Dana 60 gear issues

[Jim Hawkins]

I have been wearing out gears in my 67 Camaro SS/I and looking for some advice. With the 327 the car weighs 3140 and I would think they would last longer. When I ran this car with a auto. in SS/CS years ago they would last for years. That was with a 6.50 ratio now been running 5.86. And of course now with a stick. I had Mark Williams do the set up last time and at about 50 runs they are done. What happens is the backlash gets tight in a few spots on the ring gear. The wear pattern looks good and no cracks. I checked them before the last race at Kearney and all was good. Made 5 runs there spinning hard each run and now the same problem. I could see if the clutch was too tight and dead hooking but that is not the case. MW suggest at least .010 backlash but I am thinking of tightening that up. Maybe a problem with the gears? I bought these gears and a couple years ago when Richmond stopped making them. Is 50 runs all I can expect with this combo?

[older racer]

hi, how much backlash set at? what kind of gear oil you using? are they pro gears or street gear? just curious. I use dana 60 in a stick car.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

I had 12 bolt it sounds like what I had happen,backlash would be tight in spots and loose in others,first thought spool had bent, took gears out put spool back in and put dial indicator on it, was perfect, so then figured out had bent the pinion, so then kept close check on it and as soon as noticed backlash had tight and loose spots, pulled cover, turn pinion half turns backlash would go from tight to loose,I believe this happens on 12 bolt/ dana 60 due to pinion not being supported at the rear like a 9'' is.
Was 2900lbs5spd. car 5.57/3.251st.,1.26-8 60' running 6.1? 1/8 mi.would get about 30-60 passes had Mc Cleod soft loc.set very soft.also
Mike Taylor3601

[Jim Hawkins]

Richmond pro gears, tried syn. and regular gear oil. MW did the last set up and I believe backlash was at .012. Seemed a lot to me but that's what they do. I had a 12 bolt pinion bend in a big block car years ago but this problem appears to be the ring gear teeth. Tight spots random on the ring gear not consistent with the location of the pinion.
I wonder about the quality of the gears, are Richmond made offshore now or at the time I bought these? Next set will be 6.17 and do not know if anyone else makes these in a pro gear or if any treating would help. Not a lot of options with dana gears.

[Mike Pearson]

Jim,

I ran a Dana in a stick super stock car with a similar combo. The 5.86 and 6.17 were only good for about 30-40 runs at best. I had a Strange set up. billet caps and a real beefy spool. The problem with the Dana is the open back. The housing has no strength. I think LPW makes a cover with a brace that might help or build some way to brace the housing. Also you need real light clutch pressure. I ran mine before the good clutches were invented. Really brutal on parts.

[55 Chevy]

Originally Posted by Jim Hawkins

Richmond pro gears, tried syn. and regular gear oil. MW did the last set up and I believe backlash was at .012. Seemed a lot to me but that's what they do. I had a 12 bolt pinion bend in a big block car years ago but this problem appears to be the ring gear teeth. Tight spots random on the ring gear not consistent with the location of the pinion.
I wonder about the quality of the gears, are Richmond made offshore now or at the time I bought these? Next set will be 6.17 and do not know if anyone else makes these in a pro gear or if any treating would help. Not a lot of options with dana gears.

I dug out a couple of articles from the 70's on setting up a Dana 60. One was in popular Hot Rodding called Race Prepping the Dana 60 the other was 20 questions about the Dana 60 but were afraid to ask(October '74 Car Craft). These were in the heydays of Modified Production. One article recommended .002 backlash the other said .006. My 6.50's were set up at .004 and are still in fine shape. My combo is a 265 WCFB so not a ton of torque like yours.
I believe .012 is too much especially for a stick car and doubt if anything can be done with those tight spots in your existing gears.

Allan

[Rory McNeil]

I think the problem is just the nature of the beast when used with such low ratios. I run a Dana 60 in my 3100 lb big block, 4 speed Jerico bracket car. When my buddy converted his 66 Chevelle from a bracket car to a SS/F stick car, he gave me his used 4.88 Richmond "Pro" gears, which after 10 years in my car still look mint, launching at 6000-6600 RPM best 60 foots of 1.29.
My buddy used the Dana in his Chevelle as a Super Stocker for several years, normally using 5.86 Pro gears, although he did use 6.14s at alttitude tracks. In SS/F trim, his car weighed around 3550 lbs, and ring and pinion breakage was fairly common, normally starting with cracks in the pinion. After new 5.86s were no longer available, he started stockpiling used sets, but eventually replaced the Dana with a 9", simply due to ratio availability. I think between the 5.86 and my 4.88s, there are 2 less pinion teeth, so I`m guessing that is the main concern with gear breakage.
Same thing with my Mustang, with a stick and 8.8 rearend, 4.88s last "forever", but I have broken a few sets of 5.13s.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

Originally Posted by Jim Hawkins

Richmond pro gears, tried syn. and regular gear oil. MW did the last set up and I believe backlash was at .012. Seemed a lot to me but that's what they do. I had a 12 bolt pinion bend in a big block car years ago but this problem appears to be the ring gear teeth. Tight spots random on the ring gear not consistent with the location of the pinion.
I wonder about the quality of the gears, are Richmond made offshore now or at the time I bought these? Next set will be 6.17 and do not know if anyone else makes these in a pro gear or if any treating would help. Not a lot of options with dana gears.

Probably bent ring gear teeth,if I had kept my nova the 12 bolt was coming out and a 9' was going in, I was running my pressure plate all the way down to base can't remember now 300-400 lbs. and no counterweight, but was leaving at 9600.
Mike Taylor 3601

[Jim Hawkins]

Thanks for all the replies and PM's.
The housing in this car is braced by tubing welded from the housing end on each side to the front of the carrier by the seal. Also bottom of carrier to each ladder bar bracket. Has steel cap on left side and light steel MW spool. Still has tin cover but may replace that. After looking at the ring gear again may try and set up pattern a little deeper on new gears as teeth must be bending to tighten up like this. Also my super secret clutch guru (former multi stock world champ, Indy winner, likes green race cars) has advised me toward a different clutch tune which may help.

[Dwight Southerland]

If you are not having the gears treated, you are missing a step that can greatly increase gear life.