Chipped ring gear tooth.... problem?

Well... I was installing a no slip into my 8.25 to replace a dead traclok and am I lucky to open it now!!! Since the last time I cracked it open (weekend after coming back from Moab) a piece of traclok shim fell out (shims have cracked !?!?) and chipped about a 1/4" of one of the ring gear tooth..... I'm somewhat pissed about that, but I think it didn't chip enough to be that big of a problem, plus this axle has to last me at most a year...... but I'd like to ask the experts.... is that a BIG problem?? or not??

Where is the chip relative to the wear pattern? If the chip is beyond where the teeth mesh, I think you could carefully grind off the sharp edges and reassemble it.

hmmm it's on the corner: the outside corner (hard to explain)... btw, I didn't have the ring gear off so grinding it off like that wouldn't really work... and there aren't any real sharp edges on it on top of that...

Are we talking on the fat part? If your going to upgrade in a year, just run it to the ground. Depending on where it is chipped, it may not effect it.

Last time you put new fluid in your diff, did you add the friction modifier in too? That could explain why your clutch packs broke a part.

Kejtar said:

btw, I didn't have the ring gear off so grinding it off like that wouldn't really work

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One word:

D R E M E L

bottleworks said:

Are we talking on the fat part? If your going to upgrade in a year, just run it to the ground. Depending on where it is chipped, it may not effect it.

Last time you put new fluid in your diff, did you add the friction modifier in too? That could explain why your clutch packs broke a part.

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Every time I put in fluid I dropped in a bottle of the additive... Also I have been religous about frequent oil changes..... so I'm not sure what would have cracked it... maybe stress from a worn out trac lok? and some movement because of that and then while at moab I stressed it? (slammed it maybe with the clip if/when axle shaft moved??)

Eagle... do I really have to file it of?? It doesn't look bad, does not really have any sharp edges (plus I butted the diff up already and filled it up)..... Oh... and the spot it broke was the edge/top of the crown corner (hard to describe)

Kejtar

Kejtar said:

Eagle... do I really have to file it of?? It doesn't look bad, does not really have any sharp edges (plus I butted the diff up already and filled it up)..... Oh... and the spot it broke was the edge/top of the crown corner (hard to describe)

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How should I know? I can't see it and you can't describe it

The only reason you would need to grind it is if there's a rough edge or rough surface between the mating surfaces of the gears. That's why my prior post said something about the contact patch. That's the shiny spot indicating where the gears really mesh and do their thing. I think as long as the break doesn't extend into the contact patch you should be okay.