[Alan Roehrich]

Back lash to the tight side, what ever the low spec is, make it your high side spec, and make the low/tight spec 0.002" lower. Make sure it does not bind anywhere. Pattern on the drive side needs to go towards the center of the ring gear, heavier/further than the instructions usually show, so your pinion depth will be to the shallow side, making the pinion run deeper towards the center of the ring gear.

Keep the drive side pattern off of the OD end of the ring gear teeth. That is especially true of lightened ring gears (I do not use them). The ring and pinion will try to drive away from each other under load, that's how you break the outer ends of the ring gear teeth off, and the end of the pinion gear teeth as well.

This will also make your pattern show deep towards the root of the teeth.

I use ARP studs to hold the caps on. I forget what the part number is, ARP does not list them, I buy them from CV Products, they stock individual studs. I also use their ring gear bolts, and torque them with 271 red Loctite.

I use a steel spacer, never a crush sleeve. And never hone the bearing for a slip fit. It'll kill the shim under the bearing. I set new gear preload to 10-15 inch pounds, and used gear preload to 5-10 inch pounds. Red 271 Loctite on a new pinion nut will allow you to torque the crap out of the pinion nut if you have a spacer and not a crush sleeve. The pinion coming loose is death to a 12 bolt.

I'm not sure light synthetic is the way to go. Standard wight synthetic will take more of the shock. Over fill it by a 1/2 quart, to start, as the center section can pump dry.