anesthes

iTrader: (12)

On a new richmond set, initial setup with good PD is .015" on backlash. Target is .008". What do you think, move .010" from right to left?

This gearset or housing is odd, PD required .006" shim. Usually I see them .030" or more.

-- Joe

big gear head

Are you sure that the inner pinion bearing race is completely seated in the housing? Could have some burrs keeping it from seating completely.

Backlash adjustments are complicated. Sometimes a .002 move will change the backlash .001 and sometimes a .003 move will change it .001. It's trial and error.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Hello,

I put new races in the housing earlier. I beat the thing in pretty good, and checked from the backside and it looks well seated to me. I suppose I could give it a few more whacks for good measure, but you can tell by the tone when you hit it once it has bottomed out.

The pinion depth called for 2.332" (as marked on the gear head). I put it together with a .030" stock shim, tightened it and checked it and got 2.308".

Took it back apart, and put a .010" shim on it for now. (don't have a .006") and I'm getting 2.328".

I'm not sure if it's worth trying to take out another .004". Was thinking tomorrow get the backlash around .008" and then see what the pattern looks like.

I just find it odd that the pinion needed such little shimming. Or perhaps my tool is no longer accurate. I guess the pattern will show eh?

The bearings and races all came in the same kit, so I'm not mis-matching anything. I have not tried any aftermarket carrier shims yet. I tossed the two stock shims - a .232" on the left, and .245" on the right and got .015" backlash. Carrier preload seems really good, so I'm gonna shoot for that total stackup thickness.


-- Joe

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

run a pattern and post it up. i gave up on my pinion depth gauge.

big gear head

Sometimes when you drive the old bearing races out you can raise burrs around the edge of the seat. If you don't remove these burrs the race will not seat completely in the bottom of the hole. You need to use a .001 feeler gauge to check the race and see if it seated completely. This is very important. Also do this each time you press the bearing on the pinion. If you don't get them seated completely it will cause problems later.

I neer trust a pinion depth tool. I don't even have one anymore. I found that it was pretty useless. The pattern is the only thing that matters.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Races are in all the way for sure. This is what the pattern looks like tonight.

-- Joe

big gear head

It's a little hard to tell from those pictures, but it looks like the drive side is good. What did you use on the coast side, vanilla pudding? I can't see anything there.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Hah. I used too much of the crap that came in bearing kit. The contact is pretty much centered. I'd almost want to move the pinion more into mesh on the coast side, but the drive side looks too good.

-- Joe

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Looks like that carrier was in a rearend that had a pinion nut come loose..
Pix are hard to see any real pattern.

Pix taken with a potato and vanilla pudding used for setup? You must enjoy food like I do ! LOL

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I got the carrier from a forum member. Said the gear set exploded. The case was banged up a little but the mounting flange didn't appear to have any runout and the worm gears seemed fine.

The richmond gear set I got from another forum member. "new" but not in box, no paperwork.

If it blows up on the first pass I guess I'll do a 9".

I'm trying to decide if I want to do axle bearings/seals while I have the axles out, or not. The housing is out of a '96 t/a. The pinion nut got loose, the seal leaked and the yoke had a slice cut in it from riding on the bearing. You could actually kind of wiggle it a little. Luckily I had a spare yoke on the shelf. Housing seems fine though.

Stock auburn posi was absolutely junk. You know that posi test in the manual about 1 wheel on the ground and the car in neutral, torque wrench to a wheel? It can be turned with a pinky!


-- Joe

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

the diff in my 12 bolt looked like that. previous owner had a pinion nut back off.
i cant tell much by the pics. on the coast pic i would say to brush the marking compound on much lighter and on 6-8 teeth. i have not had good success with the yellow compound, i always use white. (dont know if they are different other than color?)
what backlash is the gear stamped for? .008? either way, my experience has been the backlash wont affect the pattern all that much as long as its somewhere in the ballpark.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I used the yellow that came with the ratech garbage kit (of which I only used the bearings and pinion seal).

I might have some white somewhere from the last rear end I built.

I'll try and get better pictures of the pattern today. I had already cleaned off the teeth and went into the house before I realize how unclear the pictures were. The drive side looks good to me though, the patterned seems well centered yet not too deep into mesh. The coast side looks well centered as well but too much compound made it smudgy.

.008" was indicated on the RP set (like all richmonds huh?) My chinese dial caliper says around .007". I think the range for new gears is what like .006 to .011 ?

I have not done a 10 bolt in a couple years now. The last few I did have been Dana's, so I kind of enjoyed doing it. I only had the pinion in and out of the case about 13 times

Oh another thing. The ratech 'solid spacer' kit is garbage. It doesn't have enough spacers in the kit. Came with a .020, a .010, a .012, another .012 and a .016 in addition to the large spacer.

With the large spacer, a .020, and a .010" I got like 80 inch lbs. With the large spacer, the .020 and the .012" I got like 5 inch lbs..

-- Joe

big gear head

When you have a case like that with the solid spacer you can sand a little off of the spacer to bring the preload to where you want it. If you put some sand paper on a flat surface and rub the spacer on it you can remove about .001 at a time until the preload is what you want. Just be sure to measure the spacer at several places while you do this to be sure that you are taking off the same amount all the way around. You don't want high and low spots on it.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Here is some better pictures of the pattern.

-- Joe

big gear head

I don't understand why your coast pattern keep coming out so smeared and unreadable. Are you turning it several times in both directions?

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Yep. I even used a hand to 'drag' the ring gear. This picture though is a lot better though. The contact is fairly centered on the tooth with a slight bias to the inside.

This is also the second send of richmond gears I've had that seem to have a 'tight' spot - meaning, I'm getting a different backlash measurement in one spot than the others. Checked the backlash in 6 spots of the ring gear. I don't know if it's just maybe thicker coating or a bum set.

Again, if it explodes I'll do a 9".. 700hp car and a 10 bolt probably isn't going to last forever.

-- Joe

big gear head

700 HP and a 7.5 10 bolt is a disaster waiting to happen. Hard street tires will make it last a long time, but sticky tires will blow it apart.

I think your drive pattern looks good. Can't say what the coast pattern looks like.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I've got street tires on it right now and a loose converter. Hopefully it will survive a few passes this fall. I trailer it so no big deal.

-- Joe

DIGGLER

iTrader: (1)

i still cant really tell. lol

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

This is the kind of picture we need and pattern I look for. (8.8 I did awhile ago)