Please help setup pinion angle on T/A!!!
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From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Please help setup pinion angle on T/A!!! I'm not sure exactly how to set the pinion angle or what exactly it should be at on my T/A, please help! I know it makes a diff what the angle should be for manual vs auto, so I need it for auto cuz I have a Turbo 400 in my Z! My angle was pretty good cuz I was cuttin 1.58's with less power, but before I went to the track the other night I noticed a loose nut on the torque arm that holds the adjuster from moving, so I tried setting up the angle, but definately didn't do it right, cuz all I was cuttin all night was 1.61's and the car has more power now, so I would think it would've 60'd better! It felt like it was dead hooking, just didn't feel like it was leaving as hard as it usually does!!! I have a magnetic angle finder, just not sure if i'm placing it in the correct spots and not sure what to do with the readings! Thanks for any help!
Instructions say to place angle finder on the driveshaft, write down the angle, then place on TQ arm mouting plate (where it bolts to rear), write down that measurement, & subtract. For example +3 on driveshaft, -7 on TQ arm, =-4.
I run -4, as do quite a few others here. You might want to start at -2 & work your way there. Make sure car is on all 4's. I did mine on an alignment rack, but I have done it also by putting the car on bricks under each wheel. Whatever works for you.
I run -4, as do quite a few others here. You might want to start at -2 & work your way there. Make sure car is on all 4's. I did mine on an alignment rack, but I have done it also by putting the car on bricks under each wheel. Whatever works for you.
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From: Hot Rainy Humid +2000 DA South Florida
Originally Posted by Black Sunshine/ 00SS
Instructions say to place angle finder on the driveshaft, write down the angle, then place on TQ arm mouting plate (where it bolts to rear), write down that measurement, & subtract. For example +3 on driveshaft, -7 on TQ arm, =-4.
I run -4, as do quite a few others here. You might want to start at -2 & work your way there. Make sure car is on all 4's. I did mine on an alignment rack, but I have done it also by putting the car on bricks under each wheel. Whatever works for you.
I run -4, as do quite a few others here. You might want to start at -2 & work your way there. Make sure car is on all 4's. I did mine on an alignment rack, but I have done it also by putting the car on bricks under each wheel. Whatever works for you.
+3 - (-7) = +10 ?
or
-7 - (+3) = -10 ?
Was that just a bad use of an example?
I'm gunna measure my angles tonite, I installed my TA and set the angle eye. I'd be curious to see what my pinion angle really is.
Thx,
Lee
I don't really see where pinion angle measured in relation to the DS has much to do with traction. Only the degree that the pinion itself faces would seem to matter. The more it points down the more traction you should get to an extent. Of course at the risk of breaking u-joints. Just my opinion.
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From: Out on the farm in Central IL
I used the driveshat and TA mounting plate method. Billingsly has the car now for roll bar installation and strange driveshaft. Jay said I had a positive pinion angle. He said to use the pinion yoke and the driveshaft. I hope he will explain this and show me when I pick the car up this weekend. If he does I will post what I learn.
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From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by Steve Burger
I used the driveshat and TA mounting plate method. Billingsly has the car now for roll bar installation and strange driveshaft. Jay said I had a positive pinion angle. He said to use the pinion yoke and the driveshaft. I hope he will explain this and show me when I pick the car up this weekend. If he does I will post what I learn.
heres perspective. to have negative pinion angle of the driveshaft to the rear from the top of both would measure to to be less than a total of 180*
with positive angle they should measure more than 180* between them
to have -3* you would want 3 degrees less than perfectly flat(180) which is 177.
with positive angle they should measure more than 180* between them
to have -3* you would want 3 degrees less than perfectly flat(180) which is 177.
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From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Yeah, I had emailed BMR and they sent me a reply yesterday to call them. So I called them when I got off of work today, and they explained to me exactly what to do, they were a great help, thanks BMR!!!!!! I was measuring from the flat spot on the bottom of the rearend, not on the actual bracket that the t/a bolts to the rear with, and I was doing the #'s wrong, you have to take the difference between the two #'s and you want the # on the rear mounting plate to be - and a bigger number than the # on the driveshaft. Like right now my driveshaft angle is showing +2.5 and my torque arm mounting plate angle is showing -4, so it's a -1.5 pinion angle.
One ? though. I set the pinion angle to -2.5 at first and there was a ton of vibration and noise from the tires, so I backed it off to -2, and it got better but was still a lot (sounded like the damn u-joint was just gonna snap), so I then backed it off to -1.5 and it's perfect, no vibration or noise from the tires. Well, my ? is, should I start going back more aggressive a couple turns at a time till the vibration and noise comes back and then back it off one turn so I get the most aggressive angle I can get w/o ruining the u-joint? Also, if it's vibrating and making noise like that and all, is it hurting traction b/c it's set over aggressive, or is it just not good to run it like that on the street, like should I put it back up to -2 or -2.5 when i'm at the track? Let me know what you guys think, thanks!!!
One ? though. I set the pinion angle to -2.5 at first and there was a ton of vibration and noise from the tires, so I backed it off to -2, and it got better but was still a lot (sounded like the damn u-joint was just gonna snap), so I then backed it off to -1.5 and it's perfect, no vibration or noise from the tires. Well, my ? is, should I start going back more aggressive a couple turns at a time till the vibration and noise comes back and then back it off one turn so I get the most aggressive angle I can get w/o ruining the u-joint? Also, if it's vibrating and making noise like that and all, is it hurting traction b/c it's set over aggressive, or is it just not good to run it like that on the street, like should I put it back up to -2 or -2.5 when i'm at the track? Let me know what you guys think, thanks!!!
Originally Posted by Loudmouth LS1
Yeah, I had emailed BMR and they sent me a reply yesterday to call them. So I called them when I got off of work today, and they explained to me exactly what to do, they were a great help, thanks BMR!!!!!! I was measuring from the flat spot on the bottom of the rearend, not on the actual bracket that the t/a bolts to the rear with, and I was doing the #'s wrong, you have to take the difference between the two #'s and you want the # on the rear mounting plate to be - and a bigger number than the # on the driveshaft. Like right now my driveshaft angle is showing +2.5 and my torque arm mounting plate angle is showing -4, so it's a -1.5 pinion angle.
One ? though. I set the pinion angle to -2.5 at first and there was a ton of vibration and noise from the tires, so I backed it off to -2, and it got better but was still a lot (sounded like the damn u-joint was just gonna snap), so I then backed it off to -1.5 and it's perfect, no vibration or noise from the tires. Well, my ? is, should I start going back more aggressive a couple turns at a time till the vibration and noise comes back and then back it off one turn so I get the most aggressive angle I can get w/o ruining the u-joint? Also, if it's vibrating and making noise like that and all, is it hurting traction b/c it's set over aggressive, or is it just not good to run it like that on the street, like should I put it back up to -2 or -2.5 when i'm at the track? Let me know what you guys think, thanks!!!
One ? though. I set the pinion angle to -2.5 at first and there was a ton of vibration and noise from the tires, so I backed it off to -2, and it got better but was still a lot (sounded like the damn u-joint was just gonna snap), so I then backed it off to -1.5 and it's perfect, no vibration or noise from the tires. Well, my ? is, should I start going back more aggressive a couple turns at a time till the vibration and noise comes back and then back it off one turn so I get the most aggressive angle I can get w/o ruining the u-joint? Also, if it's vibrating and making noise like that and all, is it hurting traction b/c it's set over aggressive, or is it just not good to run it like that on the street, like should I put it back up to -2 or -2.5 when i'm at the track? Let me know what you guys think, thanks!!!
Bruce
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From: Out on the farm in Central IL
Here is how it was explained to me. Get the angle on the DS as close to the U Joint as possible. Then get the angle off of the flat spot on the Pinion yoke. I was told the the TA mounting bracket is not as accurate as the pinion yoke. The TA mounting bracket may not be flat or in line with the pinion. From there do the math.
Just what I was told.
Just what I was told.
Originally Posted by FEAR THE LS1
Hrmm that doesn't make sense... If you take the angle of the drive shaft +3 and the angle of the rear plate -7 and you are supposed to subtract them..
+3 - (-7) = +10 ?
or
-7 - (+3) = -10 ?
Was that just a bad use of an example?
I'm gunna measure my angles tonite, I installed my TA and set the angle eye. I'd be curious to see what my pinion angle really is.
Thx,
Lee
+3 - (-7) = +10 ?
or
-7 - (+3) = -10 ?
Was that just a bad use of an example?
I'm gunna measure my angles tonite, I installed my TA and set the angle eye. I'd be curious to see what my pinion angle really is.
Thx,
Lee
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From: MI
Originally Posted by Rick C5
The driveshaft is actually -3 also. Not positive. It's either (-)(-) or (0)(0) or (+)(+). There is no way to have a (+)(-).
Like I said, I may be totally wrong. That is just my rambling geometric rationalization. I have the BMR T/A on my car as well and I still am not sure what it's set at because the example in the instructions didn't make any sense.
Last edited by 2QuickZ's; Mar 26, 2004 at 05:14 PM.
Well it just depends on the way you look at it. But you comparing the angle in relation to the opposite side. When you're at 0* Your driveshaft and pinion will be totally in a straight line. But when you go to negative pinion angle, both the driveshaft and pinion will be negative (both facing down towards the ground). When there is a positive pinion angle the driveshaft and and pinion will both face up. If you were to use a angle finder and you did both readings on the same side of the car, yes you would get a reading of one positive and one negative, that's where people get the mix up of positive and negative. Take the reading from opposite sides of the car, then you will get a (-)(-) or (+)(+) reading. When you take readings form the same side of the car your first would be a relation of pinion and driveshaft, when you take the reading on the driveshaft on the same side of the car as you did on the pinion you'd get a angle of driveshaft vs drivetrain. It might be hard to understand, kinda of hard to explain. But it's very easy to do. I always take the measurement from the same side of the car, just remember the one reading on the driveshaft is actually (-) not positive that it shows. 
mine cam out with a + and a - when i did my bmr. you measure it from the plate on the bottom of the rear end housing, and the drive shaft. mine is set at -3. i believe the measurements were like +3 and -6
autos are set at -2 to -4 i believe.
autos are set at -2 to -4 i believe.