Gear Contact Pattern
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2004 Dodge Dakota and 2003 Dodge Dakota. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Gear tooth contact pattern is used to verify the correct running position of the ring and pinion gears. This will produce low noise and long gear life. Gears which are not positioned properly may be noisy and have shorten gear life.
- Wipe clean each tooth of the ring gear.
- Apply gear marking compound to all of the ring gear teeth.
- Verify bearing cap bolts are torque specification.
- Apply parking brakes lightly to create at 14 N.m (10 ft. lbs.) pinion rotating torque.
- Rotate the pinion/pinion yoke 4 full revolutions in each directions.
- Read gear tooth contact pattern.
- Gear contact pattern is correct (Fig 1 ). Backlash and pinion depth is correct.
- Ring gear is too far away from the pinion gear (Fig 2 ). Decrease the backlash, by moving the ring closer to the pinion gear using the adjusters.
- Ring gear is too close to the pinion gear (Fig 3 ). Increase the backlash, by moving the ring away from the pinion gear using the adjusters.
- Ring gear is too far away from the pinion gear (Fig 4 ). Decrease the backlash, by moving the ring closer to the pinion gear using the adjusters.
- Ring gear is too close to the pinion gear (Fig 5 ). Increase the backlash, by moving the ring away from the pinion gear using the adjusters.
- Pinion gear is set too low (Fig 6 ). Increase the pinion gear height, by increasing the pinion depth shim thickness.
- Pinion gear is set too high (Fig 7 ). Decrease the pinion depth, by decreasing the pinion depth shim thickness.