Im looking for a good brand of gears for my 87 z28 with a 350 tpi.

I want to put 3.73s in it but i am curious as to whihc is a good brand ?

 

anyone?

 

US Gear/TorqueLine is my favorite. They set quiet and run well. There were/are some gears under the Motive name that are just factory gears. Either run quiet and are pretty high quality. Richmond is a popular brand. Their gears are a little harder helping improve durability. This is an important consideration for the tiny 7.5" diffs. Now the down side, if you don't get the pinon/ring gear relationship exactly as Richmond lapped them in they whine. So almost every set of Richmond gears whine at least a little. If you are having problems holding the stock rear end together you may want to use Richmond. If possible I would avoid them.

 

A harder gear lasts longer under normal street driving, but is not as strong as a softer gear.

If you are looking to increase the life of the gear, then get a harder gear.

If you are looking to increase the strength of the gear, then get a softer gear.

The softer gear is more ductile and deforms more without breaking (ie absorbs more energy). That's why all race gears are softer than street gears.

Also, find a gear that is lapped with more of a toe pattern, which is also a little stronger (but is a little noisier).

Miles

 

I'll call Richmond when I get a chance and find out what the Rockwell hardeness is of their gears. Softer gears are only stronger under impact loads. They are easier to break or destroy under a constant high torque load than harder gears. For a super stock car that launches at 5000RPM on a manual transmission impact loads become a consideration. These guys are running a Ford 9" or Dana 60 where the overall strength of the gear is not as important. What is important is what happens when you drop 700-900HP on the gear at once. Now it is caught between a big set of slicks sitting still and 900HP of go.

The reason you mentioned lapping with more of a toe pattern is to account for case deflection under load. If the gear is lapped this way it will run quiter with a little more toe in the gear's set up. Then as the case deflects under load the pattern is will draw to a normal pattern keeping the gear running where it is meant to. This decreases the chances of the gear breaking much like a girdle would.

Still trying to prove I know nothing? I wouldn't go that road if I were you.

 

What are you talking about?