Seting up new ring and pinion

[Old Rugged Crosser]

Setting up a new ring and pinion has been something I have always left to others because I knew little about doing it. Recently I had a opportunity to skirt it once again but I couldn't resist the temptation. I knew that I needed to educate myself in order to take on this challenge. I went to the web and studied different sites that gave ideas. I also went to the pirate site and they had some real good blogs on it. I got to learn by the mistakes of others.

Well once I got into it it wasn't so bad. I made up a set of trial bearings and races to get the shims right without continually pulling the bearings off after pressing them on. That worked great. I got the tip off of the Pirate blog. I got to make use of my dial indicator with its magnetic base to set up the back lash. Also armed with a good torque wrench and a good digital caliper, dead blow hammer and brass drifts, along with an assortment of other tools, I went to work. I found that it wasn't so bad and I discovered that I should not have run from it all these years.

So my advice is when something new comes along that you have not done, first educate yourself and give it the big try. I have some pic's of my final pattern on the ring gear. Your gear heads take a look and read my pattern. I believe it is what the books call for.





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Well it is time now to get on with the next project. Funny thing you have to work on it before you can take it out and play with it. =D>

[tufcj]

Looks good. Setup is usually pretty easy when you have old gears still in the housing and use those shims as a starting point. One additional thing I do is check the pattern at at least 3 places on the ring gear. I have found warped carriers that change the pattern around the ring gear. I won't do a job without setup bearings. I have them for the AMC20, Dana 30, 44 (2 sizes), and 60. I also bought a pinion depth tool to get a starting depth on those bare housings I've set up.

Bob
tufcj

[Old Rugged Crosser]

BOB: Your to be envied needing a specialized tool and getting it to do the job as you mentioned. You know all my life I have been one to follow the precept that one should use the correct tool for the job. Many times it is the difference between success or failure.

My problem now is that I don't have many years left to be doing this sort of thing. One's age does catch up. That now is my predicament. I hate to spend money on expensive tools for what to me would be a one-time usage. Last January my shop was broken into and my plasma cutter was stolen along with $1000 of new engine parts. Now I can't justify replacing my plasma cutter even though I have this huge jeep project going where it would be so nice to have it not only for the ease but the quality of my work. It seems that every time I go to another project I need another expensive tool. So on some projects now I must send out like rebuilding my TH400. I would like to do it myself but ......

It is hard to face the reality of life--that it catches up with you. As for passing my tools on I have no one to pass them to. I have 3 grown sons and not one of them is mechanical. I tried to get them interested in my racing hobbies as they grew up, but to no avail. So to now add to my tool list seems to be folly. Even my jeep, I feel like I am building it for someone else as I will probably get 5 more years out of it at the most. Then it will be left behind for someone else to enjoy. It's hard to put one's all into a project with those thoughts in mind. For me that is hard because I have always been a nit pick for details. "That's good enough" is not in my vocabulary. Getting old sucks.

[tufcj]

You're only as old as you act. I'm a tool horse myself, and never have a problem buying the right tool if I'm going to use it more than once. My dad was a mechanic/stock car racer, I've been in the garage since I was able to read the size on a wrench and hand it to dad. I've been buying my own tools since I got my 1st job at 16.

I just turned 50 last week. Although crawling under a dirty vehicle isn't as fun as it used to be, I still enjoy it. When I stop enjoying it, I'll stop doing it. I have been trying to mentor the younger kids in my Jeep and AMC clubs, teaching them to fabricate, do mechanical like gears and such. I have them come over to the house, where they do the grunt work while I supervise. It's amazing how much the broke twenty-somethings appreciate a place to work on their vehicles and someone who has done it before to lead them in the right direction.

I'm in good health, and hope to stay in the hobby at least another 25 years.

Bob
tufcj

[Old Rugged Crosser]

BOB:

You're only as old as you act.

Oh how many times I've said that! Where the problem comes in is what does one do when he can't act young?

I can really appreciate your reply. I could use some good news. It is funny how we make plans and life comes along and changes things. I too like you have a mind of a 50 year old. And about that I say appreciate it while you can. It's my body that I forgot to plan for. It comes with age. We don't plan on things like arthritic joints and such. I've had all my major joints surgically replaced and the knees twice. This complicates a sport that requires a lot of agility and mobility.

The point I would like to really make is to enjoy your life at 50 as much as you possibly can and make plans for the possibility of them to change. The drudge is having a mind of 40 and the body of 65 wanting with a strong interest to do those 40 things. You can't just shut it off. I refuse to quite. But I know what it means to battle on. I wish I hadn't moved late in my life so I would know more people around me to do as you do.

Please don't think that sympathy is what I am looking for, far from it. I only want to get across that we make plans and some times we have nothing to say about how and when they change, and to make plans for the possibility of when they do. Enjoy it and your tools while you can. I think what you are doing is great and I find encouragement in that. Thanks for the insight.