Guys,
This is my used set of 4.10 gears installed in the same housing, but with a new Eaton posi with all new bearings and races. I have the pinion preload (no crush sleeve yet), set at 20 in-lbs. The carrier is shimmed for .008" - .009" backlash with an additional 6 in-lbs of drag. (26 in-lbs to turn the pinion and the carrier together). Pinion shim is set at .028". That is what was on there when I took it apart.
The coast side looks funky, maybe because it is a used set?? The drive side is more defined. Please look at my pics and provide some guidance.:) Thanks in advance.

Try increasing the backlash to about .010 to .012 and see what it looks like. The drive side looks like the pinion is not deep enough, but the coast side says don't go any deeper. What did the pattern look like before you disassembled it?

i agree with bgh. i would start with .005 more shim on the pinion. used gears can make funky patterns. tom

Jim, since you offered your opinion on my gear patterns back a month or so I figure I better do the same.
Do what BGH and tlowe said. :D

By the way guys, I took mine out today for its first drive after installing the new rear. I am happy to say it performs flawlessly.

Thanks again

If I move the pinion closer by .004", what will that do to my backlash?
I have a .028" shim in there now. I have available .010, .012 and .020. I can remove the .028 and install the .012 and the .020 together.

The pattern before I removed it,.....Um,,,,I wish i was smart enough to have checked that. :( I only checked the backlash. It was between .009 and .010.

If you move the pinion deeper the backlash will decrease.

I thought so, just figured I ask. OK, I am going to pull it apart now, re-shim the pinion, set the backlash again to around .010 and try again.
Thanks guys! Gonna be a late night back here.

OK, I added .006 to the pinion. Now it is .034" shim
I adjusted the side carrier shims to give me .009" (I want .008-.010 for used, correct??)
Here is what I have now.

pattern looks better. i would say run it. sometimes it helps to put a little oil on the gear to make the pattern show better. the coast pattern still looks funny. but that is the way used gears are. ussually the coast looks nice and the drive side looks terrible. how many miles are on the gears and what brand are they? tom

The gears were put in by a driveline shop in 2000. Probably have about 6000 miles on them. I don't put many mile on this car/year. Brand is "Precision Gear" I want to pull it apart again, there is a very slight "sticky spot" on the pinion gear when I rotate it. May have gotten a piece of dirt or something in there. As I rotate it to check pinion preload, the torque wrench reads about 18 in-lbs with a bump to 20 in-lbs about every 30 degrees of rotation. So you think the pattern looks OK though? I'll oil the gear when I put it back together and check it again.

OK guys.
This is with .034" pinion shim, 20 in-lbs pinion bearing preload and I increased the backlash to a hair over .010". I am using the super shims. Left side has the 2 shells plus .015" thick shims in it. Right side has the 2 shells plus .026" thick shims in it. I used Tom's suggestion of using some oil with the marking compound. But I wanted to see if that made a difference, so I coated the first tooth with regular marker compound. The 2nd tooth I mixed with a little oil and the 3rd thru 6th tooth I mixed the marking compound in a little cup with more oil to form a thinner paste. Definitely makes a difference. What do you guys think?? Coast side is confusing to me. Must be the used gear set???