Gear manufacturer recommendations (ring and pinion)

[Frank Z]

In todays market, any major label branding are just fine I feel. ITS THE INSTALL that matters.

Exactly!! Even premium gears will howl like a banshee if the set up is crap.

Remember folks, installing gears is not rocket science. It simply takes time and an investment in the proper tools.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

Remember folks, installing gears is not rocket science. It simply takes time and an investment in the proper tools.

I disagree to an extrend. There is a science to it...

And the proper tools can add up to over 500$ for just specialty tools that 99% of All typical mechanic shops don't have.

I redo dozens of botched installs each year from cust that say so and so just did em and something went wrong. And more times then not the pattern is too deep or pinion preload is way loose.

 

[Xtreme XJ]

Yukon, US Gear, Dana/Spicer, and SOME Richmond are the best you can buy I feel. Of those Yukon are the best priced.

I'm partial to US Gear...

Call Robert...

Curt

 

[jeeperjohn]

Robert has it right that the single most important factor is gear setup. A few thousandths of an inch can make the difference between quiet running and reliable gears and loud gears that break teeth. Gear setup should not be done by anyone who does not have expert guidance or proper experience. The second biggest factor especially in rear gearsets is proper greak in. If you don't break the gears in properly you are sure to experience a failure in the future.

 

[RCman]

Robert has it right that the single most important factor is gear setup. A few thousandths of an inch can make the difference between quiet running and reliable gears and loud gears that break teeth.

Agreed.

Gear setup should not be done by anyone who does not have expert guidance or proper experience. The second biggest factor especially in rear gearsets is proper greak in. If you don't break the gears in properly you are sure to experience a failure in the future.

I love when these comments come up. Anyone with enough patience can setup gears. It is not rocket science. Get the correct tools, dedicate some time to learn on the first couple of attempts and anyone can be good to go. If everyone had to be an expert to install gears there wouldn't be anyone doing it, everyone has to learn at some point.

While break in is a factor, it isn't the end all. Trail rigs and comp buggies sure are not putting 500-1000 varying speed street miles on them before heading out. If the setup is done correct break in is a minor role.

 

[Xtreme XJ]

Agreed.


I love when these comments come up. Anyone with enough patience can setup gears. It is not rocket science. Get the correct tools, dedicate some time to learn on the first couple of attempts and anyone can be good to go. If everyone had to be an expert to install gears there wouldn't be anyone doing it, everyone has to learn at some point.

While break in is a factor, it isn't the end all. Trail rigs and comp buggies sure are not putting 500-1000 varying speed street miles on them before heading out. If the setup is done correct break in is a minor role.

Patience and TIME... at my stage in life time is WAY more valuable, it's not rocket science... it is wicken voodoo(to me)...
How much will those first couple attempts cost ??
I get a kick out of the folks who brag about setting up gears only to have them fail shortly after or start howling... some folks take to it... I probably wouldn't... I don't have the patience OR time...
For me I trust one or two guys... that's it... I'm more than happy to pay for both the premium gear set AND the labor cause decades later the gears will be still functioning as they should...

Curt

 

[RCman]

Patience and TIME... at my stage in life time is WAY more valuable, it's not rocket science... it is wicken voodoo(to me)...
How much will those first couple attempts cost ??
I get a kick out of the folks who brag about setting up gears only to have them fail shortly after or start howling... some folks take to it... I probably wouldn't... I don't have the patience OR time...
For me I trust one or two guys... that's it... I'm more than happy to pay for both the premium gear set AND the labor cause decades later the gears will be still functioning as they should...

Curt

Obviously it isn't for everyone, but it sure isn't voodoo.

First couple of attempts cost nothing more than the tools and gear sets if you have that time and patience as they'll be done correctly. The "attempts" I was talking about was one correct install, as its not just a bolt in matter, definitely not a number of gear sets. :roflmao: I'm surely not bragging about setting up gear sets as it is something any good mechanic can pull off.

People need to give themselves much more credit on what they can do. I'm not trying to put anyone out of a job, but someone with ability and time can correctly install a set of gears.

 

[Begster]

I agree with Bill (RCman). It may seem like vodoo magic at first, but after you have the proper tools, do a little research, and follow the directions, then you can certainly set up the gears. Once you are in there doing it, you'll begin to understand what is going on, and should be able to get them set up properly. If you can't, no harm done, just take it to someone like you would have done in the first place.

A few attempts is running patterns to see if the pattern is acceptable, definitely not a "damn my ring gear just blew up, must not have been the right pattern," type deal.

 

[jeeperjohn]

Agreed.


I love when these comments come up. Anyone with enough patience can setup gears. It is not rocket science. Get the correct tools, dedicate some time to learn on the first couple of attempts and anyone can be good to go. If everyone had to be an expert to install gears there wouldn't be anyone doing it, everyone has to learn at some point.

While break in is a factor, it isn't the end all. Trail rigs and comp buggies sure are not putting 500-1000 varying speed street miles on them before heading out. If the setup is done correct break in is a minor role.

This is why I included expert guidance as a requirement. Obviously everyone who does gears started somewhere. Some people learn in a classroom and some folks learn from others who know how. In any case it should not be attempted for the first time without some guidance to ensure it is correct before driving it. I am sure there are those who can read about it in a book and get it done right but that would be the exception.

 

[jeeperjohn]

I agree with Bill (RCman). It may seem like vodoo magic at first, but after you have the proper tools, do a little research, and follow the directions, then you can certainly set up the gears. Once you are in there doing it, you'll begin to understand what is going on, and should be able to get them set up properly. If you can't, no harm done, just take it to someone like you would have done in the first place.

A few attempts is running patterns to see if the pattern is acceptable, definitely not a "damn my ring gear just blew up, must not have been the right pattern," type deal.

Those who setup gears with no guidance or education could potentially put themselves or others at risk. For most people, they only get gears done once or twice in their life so it is not worth their while to learn how to do it. For those with a strong mechanical aptitude and a desire to learn, they should be able to read up on it and figure it out fairly well. Another factor is that there are some tools required that are not found in the typical person's toolbox. There are several good tutorials available online to help those who want to learn by doing.