Gears Installed Tomorrow!

[zr271cuda]

***UPDATE*** :banana2: Having 4:10's put in tomorrow! I've had the lidio tune for a couple weeks now and intentionally waited to have the gears put in so I could tell the difference. I'm so stoked right now!:banana: I will follow up tomorrow or thursday with a review. :D

[silvermm254]

i got mine too!!! Just waiting for the shop to slow down so i can get them in. I have zacks tune on the merc. I cant wait to se tthe world on fire with them. Good times!!!

[babbage]

Take it easy for the first 500 miles - no burnouts - no driving at the same speed for more than 30 mins. Break in with regular dino oil - then switch to a good synthetic after 500 miles. This is the most anal way to do it. You greatly increase the chance of fail if you do a burnout as you are leaving the installer etc.

Other things to consider: force lube tailshaft mod, Better driveshaft.
Not trying to piss on your campfire but you should know about these things. Good Luck.

[silvermm254]

one burn outs okay right? My daughter has been nagging me about doing donuts in it. I told her we have to save the tires for the new gears. I guess she will have to wait a little longer. Thanks for info dude!

[MrBluGruv]

I abused the hell out of my gears from like day 2 and the thing that broke was the S-Spring. After inspection a week or two after and then a few months later the fluid and magnet were both clean as a whistle.

[silvermm254]

good times!!! Good times!!!!

[tbone]

:banana2: Having 4:10's put in tomorrow! I've had the lidio tune for a couple weeks now and intentionally waited to have the gears put in so I could tell the difference. I'm so stoked right now!:banana: I will follow up tomorrow or thursday with a review. :D

How did it go?

[zr271cuda]

Well they're in! Along with Lidio's tune it drives great!!!!! I haven't gotten on it yet cause of the dreaded breakin:cry:, but from what I can tell its going to be great. It feels even lighter than the tune was by itself. Sorry I've only put 50 miles on it since the install so this review isn't to in depth. One thing I forgot to check is in the truck for the old gears. I was so excited to take it out for the drive I forgot, and guess what.......I checked it today and no gears. I should get them back right? I mean they are mine I just paid them to upgrade. So I'm going to call them tomorrow and I hope they didn't chuck them into a scrape bin!:mad2:

[Marauderjack]

No "Break In" required but if it makes you feel good go for it!!:beer:

[MERCMAN]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. You don't have a "break-in" procedure for the gears in a brand new car, so what is the difference??

[Marauderjack]

If they are set up right there will be no problems.....if they ain't set up right NO AMOUNT of "Break In" will fix them!!!:shake:

[babbage]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. You don't have a "break-in" procedure for the gears in a brand new car, so what is the difference??

Robots at the factory set them up better than Joe the mechanic.

Robots at factory can put a load on them and make changes , joe mechanic can't

4.10's are not an option at the factory on an MM, CV etc..

Maraderjack you are lame to keep telling people that. You don't know what you are talking about. Ask *any* aftermarket gear manufacturer, and they'll tell you there is a break in period. But you know better than them.. :shake:

All you'd have to do to make aftermarket 4.10's install fail on an MM is go out on the highway at 80 MPH for 2 hours straight. Rear gears will totally fail. Duh?
:shake:

[Marauderjack]

EVERY FORD TECH I HAVE ASKED agrees with me!!:beer:

If the gears are set up right and of high quality drive 'em like you are going to!!:D

KEEP your "Lame" comments to yourself too!!:rolleyes:

The End!!;)

[fastblackmerc]

EVERY FORD TECH I HAVE ASKED agree with me!!:beer:

If the gears are set up right and of high quality drive 'em like you are going to!!:D

KEEP your "Lame" comments to yourself too!!:rolleyes:

The End!!;)

I agree with Marauderjack....

If the gears are setup properly there is no breakin required.... and you certainly don't need dino oil. Been running my 4.10's, setup by competent mechanic for many many thousands of miles with Redline 75w140 (initial fill) and have zero, zilch, naada problems. I think they are even quieter than the factory 3.55's.

[babbage]

EVERY FORD TECH I HAVE ASKED agree with me!!:beer:


We of course all know that "Ford Techs" are smarter and know way more than the engineers who design gears for the companies that manufacture them. Motive, Richmond, Ford Racing Etc.. :shake:

[MrBluGruv]

So at what point will the gears fail then? And how will they fail? Unless I should expect sudden, out of the ordinary failure I must be a fluke...

[babbage]

I agree with Marauderjack....

If the gears are setup properly there is no breakin required.... and you certainly don't need dino oil. Been running my 4.10's, setup by competent mechanic for many many thousands of miles with Redline 75w140 (initial fill) and have zero, zilch, naada problems. I think they are even quieter than the factory 3.55's.

You are just plain wrong. Read what Richmond says. Stop being ignorant and think. What's worse you are giving out poor advice.

Read this: (it's from Richmond, one example there are MANY others)
Think to yourself : Does this make logical sense?



19. Change the rear-end fluid at 1000 miles. This is because during break-in, the gears and bearings will have
some material chip off or wear off, contaminating the fluid. Many chemicals used in heat treating or case
hardening are from the potassium nitrate family. This mixed with gear oil produces a number of corrosive
acids. These acids also break down the oil film, rendering the lubricant useless. Steel to steel contact then
happens leading to ultimate failure.
20. While inspection plate is off, have a general look at the gears and support parts for strange or irregular wear.
21. Lubricate if it smells burnt. There may be good reason to look further, especially if it is a posi. Burnt clutches
may be the conclusion.
22. Use only high quality oils. Low quality oils only have half the additives needed eg..moly, lithium etc.....
23. Check general area around rear-end, especially suspension top arms etc...rear-end noise may not only be
ring & pinion. It may be axle bearings, suspension, tires, transmission or more commonly in vans & pick-ups,
poor floor installation and normal gear noise.
24. Troubleshooting the correct problem will help the customer, installer and manufacturer. Warranties are a
no win situation. Remember, THERE ARE ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVELS which vary from
manufacturer to manufacturer. Noise that may be normal as per manufacturer, may be strange to a
consumer unaware of acceptable noise. Explain acceptable noise levels to your customer, if noise
remains an issue, double check your tolerances for accuracy then, call us for help.
25. Break in of gears is paramount to gear life. Initial run in should be at low speeds. This will enable gears to
run in without overheating.

[babbage]

So at what point will the gears fail then? And how will they fail? Unless I should expect sudden, out of the ordinary failure I must be a fluke...


Ignorance is bliss. Read.

[MrBluGruv]

Ignorance is bliss. Read.

And blindly following without question is easy.

I'm just trying to say, at what point will the wear in my gears, that as I've already stated show zero sign of "unusual wear" and shearing so far after probably 7 thousand miles, will they fail? And what should I expect since everything seems perfectly fine? Will the teeth just all of the sudden shear off AFTER the suggested break-in period? Will it seize? Will something magically come out of alignment? There must be SOMETHING I have to watch out for that will fail if they aren't broken in properly after this long.

[fastblackmerc]

And blindly following without question is easy.

I'm just trying to say, at what point will the wear in my gears, that as I've already stated show zero sign of "unusual wear" and shearing so far after probably 7 thousand miles, will they fail? And what should I expect since everything seems perfectly fine? Will the teeth just all of the sudden shear off AFTER the suggested break-in period? Will it seize? Will something magically come out of alignment? There must be SOMETHING I have to watch out for that will fail if they aren't broken in properly after this long.

They may never fail.

They can fail tomorrow, you never know.

I wouldn't worry about it, even if the gears were not broken in properly.... which I don't agree with anyway.

[babbage]

It's not blind when the manufacturer uses words like "because" the good stuff usually comes after that. About the time you broke your S spring (you followed no break in procedure) plus you had to bring it back. And your transmission totally grenade-ed. Mere coincidence?

If you could go back in time would you follow a gear break in procedure -- Or would you do it the same? Why?

[MrBluGruv]

Well given the transmission had weird shifting for quite a while before the swap, I think that was coincidence indeed. I believe the fact that the rear-ratio of 4.10 put more stress on it is why it went.

The s-spring, who could say. The mechanic said that it was a MUCH thinner piece of metal than the factory one, so given the rigorous work I put this car through all the time I believe that could have easily played a part. Plus that happened at I believe the exact same time as the trans caving. Would THAT be coincidence?

[babbage]

nope. you are right. you didn't take it easy on break in, heat caused S spring to break, rear gears then grenaded your trans.

[MrBluGruv]

Would the heat not cause the gears to shear away at themselves causing filings though? How would they seize only half-way to the point of causing excess back-stress on the transmission? The car was perfectly drivable with the exception of 3rd gear and O/D. The s-spring, although broken, stayed exactly where it was supposed to, so basically only in turning did I even notice a problem. How were there not subsequent problems with the rear-end and transmission since it took a few months to diagnose the problem between when the trans gave way and when I replaced the s-spring?

Here are other problems I see with the points argued, mainly that it is circular thinking to try to prove a point without any particular amount of substance:

1. people ask "how is there not a break in period with a new car?", your response was that the robots can install much better than joe-blow mechanic. This goes to 2->

2. people then would conclude by that logic that indeed with a proper install job, the gears wouldn't need a break-in period, but then you quote a gear manufacturer saying that they use a special type of substance on the gears that if a special break-in procedure isn't followed will cause damage to the gears. This would then lead to the question "so then why don't factory cars have break-in for rear-ends?". This goes back to point#1->

So which is it? Would you argue that only certain times are these chemicals used in making the gears? Or is it that without computer-aided manufacturing, there is no possible way a gear set can truly be installed correctly? Even if so, at what mileage point on the set of gears do you deem an "improper install" when failure happens? Theoretically in your argument, improper break-in, even if no immediate signs show, would result in eventual premature degradation of the gears to the point of early failure, so when you argue it is human installation that is unacceptable compared to robotic installation, where do you draw the line that says "because all gear sets are only lasting this many miles after installed by a human being, no person can truly correctly install them correctly where a computer can?"

[babbage]

Factory can put a LOAD on gears, Joe Mechanic can't. When you put car in D and floor it this creates a "LOAD" on the gears. Understand?

What brand of gears did you install? My suggestion would be to call them up and talk to a sales/engineer about all of your concerns, especially break in.

[Zack]

Whomever thinks that gears need to be broken in is a mis-informed meathead.

Same goes for transmissions.

This site is becoming full of members who are spreading around BAD info and people are believing it. SHEESH.

[fastblackmerc]

Whomever thinks that gears need to be broken in is a mis-informed meathead.

Same goes for transmissions.

This site is becoming full of members who are spreading around BAD info and people are believing it. SHEESH.

Amen!!!!!!

[silvermm254]

:pill: Y'ALL NEED TO TAKE ONE OF THESE. IF THE MAN WANTS TO BREAK THEM IN SO BE IT. IF HE DOESN'T AND DRIVES IT LIKE HE STOLE IT AND BREAKS... WELL LIFE GOES ON.

[tbone]

Factory can put a LOAD on gears, Joe Mechanic can't. When you put car in D and floor it this creates a "LOAD" on the gears. Understand?

What brand of gears did you install? My suggestion would be to call them up and talk to a sales/engineer about all of your concerns, especially break in.

You don't create respect when you talk down to people. UNDERSTAND?

[zr271cuda]

I'm going to take it easy for the first tank or two, cause thats what the shop said and thats what I'm going to do. That way I'm safe either way.

[tbone]

I'm going to take it easy for the first tank or two, cause thats what the shop said and thats what I'm going to do. That way I'm safe either way.

Good idea.

[MrBluGruv]

cause thats what the shop said and thats what I'm going to do.


I don't think anyone can argue with that. And if they do, well they aren't the one offering the warranty on the work now are they? :D

[babbage]

Whomever thinks that gears need to be broken in is a mis-informed meathead.

Same goes for transmissions.

This site is becoming full of members who are spreading around BAD info and people are believing it. SHEESH.
I don't agree with throwing caution into the wind as you and some others suggest to do. People love their MM's on this site, best way to be anal and do a gear swap is to make sure and break them in carefully. :grad:

Heres a video of Motive Gear doing an install of 8.8 gears in a Ford F150 - which has a rear end just like ours. Jump to 22:00 for break in
Zgl5xcZmWpI


You don't create respect when you talk down to people. UNDERSTAND?
:confused: Text lacks tone no talk down intended.


I'm going to take it easy for the first tank or two, cause thats what the shop said and thats what I'm going to do. That way I'm safe either way.

Cool well I'm glad you asked him. Score 1+ for a unbiased real world example of after a 4.10 install if gears should be broken in. This installer said: yes, break them in.

[Motorhead350]

Whomever thinks that gears need to be broken in is a mis-informed meathead.

Same goes for transmissions.

This site is becoming full of members who are spreading around BAD info and people are believing it. SHEESH.

Yup, sad, but true.

I got on mine soon as they were dropped in.

When you installed my new engine I gave WOT and was back to killing Mustangs 45 miles after the install. Not to mention going to the track three days later.

There is no break in period. Anyone who thinks that is coming from a lack of experience or risk taking.

[Zack]

How come all new cars dont come with 500 miles on the odometer so the gears are broken in, or the engine, or the cigarette lighter?


Again, this place is becoming a joke.

[babbage]

How come all new cars dont come with 500 miles on the odometer so the gears are broken in

Factory spins them once with load and sets them. This is enough for 3.27 & 3.55's which are the only ratios factory offered. 4.10s make more heat, especially with an modded MM pushing on them.

[Zack]

Factory spins them once with load and sets them. This is enough for 3.27 & 3.55's which are the only ratios factory offered. 4.10s make more heat, especially with an modded MM pushing on them.

...and any good gear tech will set them up on the tight side of the specs to compensate for what you just said.

[Marauderjack]

How come all new cars dont come with 500 miles on the odometer so the gears are broken in, or the engine, or the cigarette lighter?


Again, this place is becoming a joke.

Finally some semblance of SANITY.....thanks Zack!!!:beer:

[Black_Out]

We of course all know that "Ford Techs" are smarter and know way more than the engineers who design gears for the companies that manufacture them. Motive, Richmond, Ford Racing Etc.. :shake:

If you are anal you can baby the gears for a period before you get on it, but I know hundreds of guys who throw STEEP gears into track only cars with no break in and beat the piss out of them right away. If they are installed properly you don't have to break them in! :beer:

[Marauderjack]

If you are anal you can baby the gears for a period before you get on it, but I know hundreds of guys who throw STEEP gears into track only cars with no break in and beat the piss out of them right away. If they are installed properly you don't have to break them in! :beer:

More SANITY!!:beer:

Things are lookin' up!!!:rolleyes:

[Black_Out]

I don't agree with throwing caution into the wind as you and some others suggest to do. People love their MM's on this site, best way to be anal and do a gear swap is to make sure and break them in carefully. :grad:

Heres a video of Motive Gear doing an install of 8.8 gears in a Ford F150 - which has a rear end just like ours. Jump to 22:00 for break in
Zgl5xcZmWpI


:confused: Text lacks tone no talk down intended.



Cool well I'm glad you asked him. Score 1+ for a unbiased real world example of after a 4.10 install if gears should be broken in. This installer said: yes, break them in.

Thanks for the awesome video though :beer:

[babbage]

...and any good gear tech will set them up on the tight side of the specs to compensate for what you just said.

:confused: Zack, you and Marauder Jack apparently know way more than Richmond, Motive & FRPP.

[Motorhead350]

Ummm cars and trucks come with 4:10 gears. A Caddy CTS-V used to have one standard I believe, but I don't know what they have these days. Super duty trucks have them too, sometimes higher... all without a break in period.

You are supposed to drive the car like you normally would to "break in" properly if that's the case. Don't baby it and decide you wanna give it hell after 200 miles. You can, but you are supposed to drive the way you normally would. So if you are easy go easy, if you are a mad man like me go nuts.

:burnout:

Just think about race cars and monster trucks. Soon as they rebuild anything they are back to racing. They don't drive around in the parking lot in circles for 200 miles.

[CBT]

Ummm cars and trucks come with 4:10 gears. A Caddy CTS-V used to have one standard I believe, but I don't know what they have these days. Super duty trucks have them too, sometimes higher... all without a break in period.

You are supposed to drive the car like you normally would to "break in" properly if that's the case. Don't baby it and decide you wanna give it hell after 200 miles. You can, but you are supposed to drive the way you normally would. So if you are easy go easy, if you are a mad man like me go nuts.

:burnout:

Just think about race cars and monster trucks. Soon as they rebuild anything they are back to racing. They don't drive around in the parking lot in circles for 200 miles.

That's what NASCAR is for :beer:

[Motorhead350]

That's what NASCAR is for :beer:

LOL they are really breaking in their gears and not racing? I get it now!

:lol:

[eliteAVdesign]

:argue: I read these posts and have to laugh, both sides make some very strong points, but what I think is happening is that you have two types of people on here. One's who bought the car to race and one's who bought it to drive as an everyday vehicle and only race when the opportunity presents itself. The racers theory is "throw it in and get out there on the track and beat the S#!& out of it". :lol: This is fine, but these guys are only driving the car a 1/4 mile at a time. Plus, as every racer knows, racing is not cheap, so if they throw in a set of gears and after 3 days at the track they have to come out and you throw in another set they are prepared for that. I think the guys out there who drive these cars everyday do not expect to throw gears in and have them whine or fail after 10,000 miles. When you're racing who cares if it whines as long as you turn the fastest or most consistent time?

I think the guys on here who are concerned with "break in" are expecting to put in a part and get the most life they can out of it. I see some of you guys on here ripping thousands of dollars worth of equipment off and installing thousands of dollars worth of new equipment. More power to you if you have money like that, but not everyone is in that same boat. Some just want to do their homework and buy the right part and install it and just have it work. I am a little tired of the disguised sales guys :bs:who are floating around, who are pushing certain brands because they are either getting free product or that's what they sell and they are trying to sway people in that direction, regardless of whether or not the product is any good. :shake:

To break in, or not to break in, that is the question. I don't think it will ever hurt to break a part in, but not breaking it in could lead to premature failure, so why not be on the safe side if you are driving the car everyday and trying to get the most life you can out of it. No different then over-changing the oil or tranny fluid. You may be one of those people who threw a part in and beat on it right away and never had a problem, but you may have also gotten lucky...

[tbone]

Well, since I've gotten my gears installed, I've been running it real hard. I thought I would take it easy, but I can't help it! I'm sure they will be fine.

BTW, in looking at the old gears with 114k miles on them, I don't see any signs of wear on them. I'm not an expert, but they look perfect to me.

[Rockettman]

:argue: I read these posts and have to laugh, both sides make some very strong points, but what I think is happening is that you have two types of people on here. One's who bought the car to race and one's who bought it to drive as an everyday vehicle and only race when the opportunity presents itself. The racers theory is "throw it in and get out there on the track and beat the S#!& out of it". :lol: This is fine, but these guys are only driving the car a 1/4 mile at a time. Plus, as every racer knows, racing is not cheap, so if they throw in a set of gears and after 3 days at the track they have to come out and you throw in another set they are prepared for that. I think the guys out there who drive these cars everyday do not expect to throw gears in and have them whine or fail after 10,000 miles. When you're racing who cares if it whines as long as you turn the fastest or most consistent time?

I think the guys on here who are concerned with "break in" are expecting to put in a part and get the most life they can out of it. I see some of you guys on here ripping thousands of dollars worth of equipment off and installing thousands of dollars worth of new equipment. More power to you if you have money like that, but not everyone is in that same boat. Some just want to do their homework and buy the right part and install it and just have it work. I am a little tired of the disguised sales guys :bs:who are floating around, who are pushing certain brands because they are either getting free product or that's what they sell and they are trying to sway people in that direction, regardless of whether or not the product is any good. :shake:

To break in, or not to break in, that is the question. I don't think it will ever hurt to break a part in, but not breaking it in could lead to premature failure, so why not be on the safe side if you are driving the car everyday and trying to get the most life you can out of it. No different then over-changing the oil or tranny fluid. You may be one of those people who threw a part in and beat on it right away and never had a problem, but you may have also gotten lucky...

You hit the nail on the head with this post!
:beer: to you.

[CBT]

:argue: I read these posts and have to laugh, both sides make some very strong points, but what I think is happening is that you have two types of people on here. One's who bought the car to race and one's who bought it to drive as an everyday vehicle and only race when the opportunity presents itself. The racers theory is "throw it in and get out there on the track and beat the S#!& out of it". :lol: This is fine, but these guys are only driving the car a 1/4 mile at a time. Plus, as every racer knows, racing is not cheap, so if they throw in a set of gears and after 3 days at the track they have to come out and you throw in another set they are prepared for that. I think the guys out there who drive these cars everyday do not expect to throw gears in and have them whine or fail after 10,000 miles. When you're racing who cares if it whines as long as you turn the fastest or most consistent time?

I think the guys on here who are concerned with "break in" are expecting to put in a part and get the most life they can out of it. I see some of you guys on here ripping thousands of dollars worth of equipment off and installing thousands of dollars worth of new equipment. More power to you if you have money like that, but not everyone is in that same boat. Some just want to do their homework and buy the right part and install it and just have it work. I am a little tired of the disguised sales guys :bs:who are floating around, who are pushing certain brands because they are either getting free product or that's what they sell and they are trying to sway people in that direction, regardless of whether or not the product is any good. :shake:

To break in, or not to break in, that is the question. I don't think it will ever hurt to break a part in, but not breaking it in could lead to premature failure, so why not be on the safe side if you are driving the car everyday and trying to get the most life you can out of it. No different then over-changing the oil or tranny fluid. You may be one of those people who threw a part in and beat on it right away and never had a problem, but you may have also gotten lucky...

Pics of your Marauder or this didn't happen.

[fastblackmerc]

:argue: I read these posts and have to laugh, both sides make some very strong points, but what I think is happening is that you have two types of people on here. One's who bought the car to race and one's who bought it to drive as an everyday vehicle and only race when the opportunity presents itself. The racers theory is "throw it in and get out there on the track and beat the S#!& out of it". :lol: This is fine, but these guys are only driving the car a 1/4 mile at a time. Plus, as every racer knows, racing is not cheap, so if they throw in a set of gears and after 3 days at the track they have to come out and you throw in another set they are prepared for that. I think the guys out there who drive these cars everyday do not expect to throw gears in and have them whine or fail after 10,000 miles. When you're racing who cares if it whines as long as you turn the fastest or most consistent time?

I think the guys on here who are concerned with "break in" are expecting to put in a part and get the most life they can out of it. I see some of you guys on here ripping thousands of dollars worth of equipment off and installing thousands of dollars worth of new equipment. More power to you if you have money like that, but not everyone is in that same boat. Some just want to do their homework and buy the right part and install it and just have it work. I am a little tired of the disguised sales guys :bs:who are floating around, who are pushing certain brands because they are either getting free product or that's what they sell and they are trying to sway people in that direction, regardless of whether or not the product is any good. :shake:

To break in, or not to break in, that is the question. I don't think it will ever hurt to break a part in, but not breaking it in could lead to premature failure, so why not be on the safe side if you are driving the car everyday and trying to get the most life you can out of it. No different then over-changing the oil or tranny fluid. You may be one of those people who threw a part in and beat on it right away and never had a problem, but you may have also gotten lucky...
OK Mr. 1 post......

My MM is a daily drivers and I don't have the money to "throw" at the car.

Tell me Mr. Wiseman who are the "disguised sales guys" here??? Who's getting free product??? I want to know 'cause I'd like to get free product too.

Your first post sounds like it came out your a$$.

Bet you don't even have a Marauder.

[Rockettman]

I stand corrected on my #48 post...I guess I read it too quickly. Didn't even read that "disguised sales guys" thing. Some things I agree with - some I don't.