Well I just got a great deal on a set of 3.73 gears, Ford Racing, for $50 shipped. The gears came in today and all the teeth looked good with the exception of two. There were two very small chips on the very tips of the teeth. By small, I mean maybe about a milimeter. Should the gears still be okay to use, or will these tiny chips cause problems. The wear pattern and all the teeth on the ring gear look great. Any suggestions. I am kind of on a budget and the rest of the portion on the teeth on the pinion look very good.
This is not an actual photo, as I have no access to a camera and I'm also at work, but the small red circles on the pinion gear is roughly where the small chips are. [attachment deleted by admin]
Alls Im gonna say is that gears are not like regular bolt ons. Buying used is risky because the tolerance is very tight with these. You get what you pay for . If it were me ,I wouldnt run them. Gears whine enough on their own ,so you decide.
Depending on the length of the chips determin if they are useable. When setting up those gears, you will have to make sure that your contact pattern is in the center, othewise you will be running the risk of chipping them even more. Remember the drive side of the gear set takes much more load than the coast side does and therefore there is always a chance of the chips becoming bigger over time.
unless you can do the swap yourself, I wouldnt bother. a locked up rear end can cause ALOT of issues.
Motive gear or FRPP with no chips, no matter how small. You know your gonna beat on them, so why not get the best.
