blakecharles

I was digging through a catologue and notice that summit racing offers a "house brand" of gears. They are about $90 less then the Richmond brand I was looking at.

Have you ever used the summit racing brand? Will Richmond 3.73 gears be better?

blakecharles

Now that I look, they offer a "house brand" version of a few parts I was looking to get. I know that its not always worth saving a few dollars, please let me know something..

monkihead

they work, just don't go crazy putting 600ft-lbs torque.

blakecharles

lmao! yea I hear ya! I'm going to use a stock LS6, I don't expect any more then 350-380 lbs. I figured they would work, just wanted to know if there is a difference in quality.

Gumby

Summit doesn't make anything.

Name brands sell them rights to slap their logo on stuff and sell it for less.

Why? more sales.

Like Summit ign boxes are just Mallory units for less.

Summits new street carb is just a Holly avenger street carb.

Do some dective work to find out who gears they really care.

Nearly all off brands are like that, its a name brand product sold for less for more volume. As its the name brand that makes it cost more, not the product quality.

Its just smart business, either provide the low cost alternative and still get some cash from the sales, or someone else will.

monkihead

+1

Blind Driver

Sometimes the house brand picture is the same as the name brand picture

AlkyIROC

From what I've heard, the Summit/Jegs house brand gears are made by Motive gear. Reasonable quality for the price.

Gumby

Yea don't forget Jegs, they do the same stuff.
And Summit n Jegs is like Lowes n HomeDepot.
Mirror copies of each other for the same reasons name brand let them do that.

You give customers different store brand loyalty choices but in the end does the same thing. Let the end name brand product survive by grabbing all ends of the sale.

And as such I do perfer Summit, unless I can't get it there. Then Jegs.
Id try to shop at Lowes but would just end up at HomeDepot as it was only 1 block away. [Now I only shop Menards.]

RockAuto is starting to grab my local auto parts sales as with shipping its cheaper. They need to break more into the Per catalog stuff.

Im rambling

One time at band camp............

blakecharles

thanx for all the replies, maybe I will give the summit brand gears a try

91RS5speed

I picked up a set of 3.42 Richmond white box gears for about $150 from http://www.barnettperformance.com/ here in georgia give them a call.

big gear head

The house brands are always a little less quality. They cut out some inspection and processes that they think can be eliminated. The lapping process is cut short or the heat treat processes is different. They are made by a major gear manufacturer, but not the same quality.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

You sure about that?

From what I understand, Summit's shear buying power alone is what allows the deep discount on the products. Some manufactures cannot even perform full production runs some quarters simply because they don't have the capital. Summit will advance a manufacturer funds to make the product, which keeps employees employed, bills and taxes paid, and some profit to keep the company floating.

Summit also does a lot of R&D and quality control in house on parts and combos. Summit has dynos, and performs lots of testing before stamping a part with the Summit logo.

Summit also owns Trickflow, which makes their own parts, and some of the Summit "brand parts". Summit owns a series of other companies as well. It's a growing empire and it's good for us. Makes the hobby cheaper.


-- Joe

Gumby

Yep Summit would not put their name on it if they cut corners.

kens86

I just ordered a set for my SS, so i will let you guys know how they work by the end of the week.

DiabolicalRS

what more like 400 my dad has a 03 z06

blakecharles

well I think you guys talked me into it... I'm going to by the summit gears + rebuild kit and Eaton Posi.

FYI: the $90 I'm saving buying the summit brand gears is paying for the rebuild kit.
good buy.

anyone else buy summit brand parts of any kind? good quality?

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

I have a set in my camaro and they are Noisy, and from what I was told from the store here in Ga, that they are made in Mexico. I would not recommend anything that has SUMMIT on it. I have tred a few of there parts and have never been pleased with there stuff.

Gumby

Made in Mexico is still good, it made in china ya try to avoid but thats impossiable. As allot of stuff is only assembled in the US, the guts n electro gagets still come from Asia.

Even OEM HD parts say made in Japan or other on em.........


If your gears are noisy id recheck your teeth pattern settings.

monkihead

they probably didn't get shimmed properly or had worn bearings. My friend had that problem with a set of richmond gears. She took her stang in for a set of 3.73s. They installed them, shimmed it and called it a day. The installer didn't put in new carrier bearings to save a buck and they failed within a few days.

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

The gears were install properly, with all new bearings...The SUMMIT STUFF IS JUNK! have tried the TB, lifters, gears, electric cutout, all were poor quality. I ended up having to get the better parts that I was trying to save money one. I will NOT but anything else with summit on it. JUNNNNNNK

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

What was the bashlash set to? How did the pattern look? How many rear ends have you put together? 100? 200? 300?

Just curious what makes you so sure it was "installed properly".

-- Joe

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

I paid a pro to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats how I know

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I see.

Well, I'm not sure what to tell you but. I've never had a problem with summit house stuff.

Who was the pro ?

-- Joe

monkihead

So did my friend! They were considered to be "the best" and they just
made a mistake. It happens. On a funnier note, my friend had my old
boss install a new set(summit brand). After the install he drove the car
to check for any issues. After the test drive, he "excessively accelerated
the car". Cracking the plastic intake manifold(98 mustang). Car was in the
shop for another couple of days getting a free intake installed.

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

I am just getting you prepared to be disappointed.... I have had no luck with any of there parts. Just my 2 cents

Gumby

You sure its the parts and not you
[ some are just cursed ]

Did you call summit when you first had problems though?

They stand behind their parts and would help to fix or replace if they were "bad".

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Richmond gears are noisy too. I don't trust anyone who doesn't do their own wrenching, so we will never know.

I also take with a grain of salt what people say when they had a "problem". The majority of times things fail is because the mechanic. Sometimes parts are defective, but usually it's not installed correctly. I'm not sure what is worse, a guy who tried and failed, or a guy who paid someone else. Either way, can't trust what those guys say. I'd rather listen to people who had ZERO problems. ya know.


-- Joe

Gumby

Though if you got the cash to spend on namebrand parts do so.
But if you need to save some cash id use Summit over other cheap brand suppliers. They got more on the line.

Gumby

"Noise" problems like that, that are not problems per say like a
rattler balancer, solid lifters, geardrive timing set, are all easily fixed.

1 A louder stereo system
2 A louder exhaust system

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Yep.

Some things obviously won't be as good, like heads for example. Parts that directly relate to HP output. Summit cams, not a lot of diversity, etc. Things like that.

For something like a gear set, you won't have a performance difference one way or the other. The durability should never be in question. If you get pissed off with Summit because of their in house brand, your second purchase will be to replace it with a part from Jegs.. Summit knows this, which is why their in house parts are top notch. Their not going to lose a customer who will potentially spend tens of thousands of dollars over time over a pair of $110 gears or whatever they charge for them..


-- Joe

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

The only thing I don't do is gears....I have built my car on my own THANK YOU! I know what I am doing when it comes to wrenching. I was just letting the guy know that I have not had luck with the summit JUNK. And yes I talked to summit in person seeing how i am 1 hour away, and yes they swapped out the parts twice, and the same crap. So I have experiance with there parts. But anyways like usual the yahoo's here want to give anyone that dont follow the norm crap. If you want to wast your money on summit JUNK go for it I am done with this!

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Don't get defensive. I'm not dumping on you, I'm dumping on the pro who set your gears up. Summit sells thousands of gear sets. You think everyone has issues with them?? I think not.


-- Joe

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

Humm same guy that put my wifes gears in and HUMMMMM no issues. anyways I am done with this. I gave my experiance

Rolling Thunder

Yea personally ive had TONS of trouble with a variety of summit brand stuff. A few examples:

1. A/F gauge within 6 months the AF light only works intermittently

2. Tachometer again within 6 months-1 year works intermittently and its supposed to have multiple lights that can be changed at the press of a button to change the color of the gauge at night and it cycles through the colors instead.

3. Cam bearing driver the drivers fit perfectly in the bearing when its out a little too perfectly though. Once the bearings are driven in they crimp down on the driver and make it imposable to remove without damaging the bearing.

Now although ive had some luck with stuff like their mechanical oil pressure and temp gauges that still work after 4-6 years ive had terrible luck with most of there parts and needless to say don't do much business with their brand when it comes to important things like mechanical parts. I know what people are saying about rebranding other companies parts as their own and i cannot say that i know how summit does their parts but just because its made by the same people dosnt make it the same. It some cases parts are identical less the label but personally i dont believe that to be the case atleast not with all of their product. Products although perhaps of the same design can be built with cheaper materials or less quality control and i suspect again at least with some products this to be the case. Like for example i believe i read somewhere people claiming walmarts super tech oil was made by mobile one and although that may be true contrary to what that made people believe I can guarantee you your not getting mobile 1 when you buy walmarts super tech oil just an oil that was processed by someone more qualified than walmart themselves.

Rolling Thunder

Also another things companies like to do is when checking for quality parts that meet the top standards for their tolerances go under their own brand and the second rate parts that are still "good enough" but dont quite meet their own standards rather than being thrown away are sold at a discounted rate to be re branded or sold cheaper in a product different line under their own brand.

kens86

just recieved my summit brand gears today for my SS and guess what. MADE IN INDIA right on the box. Oh well, guess i'll try them since i don't drive the car much anyway.

3rdGenFreak1227

I just put summit brand 3.73 in my 86 IROC and they are noisy as hell...pattern and backlash are perfect...still noisy. If i did it again I'd buy a higher quality piece :-)

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

HOLY ANCIENT THREAD FROM THE DEAD BATMAN!!!!!!!!!!!

If I was messing with gears, I wouldn't try to do the "pattern" thing; since EVERY 7.5" 10-bolt I've ever taken apart from the factory, had a .035" shim in it, I'd just put a .035" shim back in (unless of course the gears are Richmonds, in which case I'd send the customer to whatever competition I wanted to see go out of business) and set the backlash to about .010". Oh snap... can't.... that's what I've done already to the last however many I've rebuilt. Can't push it off into the future any more.

Sux to be me... I keep intending to procrastinate but I never get around to it. Oh well. Someday, later, maybe.

3rdGenFreak1227

Wow...I hate when @$$holes on here like to beat someone up whenever they post their ideas/issues on a post thats more than 5 minutes old. I am actually a fully master certified master tech at a chevrolet dealer and I do 90 percent of the rear diff overhauls that come through the shop. I was just posting what I found when I installed my summit gears. I did use the .039" pinion shim and the stock .236" and .241" side bearing shims with .008" backlash. If you don't believe in the "pattern" thing then obviously you have never correctly setup a diff. A pattern in the ONLY way beyond using special pinion depth gauges (which aren't accurate) to accurately determine if your pinion depth and backlash are correct.

big gear head

I agree. This guy has obviously never correctly set up a set of gears if he thinks that the pattern doesn't mean anything and all 7.5 rear ends should have a .035 pinion shim, no matter what the gears are.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Yeah the "made in India" gears, who knows.

However I've put in various sets of:

Superior
US Gear
Dana
Motive
Precision

and maybe a few other DOMESTIC brands of gears that I can't recall off the top of my head into this model of rear, and not had any issues, doing them EXACTLY as I said.

It's not at all impossible that some of the cheeeeeeeeeeeep offshore gears, NO MATTER WHAT you do installing them, might cause trouble. NO PATTERN IN THE WORLD might be "good enough". I can't say, never gone down that road. See the brands I've used.

After all, you get, AT BEST, what you pay for.

Meaning, if you pay the least, you get, AT BEST, ....... you do the math.

The comment about "buy a higher quality piece" is probably right on the money.

For the most part, Summit doesn't re-box (they don't make ANYTHING) a bunch of crap; they have too much on the line to risk that way. From what I've seen them do in the past they'll drop a supplier that causes problems. I'd suggest if you have a problem with their private-label product, contact them and see what they'll do. Might not do anything more than just replace it with another brand, and not cover the labor or incidental parts (which in the case of gears would be bearings, shims, crush sleeves, and so on), but who knows. Call em and see.

3rdGenFreak1227

Im ok with the whine as long as my pattern is right...I know my install was good so no worries there. I was literally just sharing my experience with the summit gears. I just got around to installing mine today and was on here trying to find out if anyone had the same issue with the same product...now that I know that other people have I have the info I need. Thanks for everyones input...however old it may be lol

big gear head

I've warned many people about buying these bargain brand gears. Summit, Jeg's and now Richmond and some of the other better companies are offering these cheap gears. It's just not worth the money to take a chance on these junk gears, unless you are running a dirt track car or something that really doesn't matter. If you put these in your daily driver then you are asking for trouble.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Well call em and see; they might be willing to at least somewhat set it straight.

Worst they can do is say no.

In which case, you can remind em, there's always Jeg's for the next time you need to lighten your wallet.

As an example of suppliers they dropped, see Demon Carbs. FANTASTIC idea, TERRIFIC design, utterly unreliable execution. After some certain percentage of returns, Summit likely said, no more. Now, Demon Carbs is just a memory.