5/4/2C- Reading and Adjusting the

Ring & Pinion Tooth Pattern

The gear pattern is the final check of a
proper installation. It takes a bit of an "eye" to
read them properl y, but with just a littl e practi ce
and coaching, everyone can learn to do it.
1) Tooth Nomenclature. Terms for describing specific areas
of the gear teeth.
~ ~ I
(Outo:r rnd) Co..'\St
Face ( 1 ...... I..a. KI)
End view 01 tooLh rrom ~ I
(Out er encf)
Coast
Rank (Kuul)
Drive
Drive
(r.nnVl""ll)
Randy Sez
Reading Gear Patterns on New Gears
The only part of the pattern that helps me set pinion depth correctly is the contact position
between the face and f lank. If the pattern appears to be toward the heel or toe, I pay li ttle or
no attent ion. Whil e making adjustments, the pattern may also change toward the heel or toe,
but in most cases this aspect of the pattern ca nnot be put into an ideal posit ion. Even if it does-
n't seem intuitive or reasonable, I am onl y concerned with the pattern position between the
face and flank. I have fou nd that housing alignment and the exact posit ion of the pini on bore
during manufacture affects the heel to toe pattern and cannot be altered without machi ne
work. Bottom li ne: a contact pattern that is centered from face to fl ank a lways ind icates a cor-
rect pinion depth, even if a centered heel-to-toe pattern cannot be obta ined.
2) The first step is to cover both sides of three or four teeth on opposite sides of the ring gear with marking compound.
Randy Sez
Reading PaUerns on Used Gears
Pay the most attent ion to the pattern on
the coast side of the ring gear when set -
ling up used gearsets. Thi s area pro-
vides the best indicator because it is
usua ll y worn less. The reverse wi ll be
true on standa rd cut ring gears used on
front axles, so use the drive side for
reading the pattern.
3) Rotate the ring gear in both directions over the painted areas using the pinion yoke to spin it. Supply some drag on the ring
gear while doing it. This will help give you a nice clear pattern like this one. The pattern on the drive side is most important to
read on rear axles, but if a standard CuI ring gear is used up front read the coast side. On reverse cut gears up front, read the
drive side. Thi s is an acceptable pattern, but look at the following figures for more info on reading pa!!erns.
Acceptable Patterns
Hcd




Tur.
II ....... "
4) These are all acceptable patterns. You want to see pa!!erns that have soft edges to them. In general, pattern movements can
be summarized this way:
1) Moving the pinion gear closer to the carrier will move the drive side pattern closer to the flank and slightly toward the toe.
The coast pattern will move deeper toward the tooth flank and slightly toward the heel.
2) Moving the pinion away from the carrier will move the drive pa!!ern toward the face and slightly to the heel. The coast side
will move toward the face and to the toe.
Pinion is Too Close
lIcd
~
~
5
5) These patterns show a pinion thai is too close to the carrier. In this case you wou ld remove shim thickness. How much thick-
ness \0 remove is a guesstimate, but it's generall y recommended to do it in .OOS-inch increments.
Pinion is Too Far Away
~ ~
Ilt'lI'J
Hocl
Hocl
~
6
6) These show patterns indicating the pinion is too far away from the carrier. In this case, you would add thickness in .005-
inch increments until the correct pattern is obtained.