4.10 gear whine

**Roastem** · 12-12-2005, 06:36 AM

The 99 Z i just bought has a little gear whine when throttle is applied. You can't hear it when accelerating due to the exhaust, but at 60 or 70 when cruising it is easily audible. Is this common with 4.10's, or was it an improper install by the previous owner?

**keliente** · 12-12-2005, 05:01 PM

Most likely improper install.

**Fade2Black** · 12-12-2005, 05:42 PM

Roastem Whats your top speed with 4.10 gears?

**Roastem** · 12-13-2005, 05:34 AM

I had it to about 140 and the front end started to wobble from side to side and I let off. It still had plenty to go in fifth. My 01 cobra was much more stable at high speeds than this car. It would feel the same at 150 at it did at 50. I just put new rims and tires and had the front end aligned, so I need to try some more top end work and see if that was the problem.

**Z95SSCLONE** · 12-15-2005, 11:18 AM

noise is dependent on which brand of gear you used, what ratio, and who installed it.

Richmonds- Notoriously loud
Strange - good reputation for quiet gears

3.73 - reputable for being quiet.
4.10 -4.11 reputable for some whine.

i put 4.10 richmonds in my stock diff. outcome..... loud as a mother

setup is also key. how the gears contact each other is crucial. make sure you use someone who knows how to do it properly

**BIG D's SS** · 12-15-2005, 11:24 AM

I know of 4 or 5 people with 4.10's and they are all noisy. My stock 3.42's were noisy. The stock 10 bolts for some reason are just junk. Never rode in one that was quite.

**Roastem** · 12-16-2005, 05:14 AM

Thanks Big D. The shop that wants to install my cam, springs, and intake did the rear install for the previous owner. If they screwed up a gear install, then I would rather do the job myself than let them do it. They gave me a price of like 1500 bucks for labor and parts. Is that a good deal in your opinion?

**BIG D's SS** · 12-16-2005, 06:22 AM

Man I did my cam install myself with a couple of buddies. I had about a $1000 in parts. I even dropped a lifter when I done it so I had to pull a head and the oil pan. If you a a decent mechanic and have some buddies I would do it myself. A good weekend job taking your time and not getting in any hurry. Just buy the tools that lock the lifters up. Most speed shops sell them. It will help prevent a dropped lifter.

**dexcool** · 01-01-2006, 02:55 AM

A good indicator if its normal gear noise or a poorly set up rear end is listening to the whine on accel and then the whine as you take your foot off the pedal and let it coast. If theres a big difference then most likely your gears arent set up right. If your capable of doing a diff service, your capable of checking it out. pull the cover and wipe the ring gears with a clean rag, apply some gear paint and rotate the ring gear to see the pattern. it really only takes an hour or less, then youll know. doo a google on ring gear patterns. As long as you use gear paint you can button it back up and fill the diff, so dont use anything else.

**GOODZ/BADZ** · 01-04-2006, 11:30 PM

From what I've seen & heard all aftermarket gears do whine some. I have heard the brand makes a difference & of course the better the installer, the better the install. No matter how good the install all the aftermarket gears whine some. Do like dexcool said & use some gear paint to check the pattern & if it's off then have them re-installed by a known knowledgable tech.

**alamantia** · 01-05-2006, 06:18 AM

Simply having the gears re-lashed will not eliminate the whine once they have been worn in. Once you drive the car a pattern is created in the gears as they mesh, once that pattern has been etablished simply re-shiming the carrier and pinion to get the proper backlash wont make the whine go away. I suggest new gears, the softer the gear the less whine, the harder the gear the more nickel is in them. Nickel is a key element in the heat treating process. I reccoment GM gears, if price is an issue I understand Motive makes a quiet gear. I have used gear oil additives to quiet my 4:10's but the noise will never go away unless I buy new gears. Good luck.