Gears break in

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Finally getting my truck back from the shop tomorrow, they installed 4.56 gears and the guy said that their isn't really a need to do the break in, just don't drive hard for a few days.
But I have also heard to drive easy for 500 miles.
I would rather do the 500 mile break in to be on the safe side but also want to roast some tires and race


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Hemi Ram

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Finally getting my truck back from the shop tomorrow, they installed 4.56 gears and the guy said that their isn't really a need to do the break in, just don't drive hard for a few days.
But I have also heard to drive easy for 500 miles.
I would rather do the 500 mile break in to be on the safe side but also want to roast some tires and race


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Drive normally for 500 miles. Avoid consistent speeds for long periods, and no towing or carrying heavy loads. There is a break in process that happens on a metallurgical level. Then go beat the hell out of them!

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HammerHead

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Drive normally for 500 miles. Avoid consistent speeds for long periods, and no towing or carrying heavy loads. There is a break in process that happens on a metallurgical level. Then go beat the hell out of them!

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+1 give the new gears time to harden. My 410's took months to break in, don't know why. But I would recommend changing the diff fluid after 2000k miles. I dropped my diff plate to inspect my gears and could not believe how bad the fluid looked.
 

sicmadek

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Definitely avoid cruise control driving for a 2-300 miles. Try to mix up the speeds a bit
 
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Beauregard7765
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Is there a away you can tell when they are broken in or just hope they are after the 599


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1morepart

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I have 4:56 gears in mine as well. I've installed them on many a mustang and several trucks. My rule of thumb is heat cycles. Drive through the gears, not constantly staying in the same gear- for (3) 15 minute rides. Get in the interstate and go through the gears, but don't redline them. Once you put 100 miles, you are fine. If it makes you feel better, drive longer and change the fluid after 500 miles. My truck hasnt even reached 500 miles and I assure you the gears have been tested. I've even changed gears on a pony car at the track , and still had time for runs. If you have an extra hand, it really only takes 4 hours to set them up properly. Enjoy!
 

kg93

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I have 4:56 gears in mine as well. I've installed them on many a mustang and several trucks. My rule of thumb is heat cycles. Drive through the gears, not constantly staying in the same gear- for (3) 15 minute rides. Get in the interstate and go through the gears, but don't redline them. Once you put 100 miles, you are fine. If it makes you feel better, drive longer and change the fluid after 500 miles. My truck hasnt even reached 500 miles and I assure you the gears have been tested. I've even changed gears on a pony car at the track , and still had time for runs. If you have an extra hand, it really only takes 4 hours to set them up properly. Enjoy!

wanna come do my gears hahah id be happy only paying for 10 hours of labor!
 

Graygoose

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Drive normal, no highway or hard pulls for a couple hundred miles. You can change gear oil, but think, a ton of new trucks roll off the lot and don't get changed, and they are new gears too. :)
 

sicmadek

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If you get over 500 miles on them and there is no whining, you are good.
 

KarL45

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Just a thought also, if you have heated up the gears, stop on a level surface and shift to neutral and let the gears cool for about 5 minutes. That way, your gears are not forced against each other. Possible, especially if parking to get a slight warp at the contact point. That said, my Yukon gears specified a 500 mile fluid change as well.. As for towing, they specifically said at least 500 miles and after the fluid change.
 

fasthemiram12

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Every installer seems to have a different recommendation for this so called "break in" period.
What i always do is short drives in 3rd or 4th gear and vary my speed. Basically accelerate from 30-60mph and let off allowing the ring gear to make contact to the pinion on both sides. You want the gears to get warm but not scorched.
I do this for apprx 200 miles and your good to go.
 

RLJ10X

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I agree with the Heat Cycle Theory. That what I did. They are great
 

1morepart

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Heat cycles is the key with varying speed. The 500 mile rule is old school BS

Jay, I completely agree with this. I even posted how I do heat cycles. Just installed some 4:56 gears in mine, and I was concerned about traction before:roflsquared:She pulls like I just detached a 300 pound trailer. finally time to get back under there and put in a decent tc.
jb
 
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Yeah I think torque converter is my next step too. I'll just say in 3rd/4th gear for my short trips to and from work and then do my burnout


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Galion

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Whenever we change a diff out in a rig at work, or with any of our new rigs, we don't do anything special for "break in". The whole "break in" idea is outdated, the gears are heat treated during manufacturing, your driving isn't going to make a difference. The only thing I would recommend is to do the first fluid change early since these diffs don't have filters in them like rigs do.
 

loveracing1988

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Whenever we change a diff out in a rig at work, or with any of our new rigs, we don't do anything special for "break in". The whole "break in" idea is outdated, the gears are heat treated during manufacturing, your driving isn't going to make a difference. The only thing I would recommend is to do the first fluid change early since these diffs don't have filters in them like rigs do.
Heat treated sure, but they need to get properly matched together which can only happen with a load on them with hear cycles.
 

Galion

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Heat treated sure, but they need to get properly matched together which can only happen with a load on them with hear cycles.

Which will happen from normal use. If it works for rigs doing millions of kilometers hauling 100k+ lbs, it's more than fine for a pickup. At least that's how I see it, never had any issues from it.
 

loveracing1988

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Which will happen from normal use. If it works for rigs doing millions of kilometers hauling 100k+ lbs, it's more than fine for a pickup. At least that's how I see it, never had any issues from it.
All I know is every single test we run at work has a 10 minute breakin load before we go to full test load on axles, that is all I need to know to tell me to break gears in before heavy use.
 

LilRamie

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Just follow your owners manual for break in all over again, that'll cover the new gears.

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