Ring & Pinion slack

[rcpilot]

Got my 12B rear cover off to replace my axles and wheel bearings... the gears look great, no cracks/chips, it seems like there's alot of play between the R&P.. how much should there be and if there's too much can I re-shim the pinion... the vehicle has about 200,000 on it, but the gears don't look like it...

Thanks...

 

[4X4HIGH]

Backlash should be somewhere around .004"-.008" of an inch.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

the backlash should be about .005-.008" yes you can shim it to get it to specs.

 

[Blazer1970]

Since the gears are worn in the way they are, it is not a good idea to try to change the backlash. You would change the shims on the carrier side bearings to change the backlash, but you shouldn't do it. If the gears have even a small amount of wear and then you reduce the backlash, you will make the pinion ride up on the ridge that is worn into the ring gear. This will cause all of the load to be carried be the very end of the pinion gear teeth, leading to broken teeth. Changing the pinion depth will change the gear engagement pattern - you would only do that if you run a pattern and see a problem.

 

[K5MONSTERCHEV]

Since it is a bit worn, 200k, backlash should be a bit more the .008-.010, which is spec for a new gearset. What is it?