I was thinking today R.P.?

[JohnDeere]

I was thinking today about axles. Know we all know bigger axles are stronger but do they also give you more power. What I'm talking a bout is the ring and pinion. I know the ratio makes a differnce, but I'm not talking about that. The size of the ring gear is what I'm asking about. On a 10 bolt the ring gear is 8.5 and on a 14 bot it 10.5. So wouldnt the 14bolt give you more power because it gets more leverage on it, meaning easier to turn. Or does it not have more leverage because the pinion is bigger so it looses the advantage it has. I've been stumped on this all day.

 

[pauly383]

In the ratio , size has nothing to do with it . A larger diameter ring gear just means the teeth can be WIDER .

 

[JohnDeere]

Ok. So even thought the ring is bigger it doesnt have more leverage because the pinion is also bigger. Which would take away any leverage advantage.

 

[obijuan]

but theres a larger radius from the center of the carrier, making more torque with the same force on that pinion. power? dont think so, power is in the ratio isnt it?

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Axles and ring and pinion can't help you make more power. Correct R&P ratios only allow you to better use the power you already have. Think of it as mechanical advantage. Overgeared or undergeared and your engine is making power when you can't use it or don't need it.

Bigger axles just mean you can make more power, run bigger tires and lockers, and survive while wheeling...longer. Anyone can break anything.

 

[JohnDeere]

Ok so let me refraise this then. So will a bigger ring gear let you put more power to the ground or will it make it easier to put power to the ground?

 

[obijuan]

neither, power is something different than torque. power is the rate at which an applied force does work. gear ratio affects the power. it will make it "easier" by adding basically a bit of a cheater bar to the axle shafts. a bigger ring gear means a larger radius, and that increases the torque applied. torque is a force applied multiplied by the radius perpendicular to the axis of rotation

 

[AJMBLAZER]

The size of the ring gear has nothing to do with how much power you make. 3.08 gears in a 14FF, Dana 70, hell, Rockwell 5 tons, anything, are as much of a crappy highway gear as in a 10 bolt or Dana 28.

The larger size of the ring gear is just representative of the fact that the bigger the ring gear, the bigger the parts, the more strength they have inherently (usually, assuming it's a good design, quality components, etc).

Don't have a 350hp motor, 10 bolt axles, and 38's and expect those axles to survive, even if you regeared them to a proper gear ratio.
Replace the 10 bolts with something bigger and they'll survive much longer.

Gear ratio lets you use power/torque more effectively.
Gear size/axle size lets you run bigger tires, lockers, and more power and therefore do more before you start breaking things again.

 

[JohnDeere]

neither, power is something different than torque. power is the rate at which an applied force does work. gear ratio affects the power. it will make it "easier" by adding basically a bit of a cheater bar to the axle shafts. a bigger ring gear means a larger radius, and that increases the torque applied. torque is a force applied multiplied by the radius perpendicular to the axis of rotation

ok thanks. You gave me the answer I was looking for. I guess it would of helped, if I'd stated it right in the first place. So it makes a difference but probly really not enough to tell. Just for the record I knew axles didnt make power or torque. They just put it in use. I just wasnt explaining it correctly.

 

[obijuan]

cool, glad i could help. them big monies going to the university are payin off!

 

[Element]

The only way I know of that an axle can affect power is due to weight of parts (requires more power to make everything turn), and in the case of something like a Ford 9", the angle of the pinion can actually suck power. I don't know the specifics of it, but I do know guys have gone from, say, 500rwhp with a 12 bolt, swapped a 9" in, and made 480rwhp consistently after that. Given the 9" is a hell of a lot stronger than the 12 bolt, they normally don't complain about a marginal power loss.

 

[3/4 Ton Blazer]

The larger diameter ring gear will allow the gears to be under less stress because of the larger diameter, but the actual torque applied is decided by the R&P ratio.