front dana 44 ring and pinion--oil slinger??

[GaryMB]

I'm installing a new (posi) carrier and 4.56 gears in my front dana 44 out of a scout II. I already did the rear, and when I took apart the front I noticed a very large oil slinger between the pinion gear and inner pinion bearing. The rear dana 44 pinion did not have an oil slinger here. The slinger is .030 thick, the shims behind the pinion race are .047. I slightly dinged up the slinger when pressing off the pinion bearing, but not bad. My main question is if I should reuse this oil slinger, or just not use a slinger next to the inner pinion bearing--after all, the rear did not have one here. It is a low-pinion front so on flat ground the pinion bearings will be partially submerged in oil anyway, honestly I don't see the point of the inner slinger except for when bombing downhill in 4wd which rarely happens. So, to use or not to use?
p.s. I am not referring to the oil slinger on the outer pinion bearing near the yoke, I will be installing that one.

 

[Ggg]

If you do not use it you still have to account for its thickness with another shim. So if it is still serviceable then I would use it.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Even though they are both low pinion, the front is rotating the opposite direction and on the coast side of the gears. I would reuse the slinger.

 

[GaryMB]

I tapped it with a hammer a couple times and it looks as good as new, going to install the gears tomorrow and reuse the slinger.