A local guy who has a great reputation for quiet gear installs on Ford 8.8's asked me if the gearset I bought has a pinion depth number stamped on the back of the pinion gear. It is used to calibrate a setup tool he uses to install gears. He said Motive and Richmond gears have it but FRPP gears don't. Ironically he has had great results and quiet installs with Motive and Richmond gears. I have FRRP 3.73's so my set doesn't have the number or atleast the sets he has installed so far. He says it makes the install easier and alot quicker. He installed 2 sets of FRPP gears (4.10 and 4.30)in the last week or so and the guys he did it for were very satisfied whth the price and the results. It just takes him longer to install FRPP sets. I know NOTHING about gears except they go in the rear housing. Does anyone know what number a FRPP 3.73 pinion should have? And what ratios are 1st and 2nd in an auto. Thanks

 

The FRPP 4.10 gears I had didn't have the depth setting. If he has the proper Ford setup tool, the depth setting isn't needed, as once the setup tool is installed pinion shims are selected until one fits in the gap produced by the tool. That will be the shim to use. Might be hard to understand until you've seen the setup tool used.

By the way, I pulled the 4.!0's as I found them far too aggressive on stock tires. They were too aggressive in rain and totally useless in snow. Also found I couldn't take anyone off the line on stock tires as they'd just break loose and spin on our worn out streets.

 

I think he has a universal setup tool and not a Ford specific one. That why he stressed to me it will take longer but he doesn't charge by the hour anyway so I guess it really doesn't matter. I was just courious to why FRPP gears doesn't have a depth number and other brands do. BTW what is the ratios for 1st and 2nd in the auto tranny? I heard they are geared more aggressively than other years.