Effects of Drive Pinion Gear Position on Tooth Pattern

When the differential drive pinion gear is too far away from the centerline of the differential ring gear, the pattern will be a high heel contact on the drive side and high toe contact on the coast side. Moving the differential drive pinion gear closer to the centerline of the differential ring gear by decreasing backlash will cause the high heel contact on the drive side to move down and toward the toe: the high toe contact on the coast side will move down and toward the heel.

When the differential drive pinion gear is too close to the centerline of the differential ring gear, the pattern will be a low toe contact on the drive side, and a low heal contact on the coast side. Moving the differential drive pinion gear farther away from the differential ring gear by increasing backlash will cause low toe contact on the drive side to move up and toward the heel the low heel contact on the coast side will move up and toward the toe.