Well the guy who did mine has been mechanic and racer for over twenty years.I watched him do every step and they were to richmond spec.We called richmond tech to confirm and talk about the whining. They weren't helpful at all and refused to give credit/refund.

So not sure what to say..you say its installation..I can maybe see them not being quite as noisy in other rear ends but the 7.5 10 bolt seems to make things worse.

Anyway guys its up to you if you want to buy richmonds and try to get them to be quiet go ahead..it cost me quite a bit buying them and installing them and checking them again etc..

I stand by my observation..richmonds are junk in street cars.At least our lt1/ls1 cars.

 

It could be the Richmonds, but usually gear-whine leans more toward installer error.

Mike

 

The guy who put mine in works for my cousin, and I helped him out them in. He wouldn't screw me, and he knows what he's doing. He's built mplenty of 8 and 9 second cars that don't whine. The company who told me about them all whining specifically said its only with our 10 bolts, and they've been doing this since the 70's.

 

lmao
problem solved

 

I just got my Richmond 3.73's installed and I have no whine or any other noises, at least not that I can tell. And I have a Spohn TA, which according to some, will amplify any whine present. As for now, nothing. The guy who installed them is a master mechanic and race car driver (Top Sportsman class-IHRA), and runs Richmond Racing gears in his 6 second+ (1/8 mile) car Can't wait to test their strength at the track!

 

Yea i agree whine usually means installer error......but some gears are louder than others.

Just cause someone has been doing it 20 years doesn't mean they have been doing it right...... everyone makes mistakes......and racing and street cars is totally different.......in all out race you just slap them in, who cares about whine......street is a different story.

 

gear whine is normally from installation. richmonds are known to have a better chance of getting some noise. some noise not alot . ive set alot of richmonds, ive had 3or 4 make a slight whine under coast. most have been quiet. i use precision gears most of the time(usally 2 sets a week on average) and ive had 2 sets give me a slight whine.setting camaro rears is no different than anything else, but they probaly transfer sound more than other cars. suv's and vans transfer sound probaly the worst. there is alot of guys that claim to be able to set gears who cannot(ive worked with some). i dont claim to be an expert but i cant stand any noise. when set properly id say 49 out 50 will be stone quiet.

 

Im with everyone else that it is all on the person installing them. My dad and I installed my richmond 4.10's. This was the first rear he has EVER set up but sets up alot of gear drives and gear boxes at work and he had the confidence he could do it right. We set aside a weekend to set them up with the rear out of the car. They came out perfect. I have a slight gear "whistle" from the low ratio and a VERY slight whine around 40 on coast. Other than that, nothing at all. We even pulled the cover off after 500 miles and re-checkd the backlash and pattern and they were the same as when installed.

We also know a "long time drag racer" that set up 3.55's for a friends 8.5 10 bolt. The guy has done hundreds of rears. and his gears whine like crazy.

I also agree that installers use the type of rear end and type of gear to cover themselfs incase of alot of whine or weakness....I launch my 4.10's all the time and they havent given me a problem or anymore whine....Just FYI

 

I just posted a thread last week regarding my Motive 3.42 set. It sounds like crickets live back there between 10mph and 50mph. Kinda like a chirping noise when you decelerate and crickets when tooling along at 30 to 40mph.

Same story,my installer has his own successful repair shop and builds his own 8 , 9 sec race cars. He said he believes that actual GM gears and precision are the best all around.

Well, I re installed my back seat, added 1 layer of SuperDynamat and that alone canceled about 80% of the noise. Its just a barely audible "chirp" when decelerating, no noise heard when driving normally. I can live with the Motives, but wish I would have spent the money for actual GM gears ( "GM Motive gears" are not actual GM parts in case anyone like me was thinking they were).

PS........Does anyone know how gears are set up at the factory?? I mean no noise at all out of a mass-produced rear end, but it does seem that the MAJORITY of people with aftermarket rear ends have problems, How does(did) the factory get it done right?

 

One of the biggest parts you have to look at and take into concideration is the cut of the gears. In 1998 GM change the way the gears were cut. Early gears were cut on a five angled cut and was simple to do a gear install. The two angled cut is a totally different question, my buddies that work for chevy thinks its the worst thing that chevy has ever done. The setups and patterns your looking for are totally opposite between the gears(for example, if you are trying to setup the gears the way you did years ago, then chances are it won't work.)

 

[QUOTE=RicocheT]Usually if gears are setup properly they shouldn't make any noise at all. I did see somewhere that if you don't put the additive lube for the limited slip it can make a noise but in either case if properly done right they shouldn't whine.
the thickness shouldn't matter, in our race cars the gears don't make any noise at all. If they arn't as thick then whats in our 10bolts then something is wrong ;-).

Richmond gears have square teeth, this makes them much louder then Motives or other brands. Richmonds are also by far the strongest gear you can get. And anytime you put 4:10s in a Camaro, just by the very nature that a Camaro rearend is setup much tighter then say a Mustang rearend its gonna make a hell of a lot more noise. How can you tell if your gears make noise in a damn race car? If its a real race car the the motor noise will far outweigh the gear noise. Doesnt matter who does the setup on a set of Richmonds or for that matter any set of 4:10 gears in a Camaro, there gonna make noise. Accept it or dont get them.

 

i just had the richmond gears put in mine not too long ago, only whine ive noticed so far is a very light one that can only be noticed with windows down and radio off, also its only during 40mph coasts that it whines anythign above or below that its unnoticeable. they may be precision gears but im pretty sure it was richmond (talked about both gears with the mechanic and im pretty sure we went with richmond) anyway its quiet at worst and i actually like the little hum when cruising brings back some memories of sc's ive heard and with a jump from 2.73 to 3.73 almost feels like i have one :-p anyway just tossing in my .02 hope you have better luck with em. just for comparison these were put in by the same guy who did my trans and he did great on the gears, wish he were just as good with the trans =( .

 

Richmond gears with a 49- series part number are OE cut and should run about as quiet as a GM set of the same ratio. This series gear is designed for "quiet" street use and is made of a comparable material to GM in the USA.

Richmond gears with a 69- part number have a modified cut that is designed to withstand more torque and shock than the OE or 49- gear. This cut will be noisier than a comparable ratio from GM but will be more durable. While you don't have a choice normally when you purchase the gear, its worth noting here for the discussion. The lower ratio and weaker by nature gear will be the 69- series.

A urethane trans mount can contribute to the cabin noise, but its almost mandatory in a F-body. An aluminum driveshaft can help dampen drivetrain noise as well.

Some shops "modify" the gear setup for supposed longer gear life or less friction. Not normally a good idea. Richmond provides pinion depth and backlash for all of their branded gearsets and these numbers should be followed to the T during setup. All ring and pinions are matched and lapped at the factory,then the setup info is marked on the gear.

Motive has 2, 3, and sometimes 5 different kinds and cuts of gears listed for many applications. Unfortunately the least expensive one they sell, they sell the most of and its pretty damn noisy. They will tell you that it was "geared" towards trucks that needed an inexpensive replacement.

Just FYI.

 

I have worked with Tom Watt at Tom's Differentials for well over 20 years, (and from personal experience), and I have noticed that Richmond gears can make noise at times, even when the "contact" pattern is correct. U.S. Gear tends to be quieter (and are just as good, if not better in the majority of cases than Richmond gears). The factory gears are the best in terms of "quietness", and are very close in strength in the vast majority of street applications. The "only" way to setup rear end gears is by "pattern". Ask anybody with 20+ years at doing this & you will see what I mean. As for the gears being cut differently, I would like to see this, as I have not heard of this. The strength is gained by the material (8620, 9310, etc.) & the "heat treating" 48-52 RC, or 58-62 RC hardness. All this comes into play, when determining "longevity". I hope this helps.

 

I am amazed at the amount of people to shy to call a manufactuer to ask a question.
I have been in the wholesale performance business for well over 10 years and have dealt closely with the manufactuers that entire time. My information is valid. If you have 20 years in the gear/transmission business you should know this information by now, and I would have sent people to talk to installers such as you for clarification.

Richmond Gear 864-843-9275

Luckily my new job requires me to only know one product line inside and out instead of over 200.