Automotive
Check out the article in the Feb 2017 issue of Hot Rod Magazine for all the particulars, but it's not online yet, so I can't just link to it yet.
But it goes something like this, the 57 T bird had a 300 hp supercharged 312 cu in engine option, and the word came down to the floor designer to minimize the driveshaft tunnel hump.
So, they designed the pinion to contact the ring gear, with a whole lot more angle, and most hypoid distance, of any gear set. The contact patch between pinion and gear teeth is signifcantly more than even a Dana 60, and the hypoid distance is 1.062 on the Dana, and 2.250 on the Ford.
This is about 10% more strength than a GM 12 bolt for example, which has about 1.35 gear teeth in contact, and the Ford has about 1.75
The trade off is about 3% power loss. Well, add 5% more power with a better intake and or headers, and everything is going to be Jake.
So, design-wise it's the best, however, Ford let everyone down in other aspects, such as the low grade iron of the housing, or the 28 spline axles, or etc etc etc. It's good to about 400 hp, more than that and you will need to upgrade things. 31 or 35 spline axles, nodular iron case, better bearings, etc.
But it goes something like this, the 57 T bird had a 300 hp supercharged 312 cu in engine option, and the word came down to the floor designer to minimize the driveshaft tunnel hump.
So, they designed the pinion to contact the ring gear, with a whole lot more angle, and most hypoid distance, of any gear set. The contact patch between pinion and gear teeth is signifcantly more than even a Dana 60, and the hypoid distance is 1.062 on the Dana, and 2.250 on the Ford.
This is about 10% more strength than a GM 12 bolt for example, which has about 1.35 gear teeth in contact, and the Ford has about 1.75
The trade off is about 3% power loss. Well, add 5% more power with a better intake and or headers, and everything is going to be Jake.
So, design-wise it's the best, however, Ford let everyone down in other aspects, such as the low grade iron of the housing, or the 28 spline axles, or etc etc etc. It's good to about 400 hp, more than that and you will need to upgrade things. 31 or 35 spline axles, nodular iron case, better bearings, etc.
