Help with gear pattern

[bjr]

Hi all
I could sure use some opinions on my rear end setup.
Starting with 05 Nissan 350z with OEM open diff.
Bought junkyard pumpkin, Quaife LSD and 4.083 Nissan gears.
I have made setup bearings for the pinion shaft, got carrier preload in spec, backlash in spec, pinion bearing preload is in spec, took my first quick gear pattern to determine pinion depth and got these pics.

Drive side
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/driveum.jpg/

Coast side
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/coaste.jpg/

I am a little put off being a first timer becuase there are a few different things the pattern can mean and I know each adjustment effects something else too. My first instinct was I need to remove pinion shim to get drive side pattern away from the toe but the more I look at this and other patterns on the internet I feel like I could stay with this setting the way it is.

Also when I get to installation day, what's the plan to identify the matching points on the driveshaft vs. the "new" pumpkin in case the factory driveshaft has not got a paint mark on it?

Thanks in advance!

[Supershafts]

You look pretty good with that, as for the shaft and the flange, the shaft isn't balanced with the diffs companion flange, how its bolted up isn't a issue

[bjr]

Thanks for the quick advice! I've been waiting on my Nissan buds online and one of my good friends to get back to me for two days now! A guy at work said go for it but he's only done two rear ends. But he would also admit if he did not know what he was doing and seemed pretty confident.

I'm going to try and clean it off again and do a few spots all around then and try to get it a little thinner marking compound with some oil like I was reading about. I feel I at least need to do that before I take it apart and clean it to put final new bearings in. This was going to be a quick pattern to pick out a new pinion shim.

I was a little confused why the drive side mark is so long and drawn out unlike most charts I've been reading and the coast side is more of a typical oval. I think it is because the ratchet straps I used to load the axle stubs loads up much more in the "coast direction" than the "drive direction" but I don't know.

[Supershafts]

Use the marking compound without oil, and do it again but add drag to the ring gear as you turn the pin thru the marked areas

[bjr]

I had a few hours to wrench yesterday and found that if I mixed my gear compound with just a bit of oil it elminated brush marks and got a chance to put a very nice smoooooth thin layer on. I also reversed the direction of one of the ratchet straps on my axle spline to go the opposite direction than the other side and I am dragging about the same in both directions. Gave a noticeable improvment in pattern making. Started breaking everything down and cleaning again and opening up new parts to put on the pinion shaft (vs. setup bearings).
At the moment I am stuck with a bearing race in the freezer. I've got a stubborn one I can't start straight. Even went down to Autozone and borrowed a race install kit. Did'nt help having the proper tools this time. I am hoping that while I am waiting for the freezer if I take a closer look I can gently buff the case and find a little blemish at the lip of the race bore or something that's not letting it go in straight.
Thanks for checking on me again. I hope the rest will work it's way out if I am patient with any small issues...

[bjr]

Success!
I'm glad I didn't try to force this race in more than twice before stopping myself. A reminder to all that a clean bore is important. Run your fingernail up and down everywhere before you press. If you can feel it, it will probably stop you dead in your tracks. Also I learned that sometimes the best press tool is the race that you just took out. But most of you old pros know that already! Sleeping worry free tonight ...

[MONZAZ]

Pattern is right on. Never worry about the swipe from the toe to heel ALWAYS worry about the swipe from root to peak (top land) and how complete it is across the face of the coast and drive side ...any triangulation across the tooth is bad news. If the pattern swipe runs off the (peak) top land and hazes out before it gets to the root then the pinion depth is too far away from the ring. If the pattern swipe is sharp at the root (base) and hazes out as it moves toward the peak (top land) then you have the pinion too deep in the housing. Your pattern on the drive side appears to be equal from top to bottom of the tooth and when it tails off to the heel it again is in the middle - Putting some load on the gear will help to be sure this is a true pattern.

What is the backlash set at? What are Nissan specs for the backlash?

usually .005-.008 for most Muscle car diffs.
Now the industry has release 2 cut gears which are a very tight .001-.003 backlash and the pattern does not look anything like what your use to (your picture pattern). It is a diagonal swipe like a fat Marko felt tip marker across the center on both sides. It is crazy...

Good luck, Jim
JD

[bjr]

JD,
I think I have seen some diagrams showing what you are describing about how to read the mark but hearing it said like that makes it so much more clear. I have about 5,000 miles on the gear set and had to take the case apart at 1,000 to fix a leak and change the fluid. At that time I checked the gears again and was really happy with the break in. That combined with another vote (you make about person #5 now) that the picture I sent was correct makes me feel better. When you don't get a lot of feedback, each small reply boosts your confidence a LOT. Thanks for your comments.

Nissan spec is 0.0039-0.0059" backlash. What I ended up with was between specs. It was like 0.004-0.006 with one spot that was a little tigher than 0.004. On only like 2 teeth or so and everything was clean and centered and I tried 3 times to get it more even all the way around and gave up. I feel it was the gear itself.

I noticed that when I was researching this, all of the aftermarket gears for mustang/camaro/firebird/corvettes etc. typically had a much higher amount of backlash specified than my little Nissan. But nothing mine's not crazy like 0.001-0.003" The first time I put it together I had 0.008 or more then I switched side for my shims and got something around 0.001 and the thing would not move! Extremely tight. I can't imagine these new gears you describe. Do they generate a lot of heat?