gear pattern check

Charles Smith

Charles Smith

smitty1371
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Location
ellerbe nc
it's been a long time since I set gears up just confirming my pattern looks good sorry for the light imprint it left the pinion had some oil on it
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Put some drag on the pinion when you run the pattern and it'll come out better. Even though it's a light pattern it looks like one I'd run assuming backlash is in.
 
It looks deep to me. See the distinct flat line at the bottom of the tooth?
If it were me, I'd pull about 5 thou out of the pinion depth.
Turn the ring gear with a wrench on one of the bolts. Rock it back and forth on the pinion (where the paint is applied) and you'll get a easy to read pattern everytime.
 
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Question Jody. I know a man, [retired now] used to work at a local garage. He was their gear & transmission specialist. Was called by those that know him, the Best. I don't know if he ever used paint, but I do know he would set gears up by the "Feel". Claimed that his experience, he could turn the carrier, & tell by the drag, if it was correct, Or which way it need to be shimmed. What's your opinion?
 
You can't tell pattern (contact patch) by feel. Backlash you absolutely can. Preload, you obviously can feel as well.
I do agree that some setups just feel smooth and different from others and they HAPPEN to provide an ideal contact pattern. On the other hand, I have set some up initially and the feel fine but the pattern is all janky.
Just tonight, @GotWood's Sterling felt fine but was 7 thou too deep (OEM shim). Took out the 7 thou, corrected the backlash from making it shallower, and away I went.
I very, very rarely measure backlash anymore. Like, never. If I can hear it rock, feel it rock, but not really see it move much, it's close (verified at multiple areas around the ring gear).
Some applications require more clearance (backlash) like FF rears in tow rigs. I'll open them up to a point where you can see movement
Before anything I posted gets taken wrong. Many times I have had people hanging out in the shop question why I don't measure preload or BL. I tell them what is by feel and when they question me, I drag out my rotational torque wrench and dial indicator and tell them what it is before showing them with precision measuring tools.
Perk of doing this for many, many years at Ford and Jeep dealers before doing my own thing.
 
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Jody Treadway said:
You can't tell pattern (contact patch) by feel. Backlash you absolutely can. Preload, you obviously can feel as well.
I do agree that some setups just feel smooth and different from others and they HAPPEN to provide an ideal contact pattern. On the other hand, I have set some up initially and the feel fine but the pattern is all janky.
Just tonight, @GotWood's Sterling felt fine but was 7 thou too deep (OEM shim). Took out the 7 thou, corrected the backlash from making it shallower, and away I went.
I very, very rarely measure backlash anymore. Like, never. If I can hear it rock, feel it rock, but not really see it move much, it's close (verified at multiple areas around the ring gear).
Some applications require more clearance (backlash) like FF rears in tow rigs. I'll open them up to a point where you can see movement
Before anything I posted gets taken wrong. Many times I have had people hanging out in the shop question why I don't measure preload or BL. I tell them what is by feel and when they question me, I drag out my rotational torque wrench and dial indicator and tell them what it is before hand.
Perk of doing this for many, many years at Ford and Jeep dealers before doing my own thing.
Click to expand...

It may be that the guy Was doing just the Backlash & Preload. Just too many years to remember! Thanks!
 
Jody Treadway said:
You can't tell pattern (contact patch) by feel. Backlash you absolutely can. Preload, you obviously can feel as well.
I do agree that some setups just feel smooth and different from others and they HAPPEN to provide an ideal contact pattern. On the other hand, I have set some up initially and the feel fine but the pattern is all janky.
Just tonight, @GotWood's Sterling felt fine but was 7 thou too deep (OEM shim). Took out the 7 thou, corrected the backlash from making it shallower, and away I went.
I very, very rarely measure backlash anymore. Like, never. If I can hear it rock, feel it rock, but not really see it move much, it's close (verified at multiple areas around the ring gear).
Some applications require more clearance (backlash) like FF rears in tow rigs. I'll open them up to a point where you can see movement
Before anything I posted gets taken wrong. Many times I have had people hanging out in the shop question why I don't measure preload or BL. I tell them what is by feel and when they question me, I drag out my rotational torque wrench and dial indicator and tell them what it is before hand.
Perk of doing this for many, many years at Ford and Jeep dealers before doing my own thing.
Click to expand...
I thought that was the problem, but I didn't want to say anything!:D
 
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Jody Treadway said:
It looks deep to me. See the distinct flat line at the bottom of the tooth?
If it were me, I'd pull about 5 thou out of the pinion depth.
Turn the ring gear with a wrench on one of the bolts. Rock it back and forth on the pinion (where the paint is applied) and you'll get a easy to read pattern everytime.
Click to expand...
thanks wound up pulling 6 out of the pinion depth and had a much better pattern not to mention more readable with using the ring gear bolts to rotate it it's I am impressed how you called it almost perfectly from a crappy picture of a light pattern it's like you do this for a living or something haha thanks again for the advice
 
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