Finishing a 9". How's my pattern and preload?
 

Got my center section assembled with Motive 4.11s. I got a .0095 backlash. How is my pattern on these pics? Also I got my pinion bearing preload right at about 20in/lbs, but it's kinda tough to move by hand, is it supposed to be that way? The pinion seal squeaks when I turn it. I assume it will loosen up a bit when I get it running, but is this right??

The paint doesn't want to seem to wipe good, but you can still see the pattern. It LOOKS kind of low because on some of the pics I didn't paint to the very bottom, but main wipe is pretty centered on the tooth.
http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0863.jpeg
http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0861.jpeg
http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0859.jpeg

Buuump. Anyone got an opinion?

Looks a little deep, what pinion shim did you install? I usually start out with a .018 pinion shim with a new build and adjust from there. I've had a few seals squeek, you should be fine but in the future put some grease on the seal before install.

I was thinking the same, i like to see it more in the middle, you should also practice holding the pinion and rocking the ring back and forth, after time you will be able to hear the difference in the back lash.

I didn't even measure the pinion shim, but it was certainly the thinnest one. I'll try the exact next size thicker tomorrow and repaint.

I would say it's too deep also. With my 4:10 motive's I ended up at .023" of shim. Make sure you check your backlash at several spots around the ring gear.

That is too deep the pinion needs to move away from the ring gear. I would go at least .003 to .004 out from where you are now. You might even go .005 out. You need to measure your shim thickness.

Also Motive gears have the backlash etched into the ring gear, make sure you match that since that is how they were ran when lapped in at the factory.

Here are my Motive 3.90's I setup.

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...e/imag0740.jpg

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...e/imag0738.jpg

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...e/imag0739.jpg

Is that what this is? I've always read .008-.012 for Motive gears. I'm assuming this means .006-.008? I just moved my pinion out a bit. Looks pretty center, but the backlash is off and need to know where I need to land it.
http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0876.jpeg

Ok so I put in the next thickest shim (I couldn't measure because I don't have a caliper). Pinion depth looks pretty spot on centered. I adjusted the backlash a bit. I also cannot measure the backlash right now because I can't borrow my buddy's dial indicator for a few more days, but it feels a TAD tighter than my .0095 I had. I'm sure it's between .006-.008. My pattern is looking better. How does this look? I had my buddy spin it while I an axle was in, and I was putting a good bit of pressure on it to spin. My camera doesn't show up the wipe too well, but you can see the pattern.

http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0885.jpeghttp://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0884.jpeg

Still too deep. Come out some more. The backlash looks pretty good. You really should be measuring all this stuff. I would shoot for .008 back lash. That measurement on the ring gear means you should get no less than .006 and no more than.008. At any spot.

I think the pattern looks acceptable IMO, ^^^ how does one know the backlash from a pic?

Becasue the pattern is centered heel to toe on the drive and coast side. If the drive pattern were towards the heel the backlash would be too wide, if it were towards the toe the backlash would be too tight. Sometimes it is acceptable to have the drive pattern towards the toe because the pattern will move up the tooth under a load. The Motive gears seem to like the pattern centered heel to toe on drive and coast.

That pattern is still too deep, you can see on the coast side how it looks triangle and there is a straight cut line on the bottom of the pattern, indicating the pinion needs to move out some more. That gear will make noise if ran like that. It is getting better though.

Ok so the coast side is indicating too deep? I'm afraid pulling the pinion out will make the drive side too shallow. Last night I messed with the spanners a bit to get the backlash a little better. Got some better pics here.

How about this?
http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0891.jpeghttp://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0889.jpeg

They both show pinion is too deep. keep coming out till you have just a sliver of paint over the pattern, as long as it is not running of the tooth you are good. Another rule of thumb is that your pattern should not have any straight lines in it.

Thanks for explaining.

Since my last post. I've messed around with a few shims. I skipped a shim, and it was too thick, I couldn't get it anywhere near correct. So I went down one shim (slightly thicker than the previous pictures posted) And spent a very long time messing with the backlash and ring depth. This is the best I've been able to come up with after a few days of messing with it.. How is this?

http://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0916.jpeghttp://home.comcast.net/~sentinel00/IMAG0913.jpeg

That looks a lot better, run it.

Thanks for all your help 96lt4c4, I've had a few others locally tell me my pattern looks perfectly runnable. My car should be up and running this weekend. Just need to get my axle bearings put on.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...31326708_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...55371813_n.jpg

Why my car broke 3 months ago :(
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...56765573_n.jpg

No problem, good luck with it.

Thats a mighty pretty pattern right there. :thumb: