Help me with pinion angle

n8s_stang · Sep 10, 2003

First off, is it supposed to be adjusted with the suspension loaded, or unloaded?

I just installed my new rearend and control arms and the pinion is pointing about 15 degrees below the horizontal with the rearend hanging (no driveshaft). I tried lengthening the uppers with the suspension unloaded and it just seemed to push the rearend back, not tilt it. The rod ends are adjusted about 1/3 of the way out of their travel.

I don't need it perfect but I would like to get it close before I weld the sway bar in.

PWR RYD · Sep 10, 2003

You need to load the suspension. Lengthening the upper control arms will bring the pinion angle up. I don't know your exact setup but you're probably shooting for negative 3-4 degrees. That's the angle between the pinion and the driveshaft, not pinion angle measured from horizontal. Typically the driveshaft points down (towards the rear) a degree or two and the pinion points down a degree or two. Hope this helps.

n8s_stang · Sep 10, 2003

Thanks man

I talked to a buddy at work today who knows his stuff and he basically told me that because I have no driveline in the car and it's on stands, I can't do any adjustments because it's just going to throw it all off when I put the driveline in, which makes perfect sense. I just want to get it close enough as to where I can fit the 28" tire in there properly and weld this sway bar in and then I can do the final adjustements once the driveline is in the car.

Thanks again.

HELMUT RONER · Sep 19, 2003

Where does one buy a pinion angle gauge? How much do they run roughly?

jonathan · Sep 19, 2003

Don't forget you can center your housing side to side by adjusting the uppers aswell. Don't ask me how this doesn't effect pre-load cause I don't know.

As for not having the driveshaft in it would make sense that it would just push the housing back, the rearmost u-joint acts as a pivot point.

Fork · Sep 20, 2003

HELMUT RONER said:
Where does one buy a pinion angle gauge? How much do they run roughly?

I got my gage from Snap-On. Real nice unit and it cost me less than $25. (Blue-Point YA328-A)

SSSTANG · Sep 20, 2003

Mine came from Lowes. I think it was $5.

Help me with pinion angle

n8s_stang

PWR RYD

n8s_stang

HELMUT RONER

jonathan

Fork

SSSTANG

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