Got the center out tonight and the teeth on the ring gear are eat up enough you can’t tell what pattern it had. This time it did break the teeth on the ring gear where the first was the pinion teeth. Center section is a strange nodular center with strange steel 35 spline spool. Converter that I’d been running was ATI 8” 6200 and the new converter I’ve ran the the last 4 races is a Slack 8” 6450 flash.

And it’s a no go on the 9 1/2 ring gear. 4.86 is the lowest they make. 10” goes all the way to a 6.20. If I break another I guess I’ll go 10”

quote:

Originally posted by C Hodge:
Got the center out tonight and the teeth on the ring gear are eat up enough you can’t tell what pattern it had. This time it did break the teeth on the ring gear where the first was the pinion teeth. Center section is a strange nodular center with strange steel 35 spline spool. Converter that I’d been running was ATI 8” 6200 and the new converter I’ve ran the the last 4 races is a Slack 8” 6450 flash.

I bought two Pro Strange third members from Miller Race Cars and I have a third Daytona support setup with a pinion gear for drop in and easy setup, for multiple ratio adjustments. .

I lent a friend the complete support so he could have a drop in pinion and easily swap / test two different ratio's, he called when he went to install his pinion in the support,he said my support had a sleeve pressed on the pinion for a bigger bearing (center) his support did not have. This is a pro pinion support, and he had a street Daytona support, I presume.

Does your support incorporate this sleeve? Maybe you have a street pinion support, same as he did?

Ask your gear guy if he's fighting to press this sleeve off and on the pinion, every time he does a gear for you, he'll remember it.

If not you probably have a street support.I never knew there was such an animal, I've always had this sleeve to contend with.

This is what Mr. C Hodge has going on, I'll BET! He's the same Strange nodular case as I run.

Less weight, less power. It has to be he has a street support. These things are way too easy to set up, for it to be a mis-assembly issue.

quote:

Originally posted by ts393c:
Not sure what brand you are running. But heard a rumor the Richmond pro gear was having some problems. Not sure if it's true or not but heard of a lot of people breaking them lately.

I think Motive bought out Richmond, so they’re both Italian gears just in different boxes? I’ve noticed the new Richmond gears say ‘Made in Italy’. I always try to use US Gear.

Been running US Gear Pro ring & pinions in my cars since 2012 without a failure.

quote:

Originally posted by RTR-1:

quote:

Originally posted by ts393c:
Not sure what brand you are running. But heard a rumor the Richmond pro gear was having some problems. Not sure if it's true or not but heard of a lot of people breaking them lately.

I think Motive bought out Richmond, so they’re both Italian gears just in different boxes? I’ve noticed the new Richmond gears say ‘Made in Italy’. I always try to use US Gear.

Sounds about right. I've got a 3.89, 4.11 and 4.30 US gear brand, they're excellent but we've had good service from Motive (performance line) as well running low 5's and high 4's @ 3,000 lbs. I have no problem buying anything made in western civilization because it won't put pressure on US citizens wages, anywhere in western civilization have the same pay as we do, it's not like purchasing eastern third world civilization slave wage labor products.

https://www.usgear.com/product...d&size=9-inch&page=1

I looked at US gear product website, it's phenomenal as far as being informative (tooth count and specs). That must mean they're selling a lot of US manufactured ring and pinions. Americans are catching on, that's great. The gear calculator in there is pretty good, first I've seen calculating converter slip, fairly accurately. Interesting lineup of gear ratio's too, some you don't typically see 4.00, 4.63, 4.78. We might need a 4.78 soon. If I were C. Hodge I might consider going US Gear route this go around, can't hurt.

Thanks for the link Mike, there's a lot I didn't know about US Gear. I've noticed with the US Gears I've setup that the gear pattern is always consistent around the ring gear. Also, unlike some other brands, the pattern is even it isn't shifted on the drive and coast sides from toe to heel.
I didn't know they offer Superfinished gears which require no break in which is very nice!
Usually the break in period is the 1st burnout.

I installed a Richmond Pro Gear last winter in my 12 bolt. The pinion depth number was way off compared to the 10 year old same pn gear I removed. Yes, the head to bearing seat was the same. Also, the splines and the outter bearing were oversize. I had to polish the outter bearing diameter on the pinion using my lathe. There was probably .002-.003 interference fit. No way to get the bearing on in the housing - it would have to be pressed on - not practical. I also had to polish and wire brush the splines and beat the yoke on and off multiple times to get it loose enough to install in the housing.

That's the last set I'll buy. I installed my previous set in my driveway as I was racing out of my trailer at the time. Bet those were made in USA.

Should you lean towards a US gear pro gear....don't expect it to last more than 75 runs.

That statement came directly from US gear.

Setup a gear for a friend, 70 runs later it's clicking. Friend called US gear and whomever he spoke to basically condemned him for a running a pro gear in a low 6 second backhalf car. When asked about sending the gear for analysis, they were not interested in working with him in any manner. Understandably frustrated with that customer service, my buddy explained he'll be happy to let anyone in the market for a gear to know his experience. Us gear told him ok, have a nice day.

To us the heat treat didn't look right. The ring gear after 70 runs was very grainy.

Before anyone suggests it...yes it was setup correctly and yes i'm experienced with metallurgy and heat treating processes to make that assumption.

Blanket statements help no one!

The US Gear Pro ring & pinion in both my mid 5 second back halved door car as well the set in my 4.60s dragster have far more than 75 passes on them and I don’t expect they will ever fail just as the sets before them in both cars that had over 700 passes on each of them when I retired them from service but carry them as spares because they look that good.