not sure if anyone has noticed but Jegs, Summit, and others have their own rear end gear sets available right beside Richmond, Spicer, etc.

The price is usually about $40.00-$50.00 less than the "name brand" sets.

Is the "name brand" machined better? Equating to a quieter set of gears??

What would you do on a daily driver? I'm really thinking that you get what you pay for in machining unless someone has some experience with "in-house" rear gears and couldn't tell the difference between the two.

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Chris'
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I would check where the gears are made, and pick the lowest cost gears made in the US. i would prefer not to buy Chinese gears.

Jegs states Made in the USA. Don't have a Summit catalog in front of me at this time.

Why? Companies in the good old USA don't cut corners?

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Chris'
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US companies cut corners less often than Chinese companies, as witnessed by the tainted milk scandal, but it is more basic than that for me. I want to support what is left of our industrial base.

The last place I was stationed in the Army was at Selfridge Army Garrison, outside of Detroit. As much as people bag on Detroit auto workers, I met plenty of people that took pride in quality work. There are a lot of race fabrication shops, design houses ( including for some of the import car companies), and related industry that is still healthy. My preference is to patronize these companies, and help them stay healthy.

I agree, it was a rhetorical comment.

I kinda thought I wouldn't get many comments on this subject since most of use prefer to nab a used gear set when they are available.

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Chris'
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I have been told that there are only 3 USA manufacturers of automotive rearend gear sets:
Richmond
Precision Gear
US Gear

All the others are distributor "reboxed". (Motive Gear, Yukon, Genuine Gear, etc.)

There is talk that these manufacturers "sub-out" work to lower cost, overseas suppliers and then do the finish work and QC in the US plant.
Here is a fun plant tour of US Gear's facility.
DD

http://www.usgear.com/planttour/finish/cover.htm

So is it safe to save a few bucks Doc? I'm already concerned about me getting it all right

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Chris'
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What rear end size are we talking about?

For me, the strength is not the issue, it is ease of set-up and noise control that makes the difference. A high quality gear set will have a well centered gear pattern already "run into" the parts and if you get that pattern in your final assembly, the gears run smooth and quiet.

I have had the best luck with Precision Gear sets and the worst luck with Richmond. Nothing broke... I just had a harder time getting a good pattern out of the Richmond sets and had more light load howling noise.
Ask Summit "who makes your gears"?
DD

I agree about Richmond. The one set I bought new has howled since installed, and is definitely lower quality than factory. Marketing will get you everywhere...

The Motive Gear sets I've had in the Ford 8" have been flawless...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Umm... a GM 8.5"

I'll give both Jegs and Summit a call and see if they will share the info with us.
Thanks for your opinion!

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Chris'
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I think Motive Gear is re-boxed Precision Gear sets and Yukon is re-boxed US Gear... but no-one is talking.

2 phone calls, 2 un-answered questions.

Summit wont say, Jegs didn't know.

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Chris'
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Some of the gear sites say that the US Gear products tend to be noisier than others and that OEM gears are the quietest (and most expensive too.)

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

I never thought about asking the local dealer!

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Chris'
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My Mopar 3.91 made no noise,Richmond 4.56 do make noise,not real bad but enough to cover my fuel pump noise,