REM super polished 529 Nitro gears for Mike's 2021 Tacoma TRD
(48 BIG pics loading)
NOV 23 2022

Mike's 2021 Tacoma TRD Offroad with factory 3.91 gears. The Nitro 5.29 gears will represent a 35% improvement. :)
The rear diff is the very strong 8.75" with factory elocker. The front is the usual 8" hi-pinion clamshell design.
Mike is located in Phoenix and removed both his diffs from his 2021 Tacoma TRD Offroad model that has the robust 8.75" ring gear with the factory elocker. He shuttled them up to my new location of Prescott, AZ. He supplied the Yukon master install kits and Nitro brand gears that he took the extra step of having them REM processed locally at GEARONE in Phoenix located near 37th Ave and I10. Revolution Gear gets their ring/pinions from the same plant assembly line as Nitro and offers same exact quality but Revolution Gear gives you the option to have the gears conveniently "In-House" REM'd before shipment. They don't seem to have a checkbox for the REM on their website so best to call them up and place the order and make sure you request they REM your gears.
Last time I checked, REM from revolutiongear was a very reasonable 100 ring/pinion. That is truly a deal. The process itself should be considered "mandatory" for all aftermarket ring/pinions.
I am more interested in doing a write-up on the rear 3rd rather than the front 8" clamshell for Mike. So why the heck would Toyota put 3.91 street gears in the 3rds gens I do not know.....
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REM polished Nitro 5.29 gears will wake the Toyota up for sure. REM gears are basically super polished and run with very little frictional losses. This translates into COOL gear oil temps right from the start. This means no 500 mile break-in period.....just get in and enjoy the gears. The gear oil will look brand new at 500 miles with no metal particles or black oxide in the oil.
Parts are organized.....
The original blue connector is sacrificial....seems like the only safe way to save the shown black connector is to destroy the outer blue connector......part # 82824-0K060
A new one will be installed at the very end.
The old carrier bearings will be pulled off.
And the 3.91 ring gear will also be removed.
.....
Ready for a 529 ring gear and new bearings
There is very little demand for stock 391 gears.....very little.....probably ZERO.
Now the 529 ratio is another story.......
Red loctite and 92 ft/lbs on all 12 flange bolts.... This center carrier is "complete".
The pinion flange is close to brand new.
Seal is coming off....
Old race is removed.
No damage to the oil retainer at all.
These are the old pinion races. Toyota chose to place the pinion shim behind the large inner race.
The pile grows.
Looking at some previous installs that had the same stampings on the ring gear and .075" might be a winner.
New pinion bearing with no shim here......
......the pinion shim (washer plate) is located behind the massive pinion race.
Oil retainer then the race goes in.
Just like this.
I love being in the country outside of Prescott......my own boulder field. My pinion shaft insertion station.....
With pinion in place.......and the center carrier to be mounted next.
Re-using the same side bearing washer plates worked out well. The backlash is about .006" so now a pattern check can be run.
Drive side.....a bit too deep. Favors the toe end but the main concern is excessive contact in the root. Running it like this might result in some gear whistling noise.
Coast....not telling me much.
Now the pinion tooth is telling us that it's too deep.
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Carefully removed the race and the 075 was replaced with a 072 which should be the perfect tweak.
Race tapped back in with 360 degree support (chisels are too rough on the corners).
Bingo! The drive side is now perfect.....there is mirror image symmetry from face to flank (outside to root). This pattern will allow the gears to run quiet.
Coast
Nice symmetry.
Genuine factory seal gets a coating of "The Right Stuff" which is an excellent RTV for sealing.
The pinion nut was cranked until 11 inch/pounds start torque was measured.
DING and this end is done.
A final 84 foot/pounds on the 4 bearing caps.
The new blue connector can go in now.
Backlash is recorded on every other tooth....
Specs are engraved.
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Notes of the install. Update 12-7-22.....Mike reports that the gears run quiet....no noise at all. I quote him ".....This thing is a tank. 4Lo and first gear it will creep, but says it's doing zero mph. It will shift into 3rd at 10 mph. Haha So much more pep too. Wayyyy better than a couple of weeks ago.".