Ford 9 Inch Rear End Upgrade - Horsepower Hookup

To assist with the ring and pinion third member installation, the third member was secured to a jig.

After the pinion bearing was pressed onto the pinion shaft, the pinion gear, bearing support, and yoke were lowered into the third member housing and secured.

With the pinion bearing support secured, the jig was rotated showing the internal third member.

Armando carefully lowered the ring gear carrier into the third member, housing.

After the ring gear carrier was lowered into the third member the carrier bearing caps were torqued to 60 lb-ft.

The yellow-marked ring gear was used to show the ring-and-pinion gears mesh point.

The backlash between the ring and pinion was set using a dial indicator that is mounted firmly to the rear end axle housing. The indicator was mounted in such a way that the indicator plunger moves in a line that was tangent to the rotation of the ring gear. The pointer was set against the ring gear. A spanner wrench was used to rotate the ring gear, to indicate the amount of play or "backlash". The indicator readings should be approx. 0.008-0.012 inches. To make adjustments, shims were placed behind the rear pinion bearing.

To check the pinion gear depth and ring-and-pinion gear mesh pattern, Armando brushed gear-marking compound onto the ring gear.

Gear-marking compound was brushed on the ring gear in a couple of locations. When the ring and pinion gears were meshed back and forth, an impression appeared where the two intersected. The ideal impression would be in the center of the ring teeth, adjustments could be made by adding or removing, shims from the pinion gear.