is excessive, remove carrier and add a thicker carrier shim or adjust ring gear position if the design allows.
- If you must change bearing preload (tapered rollers), use correct shim stacks or an adjustable nut with torque to establish the listed preload value.

Reinstallation into vehicle
- Refit gearbox to vehicle, align splines carefully (use alignment tool if required).
- Reconnect linkages, sensors, prop shafts, and breather.
- Fill with correct grade and quantity of gear oil. Many planetary failures start with wrong lubricant or old lubricant.
- Run through gears with vehicle stationary (engine off) to ensure smooth movement before starting.
- Road test under light load first, listening for unusual noise. Recheck oil level after warm‑up.

What can go wrong during repair and how to avoid it
- Wrong shims/backlash: causes noise or rapid failure. Always measure and follow manual specs.
- Over/under bearing preload: leads to overheating or slop. Use correct bearings and shims.
- Contaminated parts: dirt/nickel filings will accelerate wear. Work clean.
- Press damage to bearings/gears: pressing on the wrong race damages bearings — press only on the correct race or use bearing drivers.
- Lost orientation of planets/spacers: mark and replace in the same orientation.
- Reusing worn seals/gaskets: leads to leaks and contamination — replace them.
- Incorrect torque on ring gear bolts: can lead to loosening and catastrophic gear damage. Use proper torque and threadlocker where specified.
- Not replacing bearing races vs replacing only rollers: always inspect both – often replace bearing as a unit.

Testing after repair
- Fill oil, run gearbox at idle and through ranges to build oil flow.
- Check for leaks, abnormal heat, and noises.
- Road test gradually increasing loads. After 50–100 miles recheck bolts, oil level, and fasteners.

Maintenance tips to prevent repeat failure
- Use the specified oil grade and change it on schedule; check for contamination.
- Install a magnetic drain plug and inspect for metal shavings regularly.
- Avoid shock loads (lugging or sudden torque spikes).
- Check breathers for clogging.
- Regularly inspect for oil leaks and abnormal noise.

Final notes and warnings
- Planetary replacement often requires precise measurement tools and sometimes factory special tools (bearing pullers, shim kits, locator tools). If you don’t have the press, dial indicator, and a clean bench, this job is difficult to do reliably.
- Don’t guess at shims, torque, or preload. That’s what the workshop manual exists for — follow it exactly for Ford Trader gearboxes.
- If you find extensive damage to shafts, carriers, or housings, consider replacement of the entire gearbox or a professional rebuild.

This gives a complete beginner’s guide to what each part is, why failures occur, how to replace the planetary gearset, and what to watch out for. Follow shop manual specifics for your Ford Trader T3000/T3500/T4000 for torque figures, shim thicknesses, and any model‑specific steps.
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