Why choose ring and pinion gears
There are several ways to transfer the torque load from the driveline 90 degrees to the wheels of a motor vehicle. However, the ring and pinions hypoid gear is most popularly used in the automotive industry today, as it is stronger, quieter, and can be used for higher reduction ratios than alternative methods.
A ring and pinion gear set is a type of hypoid gear that enables the transmission of power from the engine to the wheels of the motor vehicle. It is the key component of the differential of the vehicle, and translates the transmission rotation 90 degrees from the driveshaft to the axle shafts, which in turn spin the wheels. In addition, the gear set slows the rotation speed from the transmission to a more manageable wheel axle speed, while at the same time increasing the available torque.
Ring and pinion gear sets are of three types:
In a hunting type gear set, any one pinion gear tooth comes into contact with all ring gear teeth. Several revolutions of the ring gear are required to achieve all possible gear combinations.
In a non-hunting type gear set, any one pinion gear tooth comes into contact with the same ring gear tooth/teeth again and again, rather than ‘hunting’ for the rest of the teeth. Hence all possible tooth/teeth combinations can be achieved in one revolution.
In a partial non-hunting gear set, any one pinion tooth comes into contact with only a few of the ring gear teeth, and with a different set of teeth in the next revolution. Hence more than one revolution of the ring gear is required to achieve all possible tooth combinations.
The gear ratio of the axle gear set determines the torque multiplication delivered by the engine and transmission, and is calculated by diving the number of gear teeth on the ring by the number of teeth on the pinion. The ratio tells us how many times the driveshaft rotates for every full rotation of the wheel. For example, a 4.10 ratio means that for every full rotation of the tire, the driveshaft rotates 4.10 times.
The axle gear ratio affects the performance of the vehicle. A lower ratio provides higher top end speed, better fuel economy, but slower acceleration. Higher ratios give lower top end, worse gas mileage but faster acceleration and also greater towing power.
AmTech OEM supplies high quality, competitively priced OEM ring and pinion sets to manufacturers throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. These sets are manufactured in a variety of customer specified tolerances and ratios for many types of applications. They are designed and engineered to the highest quality specifications for use on the street, off highway or on the track. Our experienced engineers use state-of-the-art machinery and inspection equipment to strictly enforce TS16949, ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards in the gear manufacturing industry.
