Used Gears

88-GT

Member
Oct 8, 2004
183
2
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I was wondering if you guys had any thoughts on used gears at all. I am planning a rebuild and there is a guy near me with a set of 3.73s used for cheap but I am not sure on buying them used. Is it advisable? If I was to go look at them what would I be looking for as far and wear or damage. I understand how the system works but as for wear patterns I dont really have a clue. If anyone happened to have any pics of good/bad wear patterns that would be great. Thnx.


Adam
 
it depends on what they came out of etc. example, i bought my 3.73's used, they came out of like a bronco or pickup that some one wanted steeper gears in, which is quite common, so in those cases your ok, other wise, you could probably buy them and take them to a shop and have someone who knows their stuff look them over before putting them in.......i think i saw some on e bay, brand new, with a shim kit, pinion nut, and crush sleeve shipped for like 180........ford gears i believe, which is everything you need but the pinion bearing......
 
Unless they are put in with the exact same backlash, with the same amout of spacing with shims etc... and the wear on your carrier is exactly the same to give the exact wear pattern then they will wear different.

You may get lucky, you may not. Most likely not, and for the price you pay for installation if they are not right then you have wasted that money.

Here is a place that you can get Brand New gears for $149.
http://www.buyfordracing.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=459

Thats what I would do.
 
I can remember from years past, in a couple different magazine articles, the recommendation for finding a good set of used gears specifically for the purpose of running quieter. I'd have to go digging through quite a few boxes of old magazines (15+ years worth) to find them but I do remember different people suggesting the used ring & pinion route as better. Might seem hard to believe, just saying I do remember reading it a couple times....

Any professional axle mechanics out there who can tell us exactly what causes the whine in a rear end? Is it any specific issue or one common thing in particular you can trace to like gear mesh, a poor backlash setting, a poor pinion depth, etc that usually causes it 99% of the time?