What should be done if the tooth pattern of a hypoid gear set shows excessive face contact?

In a hypoid gear set, the tooth pattern reflects how well the gears are meshing with each other. When the tooth pattern indicates excessive face contact, it suggests that the pinion is sitting too far out in relation to the ring gear, causing too much of the tooth face to engage. This can lead to increased wear and the risk of failure.

To correct this misalignment, moving the pinion in (or adjusting it closer to the ring gear) reduces the face contact and helps distribute the load more evenly across the tooth surface. This adjustment ensures that the contact pattern falls within the optimal range, which helps in enhancing gear performance, longevity, and overall effectiveness of the drivetrain.

Choosing to move the pinion out would only exacerbate the issue, as it would increase the contact area, potentially leading to more significant wear. Similarly, adjusting the ring gear closer to the pinion or further away wouldn't directly address the problem of excessive face contact on the pinion itself. Therefore, moving the pinion in is the most effective corrective action in this situation.