-4, but, I just use madman's method.

Take one measurement off the rearend, set it and forget it.

 

so then you take your pinion measurement minus the drive shaft measurement? i thought the bmr video said to subtract the pinion angle from the drive shaft angle???

 

The pinion angle is +3, for it to be -3 the rear end would have to be at -8*.

 

The mostest easiest way of checking the pinion angle would be.

1. Place the angle finder on the bottom of the driveshaft
2. Wait for the pointer to settle
3. Slowly lower the part of the angle finder that is towards the rear of the vehicle until the pointer moves 2 markers (2*). REMEMBER THAT ANGLE!!! better yet remember that marker, it represents two degreed less than the driveshaft angle.
4. place the angle finder on the torque arm mounting plate (will stay since it is magnetic)
5. Now adjust the torque arm until you get the angle finder to point to that EXACT MARK. Now your pinion angle is -2*

Using this method you don't have to work about positive angles, negative angle, do I subtract this from that or add that to this. All the math is done by simply lowering the angle finder.

 

Using your own math in post #7


Driveshaft +5 rear end +2
+2-(+5)=-3

 

I also used my math from post 7 and it is +3.

The driveshaft is pointing downward towards the rear of the car: -5*
The rear end is point downward towards the rear of the car (TA mount facing bottom of car, cover facing ground): -2*

-2-(-5)=+3*

Draw a picture and you get a better idea of what is going on.

 

He said ds angle is 5, not -5. I don't need the description only the angles. If he meant -5, he should have said that.

 

Thats the problem with people's confusion, they get too caught up with postive, negative, adding and subtract.

You have to start by picking a reference.
If the rear of the driveshaft is pointing to the ground then I call that negative. This is usually the case when the front of the car is on ramps, rear of the car is pointing down towards the ground, I call down negative.
If the rear of the driveshaft is pointing up towards the sky that usually means I have the rear tires on ramps, driveshaft pointing up, up is positive.
If the rear end cover is pointing to the ground then that means the yolk/TA mount is looking up at the sky/bottom of car. If you use the same logic as you did with the driveshaft then this is a negative angle (rear end cover looking at the ground)
If the rear end cover is pointing up towards the sky then call that positive

Now that we have our reference lets use the earlier question.
Driveshaft is pointing down towards the rear of the car 5*: I call that -5*
Rear end yolk is looking at the bottom of the car and he said 2*: I call that -2*
Now, RearEnd - Driveshaft= -2*-(-5*)=+3

Here is a hint, when reading the angle finder, to avoid confusion, NEVER read the number as negative or positive, just read it as a number. Then use the 4 situations above to add a positive or negative sign. If the angle is like 1* and you really can't tell if the driveshaft or rear end is pointing up or down then play with the angle finder. If you tint the rear of the angle finder down and the pointer crosses 0 then you know that your previous reading was a postive number because you are making the angle finder go negative and the only way it could cross 0 is if it was previously a positive number. If it doesn't cross 0 then you know that the previous number was negative.

Also, with my car, which I had on ramps (rear)
Driveshaft was pointing up 6* and rear end pointing up 4*
4*-6*=-2*
If I had ramps with a smaller slop then my driveshaft might point up 2* and the rear end would be at 0* (flat)
0*-2*=-2*
If I raised the front of the car (ramps) and my driveshaft was pointing down 5*(-5* using my reference) then the rear end better be pointing down -7*.

 

I'm not confused at all. I could turn the car upside down and stand on my head while taking the measurements, still won't change the pinion angle. He said the ds angle was 5, and the rear angle was 2, which means -3.

 

So if his driveshaft was pointing up 5* degrees and the rear end was pointing up 2* degrees isnt this -3* (2-5=-3). If your say yes to that question (which is the correct answer) and you still believe his first example is -3* then how did the driveshaft move a total of 10* (from -5 to +5) and the rear end only move 4* (from -2* to +2*)? Both can't be -3!
Just think, if his driveshaft is pointing down 5* then that means he has the front of the car on ramps. If he levels the car and records a DS angle of 0* that means the driveshaft moved up positive 5*. Everything on the car is connect together. If the driveshaft moves up 5 degrees then the rear end moves up 5* from -2* to +3*

5* isn't simply 5* if 5* is actually -5*

 

Wow and I thought I was confused before. How about I just make sure the car is level, put the angle finder on the TA mounting plate and set it to -3* and be done?

And like I said above, my post was just for reference and had nothing to do with my actual measurements. I'll try to get some actual measurements this afternoon when I go out to work on my car again.

 

Yeah, it is confusing and im just trying to help. Just remember, -3* means that you rear end points 3* more towards the ground than the driveshaft.
these all give you -3* pinion angle
driveshaft rear end
5 2
4 1
3 0
2 -1
0 -3
-3 -6
etc.

 

I understand what you're saying. What I'm saying is that it's impossible to have a positive pinion angle if your ds angle is +5 and your rear axle angle is+2. Sorry to the original poster for all the drama.

 

LOL

Now everybody knows why this is confusing.

 

Great info here!