Your engine rotates so your tires can rotate, but after your engine rotation goes through the transmission, transfer case, and driveshafts it has to make a 90-degree turn to continue out your axleshafts to your tires. Ring-and-pinion gears are responsible for this 90-degree turn, and that’s not all. The ring-and-pinion gearset multiplies the effective power of the engine through the gear ratio. This torque multiplication can affect the performance of the 4x4 by compensating for taller tires, helping weak engines crawl over tall trail obstructions, and keeping the engine in its power band at high speeds. With so much riding on the ring-and-pinion, it’s important to understand how they work. The ring-and-pinion comprises two gears that mesh inside your axlehousing. The pinion gear turns with the driveshaft while the ring gear turns with the tires via the differential.The ring-and-pinion comprises two gears that mesh inside your axlehousing. The pinion gear Ring-and-pinion gears are typically made of a special steel alloy known as 8620 that has been heat treated for strength and longevity.Ring-and-pinion gears are typically made of a special steel alloy known as 8620 that has b As the engine’s rotating motion comes down the driveshaft, it attaches to the pinion gear via a yoke or flange. The yoke or flange has internal splines that match up with the pinion’s splines. The pinion is located in the axlehousing by two or three bearings depending on the design. The yoke or flange has a smooth sealing surface that seals in the gear oil.As the engine’s rotating motion comes down the driveshaft, it attaches to the pinion gear The ring gear (also known as the crown gear) is bolted to your differential with heavy-duty Grade 8 or higher bolts. The differential on the left shows the holes where the ring gear would bolt to; the ARB Air Locker on the right has the ring gear bolted to it.The ring gear (also known as the crown gear) is bolted to your differential with heavy-dut There are two major differences in pinion design. An overhung pinion, such as the Dana 44 supplied by Superior Gear (left), uses two support bearings. A straddle-mounted pinion uses three, with the additional bearing above the head of the pinion, such as the Ford 9-inch supplied by Superior Gear (right). A Ford 9-inch or GM Corporate 14-Bolt is an example of a straddle mount, while every Dana axle is an overhung pinion.There are two major differences in pinion design. An overhung pinion, such as the Dana 44 There are two ring-and-pinion configurations as regards pinion height versus ring gear centerline. An example of the first configuration is this old Land Rover rear axle, which has the pinion at the centerline of the ring gear and axlehousing. This is known as a spiral bevel design. A spiral bevel ring-and-pinion is noisier but runs cooler and has less parasitic loss due to friction between the pinion and ring gear teeth.There are two ring-and-pinion configurations as regards pinion height versus ring gear cen 1 | 2 | » | View Full Article By Fred Williams Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
