something getting loose in the drivetrain

[tree98]

(02-24-2018 )Squish099 Wrote:  I would think an inch of play would be considerably loose, running the risk of stripping teeth of either or both the ring and pinion. Ive never messed with a semi rear end, but the gear mesh, which determines how tight the rear end feels is determined on the bench by painting the ring gear and spinning the pinion, looking at the mesh pattern and adjusting to get it right. The helical cut gears in a rearend shouldn't have much play at all.

Would the whole diff need to be replaced or can they replace just the ring and pinion?