I'm trying to set up the gears on my D60 (Chevy front) and was hoping that you guys might be able to give me some tips on which way I need to go. I'm a bit frustrated, I've tried about 10 different settings on the pinion depth and just haven't been able to get it quite right. I've gone as thin as .039 and the pattern pretty much sucked with that. Went as high as .071 and that sucked too. the .045-,046 was the best I've found. We did start with the original shim thickness, and ended up within .010 from that. These are standard thickness Motive 5.13s on an ARB.

I think it looks *OK*, but I want it to look *good*. The thing that concerns me is the fact that I can't get the contact any closer to the flank of the gear. No matter what I did, the pattern always started at where it is in the pics, I couldn't get it any closer to the flank. It is pretty close to the face (top edge) of the gear, not sure if this is a problem or not.

The pattern on the coast side is as far from the toe as I could get it without sacrificing the rest of the pattern. The first tooth in the pic (on the right) seems to have the worst pattern, the ones behind it don't have such a concave edge on the face side. That's confusing me also.

Any help you guys can offer would be appreciated. The following pics were taken with .008" backlash and pinion shim pack thickness of .046".

Coast side -

http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/1612coast1.jpg

Drive side -

http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/1612drive1.jpg

Here is the part I'm concerned about, I wish I could get the pattern deeper into the flank -

http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/1612flankfacedepthnotes.jpg

didnt you say this was a front 60 out of a chevy...standard rotation?.... If so your drive and coast is backwards unless im looking at the picture wrong... std cut front ends run on the weak side of the gear...ect... actually the strongest part of a ring gear is the inside of the tooth... not centered.... If I set up a 9 for a street car I will plant the drive pattern on the front half of the teeth... This is how I was taught..

Mike-

Looks pretty darn okay to me. I'd say run it.

However if the date stamp on those pics is correct, I'd say you've probably got it figured out by now. :)

--D

I would move the pinion back just a touch, say .005 and call it good. It is VERY close as it is, and would probably run ok.

Ed

Originally posted by Rock Taxi
I would move the pinion back just a touch, say .005 and call it good. It is VERY close as it is, and would probably run ok.

Ed

agreed!

Mike - I think maybe the pics are confusing, the convex side is the drive side, concave is coast, from everything I've seen. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

thanks everyone for the replies, I had the pinion at .041 right before I put it at .046 (where it is now), and the pattern was actually worse. Maybe I'll split the difference and see how it looks there.

So I guess there is no need for my concern about the pattern being so far from the root of the teeth? I don't see how I can get it any closer, but none of the write-ups I've seen have said anything about there being an unused portion of the tooth towards the root. Thanks again:D

I think your backlash is too loose. Try 0.006" on the backlash. I had an aftermarket d 60 (my 1st none Dana-Spicer brand gearset) & was amazed how much of a difference the backlash made. I never had a Dana-Spicer brand that responded like that. Try to get real close to the minimum spec (isn't it 0.006" on a D60?) for backlash & see what that does for you.

On the chevy 60 front the std. rotation gear is turning backwards, you want your best patteren on the drive side, that is the coast side.Looking at the patteren you have, you need to add .005 to the pinion bearing shim. You need the patteren to move out a little more on the new drive side.The new coast side can shift a little.Run a new patteren. steve differential eng. inc.

keep in mind you gain strength by moving the pinion OUT on the ring gear (where the teeth are thicker).

Your pattern looks a little close to the inside from the pic