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Thanks to DodgemanDan for doing this.
When changing gear ratios in your differential, it is sometimes neccesary to change the differential carrier in order to allow the ring and pinion to contact eachother properly. As you go to a numerically higher gear ratio, the pinion gets smaller, therefore creating a need for the ring gear to be closer to the centerline of the pinion. Since the differential can only be adjusted a certain amount side to side, most differentials have a few different carriers to accommidate this need.
The line between a gear ratio which will work with your existing differential carrier, and a ratio which requires a more or less offset carrier is called a carrier break.
Here are the carrier breaks of some differentials that can be found under our mopars:
Chrysler:
7.25" 2.47 & down / 2.76 & up
8.25" 2.45 & down / 2.56 & up
8.75" all use same carrier
9.25" all use same carrier
Dana Spicer:
D27 3.73 & down / 3.92 & up
D28 3.45 & down / 3.73 & up
D30 3.54 & down / 3.73 & up
D44 3.73 & down / 3.92 & up #
D50 all use same height carrier
D60 4.10 & down / 4.56 & up
D61 3.31 & down / 3.54 to 4.10 with thick gear / 3.54 to 4.10 with regular gear
D70-1/2" & 5/8" offset 4.10 & down / 4.56 & up
D70-31/31" offset 3.42 & down / 3.54 to 4.10 (4.56 & up will NOT fit this housing)
D80 3.73 & down / 4.10 & up
As you can see, not all differentials have a carrier break, and to make matters a little easier for certain gear swaps, some ring gears are available in a thicker or thinner than stock version, thus keeping the teeth of the ring gear the right distance from the pinion and eliminating the need for a different carrier. For example, if you buy 4.11's with a thick ring gear for a Dana 44, you can use the 3.73 and lower differential carrier. If you get the gearset with the regular ring gear, you must use the 3.92 and higher carrier
When changing gear ratios in your differential, it is sometimes neccesary to change the differential carrier in order to allow the ring and pinion to contact eachother properly. As you go to a numerically higher gear ratio, the pinion gets smaller, therefore creating a need for the ring gear to be closer to the centerline of the pinion. Since the differential can only be adjusted a certain amount side to side, most differentials have a few different carriers to accommidate this need.
The line between a gear ratio which will work with your existing differential carrier, and a ratio which requires a more or less offset carrier is called a carrier break.
Here are the carrier breaks of some differentials that can be found under our mopars:
Chrysler:
7.25" 2.47 & down / 2.76 & up
8.25" 2.45 & down / 2.56 & up
8.75" all use same carrier
9.25" all use same carrier
Dana Spicer:
D27 3.73 & down / 3.92 & up
D28 3.45 & down / 3.73 & up
D30 3.54 & down / 3.73 & up
D44 3.73 & down / 3.92 & up #
D50 all use same height carrier
D60 4.10 & down / 4.56 & up
D61 3.31 & down / 3.54 to 4.10 with thick gear / 3.54 to 4.10 with regular gear
D70-1/2" & 5/8" offset 4.10 & down / 4.56 & up
D70-31/31" offset 3.42 & down / 3.54 to 4.10 (4.56 & up will NOT fit this housing)
D80 3.73 & down / 4.10 & up
As you can see, not all differentials have a carrier break, and to make matters a little easier for certain gear swaps, some ring gears are available in a thicker or thinner than stock version, thus keeping the teeth of the ring gear the right distance from the pinion and eliminating the need for a different carrier. For example, if you buy 4.11's with a thick ring gear for a Dana 44, you can use the 3.73 and lower differential carrier. If you get the gearset with the regular ring gear, you must use the 3.92 and higher carrier
