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USA Standard Gear Articles and Blog

Ford 9″ – Getting a ring to clear pilot housing

Ford 9″ – Getting a ring to clear pilot housing

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  05-24-2021

A very common problem when installing low gear ratios in a Ford 9” is that as the ring gear gets thicker the toe of the gear hits the pilot bearing housing leaving you with only two options, grind the gear, or the housing. We prefer grinding the gear, the problem with grinding on the pilot housing is it tends to make it thin and weak making it prone to cracking. By grinding the gear you have...

New Gear Break-In

New Gear Break-In

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  03-22-2020

Do we really need to break in a new gear set? I have heard many people say “When I bought my new truck, no one ever told me to break in the ring & pinion.” Whenever we are blessed enough to afford a new vehicle, we take it easy on the engine for the first few hundred miles. While we are pampering the engine (probably for the last time ever), the ring & pinion set goes along for the...

Grinding Gears

Grinding Gears

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  03-22-2020

Many people would rather have their children genetically altered before they would grind gear teeth. Gears are not handed to us by God. They are designed by people who have figured out how to form steel into shapes that can be used to multiply torque and change power-shaft directions. Although some of us hold gears in very high esteem, they are not sacred. They can be ground on a surprising...

Four Critical Ring & Pinion Settings

Four Critical Ring & Pinion Settings

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  05-24-2021

Although proper ring & pinion setup can be accomplished at home, I really recommend having a professional do the job. However, if a person really insists on trying it (and that is really the only way to learn), here is some information that should be helpful. When setting up a ring & pinion, there are four critical settings that need to be correct in order to get proper setup and...

Driveline Angles & Vibration

Driveline Angles & Vibration

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  03-22-2020

I have had more than a few customers come back to our service shop after a gear ratio change to complain that we caused a new vibration in their vehicle. In actuality, we inadvertently caused the vibration by increasing the driveline speed. When changing to a lower gear ratio (numerically higher) the driveline speed increases proportionally to the change in the ratio. For example, when...

Positraction Chatter

Positraction Chatter

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  10-12-2020

When looking for great off-road traction an aggressive positraction is one of the most popular ways to go. But, when driving on the street every day that great off-road posi may be annoying. I have found that it is very difficult to make a positraction work really well off-road and still not chatter during every day driving. Many say that they can do it but my question is can they do it...

Worms Can Help Off-Road Traction

Worms Can Help Off-Road Traction

Posted by :  Evan | Posted on :  03-22-2020

Even though the Gleason Torsen limited slip differential has been out of production for about thirteen years now, I still get quite a few questions about it. The Gleason Torsen was a gear driven, torque-sensing limited slip differential that was very smooth and reliable, as long as it was not used with tall tires. Although Gleason decided it was too difficult to make a strong yet economical...