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

When a hypoid gear set exhibits excessive face contact in the tooth pattern, the best course of action is to move the ring gear away from the pinion. This adjustment serves to decrease the amount of face contact between the gears, which is critical for proper gear operation and longevity. Excessive face contact can cause premature wear, overheating, and even failure of the gear set due to increased friction and pressure on the gear surfaces.

Positioning the ring gear away creates a more favorable alignment and can help restore optimal tooth engagement by providing sufficient clearance for proper load distribution along the tooth face. It allows the contact pattern to shift towards the center of the tooth surface, which is where load distribution is typically designed to occur.

Other approaches, such as shifting backlash to tighten engagement, may not adequately address the issue of excessive face contact and can even exacerbate wear. Replacing the pinion gear or adjusting the case position might also not resolve the fundamental problem of misalignment; therefore, adjusting the position of the ring gear to increase the gap between it and the pinion proves to be the most effective solution in this scenario.