In my A4 I was very happy my Richmond 3.73's. There was almost no whine and it couldn't be heard until 60 or so mph or better. There were not setup properly either....I guess we got lucky. I've heard that most of the whining is from improper pinion depth.

Joe

 

This is not from Richmond but it's the same deal with the noise, generally. This is straight from the Moser gears web page, cut and pasted:

The two primary differences between OEM gears and aftermarket gears are as follows:
OEM gears are not made with as much nickel as aftermarket gears, which in turn does not make them as strong. Conversely, OEM may not be as strong due to the material make-up, but because of the lack of nickel in the product, the gears may be quieter. The impact value is substantially lower for OEM gears, meaning they WILL NOT be able to handle the demands of excessive horsepower as seen in more advanced drag racing.

There is a trade off. If you do race and have excessive horsepower, you will need an aftermarket gear. But keep in mind, the gears are made for strength and the ability to withstand the demands of racing. If you are using your automobile as both your daily drive AND your race car, can you live with more noise on a day to day basis? You need to decide this prior to purchasing aftermarket gears.

So basically if you want to be quiet, go with GM gears. If you want to purchase stronger gears then go with Richmond, or Moser or something along those lines but you risk the chance or noise more than likely. How much noise? It's going to depend on your installer like everyone has said already. I would just say screw it all and just get a 12 bolt, hehe.

 

Does that mean the mechanic won't whine or the gears?

 

You guys are leaving two major elements out of the discussion. Noise is to an extent a subjective phenomenon. What bothers one person may not bother another. Second, the same rear end will sound different in different cars. The noise may simply be masked by other noises, especially exhaust. Also, the way the drivetrain is mounted may allow more or less noise to transmitted.

Another thing is that Richmond sells a lot of gearsets. So it makes sense that many more people report problems. It may be the same proportion of people have problems, but the absolute number is greater due to the larger installed base.

Rich Krause

 

Funny, my "gear guy" said that all Richmonds whine. And mine do. Although I don't really care as long as the car works,