A ring gear (also called ring pinion gear) is a type of spiral bevel gear. A ring gear is a necessary part of power transmission drive in an automobile. For instance, for setting an axle ratio for an automobile, the gearbox must have ring and pinion gears.

In addition to the automotive industry, other industries that use ring and pinion gears include oil and gas, power, food and mining.

Some important parameters you must consider before buying a ring gear are:

1. Loads acting on ring gears
2. Features of a ring gear: tooth width, pitch, module, pressure angle and diameter
3. Material of the ring gear set
4. Expected life of the ring gear

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy ring gears from reputable gear manufacturers

Once you identify your power transmission requirements, check out ring gear sets available in the market.

I recommend: Sonnax, a reputable automotive component manufacturer, supplies ring gears for automotive flexplates and flywheels. Precision Gear is another manufacturer of automotive components that provides pinion and ring gear sets to various automotive manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Chrysler. You can buy a differential ring gear at Randy's Ring & Pinion, a reputable supplier for ring and pinions, axles and racing automotive components.

Buy ring gears from a reputable gear distributor or retailer

Compare different ring gears based on their features and prices at distributors or retailers' websites.

I recommend: Jaws Gear & Axle, a major distributor of ring and pinion gears, provides ring gears from leading gear manufacturers such as Yukon Gear, Richmond and U.S. Gear. You can buy ring gears at Industrial Drive Components, an authorized distributor of power transmission components. You can also refer to the lists of ring gear suppliers at Zycon Global Services and Gear Technology.

Buy specialty or custom ring gears

If standard ring gears available in the market do not meet your requirements, opt for customized ring gears.

I recommend: Louisville Forge and Gear Works, a custom manufacturer of forged components and gears, supplies ring gears as per customers’ requirements. Kleiss Gears is another custom gear manufacturer that provides gears for agriculture, automotive, medical and military applications. Precipart a precision gear supplier manufactures custom gears including internal ring gears.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ensure proper lubrication of your ring and pinion gear system, as ring and pinion gears require lubricants with higher coefficient of friction.
• •  Ring gear installation is a critical task as improper installation results in noisy and in-efficient operations. Consult an expert before you install ring gears.
• •  Perform a cost-value analysis before buying a customized ring gear.