Motive gears with Ratech Gear Kit (Deluxe)

**somz28** · 09-07-2012, 09:40 PM

Just out of curiosity, has anyone on this forum used the Ratech Deluxe Gear Kit with Motive 3.73 gears. Before I purchase this I'd like to know if anyone has had any bad issues with the carrier shims going in properly or any problems with the pinion, carrier or wheel bearings. Any input would help! Thanks!

Justin

**somz28** · 09-09-2012, 08:11 PM

anybody??

**ZForce1** · 09-18-2012, 01:27 PM

I did my gear swap with ratech deluxe kit and motive 3.42 gears. The only issue I know of is installing gears lower than 3.42 with zexel torsen differential. The paddle thing (which takes the place of the pin on a conventional carrier) will not clear the ring gears when you try to install it. I did my gear swap my self over a year ago and no issues - runs pretty quiet. Wheel bearings came right out once I got the right tool to work with the slide hammer. I got very lucky with the shims. Got it the 1st time. I started with factory shim thickness. Backlash was dead in the middle of the tolerance. I could not believe it - I checked it, like a dozen times. The pattern came out good with the paint. In case you have zexel torsen differential (and maybe you know all this and I'm preaching to the choir), your options are to either shave the paddle, shave the gears (I wouldn't). SLP used to sell a paddle kit, but I heard it was no longer available. Or a new carrier, I suppose.

**somz28** · 09-21-2012, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by ZForce1

I did my gear swap with ratech deluxe kit and motive 3.42 gears. The only issue I know of is installing gears lower than 3.42 with zexel torsen differential. The paddle thing (which takes the place of the pin on a conventional carrier) will not clear the ring gears when you try to install it. I did my gear swap my self over a year ago and no issues - runs pretty quiet. Wheel bearings came right out once I got the right tool to work with the slide hammer. I got very lucky with the shims. Got it the 1st time. I started with factory shim thickness. Backlash was dead in the middle of the tolerance. I could not believe it - I checked it, like a dozen times. The pattern came out good with the paint. In case you have zexel torsen differential (and maybe you know all this and I'm preaching to the choir), your options are to either shave the paddle, shave the gears (I wouldn't). SLP used to sell a paddle kit, but I heard it was no longer available. Or a new carrier, I suppose.

Thanks for the info, i am going back in with the factory differential so i should be ok. You must have some good luck on your side for being able to hit the backlash right on the spot, what number exactly did you hit? Ive never set the backlash on a chevy rear end, im a ford tech so things are a little different. On most pickups or ponys that ive worked on factory specs usually call for 8 to 12 thousandths. if the specs are the same, id like to hit 7 or 8 thousandths since the rear tends to loosen up after time. What about pinion depth, ive been searching trying to find special tool numbers that way i can get ahold of the proper tools to set the pinion depth, would you happen to know?

**ZForce1** · 09-22-2012, 02:02 PM

I'm pretty sure the backlash tolerance was .008 to .012 for mine as well. I got .010 and left it there. Pinion shimming usually never changes once the car leaves the factory. Every mechanic I have ever talked to or heard from that does rear ends says they always put the existing pinion shim back on, including the transmission shop I used to have my pinion gear pressed on. The reason being, so I've read, is that the pinion shim is set at the factory and corrects for slight manufacturing differences in differential housing from one car to another. We're talking thousandths of an inch here. So, I checked pinion depth simply by checking the pattern with gear paint. If the pinion depth is off, it will be evident. As long as you know what to look for when you check your pattern, you should be fine.