FixVault

Gear Tooth Contact Pattern Inspection: Notes

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 6 other vehicles, including the 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2004 GMC Envoy XUV, 2004 GMC Envoy XL, 2004 GMC Envoy, and 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The gear contact pattern check is not a substitute for adjusting the pinion depth and backlash. Use this method in order to verify the correct running position of the ring gear and the drive pinion. Gear sets which are not positioned properly may be noisy and/or have a short life span. A pattern check ensures that when best contact has been obtained between the ring gear and the drive pinion, the system will produce low noise and have a long life.