I run 5:38s on 40" tires. I ran 4:88s with 37" tires. If you like running in mud, I'd go as tall as you can fit. If it's standard trail riding, I would not go less than the 5:38s.

 

5.38's, the pinions are getting way too small/weak.....

 

X2! I wouldn't run anything deeper than 4.88 for strength reasons especailly on a street driven truck, as Nick already stated, the pinion starts getting really small and weak quickly!

 

i worry about my 5.13's sometimes......well, alot more then my chromo 14b shafts...

 

How often have you guys seen higher ratio pinions fail? Personally, I have never even met someone who saw the failure with their own eyes. Have you both seen properly installed, quality pinion gears fail? Is the STG area the Bermuda Triangle of pinion gear failures? Now I'm really curious....

 

ive seen 3 personally, 2 from the same truck, 46 vtreads and stout 460, the other on 44 boggers and peppy 408.....

ill take a pic of the "wall of breaks" next time im over at his house......he's broke every thing there is to break on a d60, he's since switched to rocks...

 

What axle and carrier is he running? Two? Is he a madman?

 

this was on a d60/14b combo, welded f/r
well, he's flipped his truck 2 or 3 times i think.....

heres what it currently looks like........well, minus the stuck part...haha





what the hell, more pics from the same day......two more badass trucks......the cheby with over 900hp...

 

Now thats a stuck...

 

Nick that batman f250 is sweet! Got anymore pics of that?

 

nah, thats really about the only time ive brought the camera, if you think that truck is sweet, you need to make the trip to okee in august.....

 

I would be inclined to agree with OverEngineer. Ring and pinion failures are usually a result of poor set-up, or cheap gears. There is really no proof that the smaller pinion gear attributes to reliability.
Failures occur, but these failures are not directly the result of a smaller pinion gear.
Engagement and "pitch line run out" is not too different with the a deeper, or smaller pinion. This is corrected by running a larger ring gear. Actual engagement remains the same as long as the pinion itself does not flex, or the housing does not move. This is the problem with the Dana axle. Part of the reason why the holy 70, is not so great, any of them.
Extra pinion support from the 14B is where the strength is at.
Ring and pinion engineers do not give any indication, and would disagree that the smaller diameter pinion is any weaker than a larger one. Might even argue that the extra gear contact might make them stronger. Additional pinion to ring contact would provide additional strength without a larger ring gear.
I see r&p failures, as not very common, and mostly attributed to incorrect installs.

 

I wish, that's a far trip for me

 

ahhh....yup......that was one of the deals as soon as you spin your done....i was riding in the white ford and he started it all, he got stuck, then batman, then the chevy.....the funny part is, that my 1wd ranger wouldn't of gotten stuck where either the chevy or batman did.....but trying to pull opie (white ford) out dug em down.....

 

i dont doubt the incorect installs, he broke the "teeth" off.....never happened with higher gears.