dragaholic
+1y
Hey bro, the pinion angle is the degree the drive shaft is pointed upward or downward. If the pinion angle is off bad you will experience vibration along with wearing out u-joints, pinion seals and carrier bearings. It is to my understanding that the pinion angle should be as close to -2 degrees as possible at all time throughout the pinion change caused by an adjustable suspension. Hope this helps.
Heres what I found.
Pinion angle simply refers to the angle of the differential’s pinion in relation to the driveshaft. But ask 10 guys about optimal pinion angle and a lively debate will ensue. To get a range of opinions, we spoke to several well-known and respected chassis builders about pinion angles. While their recommendations differ somewhat, they all agree on some basic principals. We’ll give you their take on the subject, and show you the various ways to measure and correct this very important aspect of chassis tuning.
Optimum Pinion Angle
Due to the dynamic nature of an automobile chassis, the various angles and symmetries are constantly changing, which adds to the complexity of obtaining driveline nirvana. Furthermore, we live in the real world where time takes its toll on our automobiles. Engines may not sit squarely in their motor mounts, motor mounts may not sit properly between the framerails, crossmembers may not sit straight, and who knows where the rearend is positioned (ours is usually in a chair behind a desk). Despite all these factors affecting the positioning of our drivetrains, they seem to work well enough in most cases, at least on the street in basically stock applications. We owe this functionality to the universal joint, which, by design, corrects for slight misalignments between the driving components (crankshaft and transmission) and the driven components (driveshaft and differential) of the drivetrain.
Pro Stock chassis builder Jerry Bickel assures us, “there is no mystery to pinion angle.â€