Is it possible for the load ring to 'relax' over time? If so would the bearing preload go away?

Kurt

NO! The load ring only tells you when to stop torquing. --- Jer

I suppose it cold relax, but it would actually increase the preload. This also means that when you went to take it apart the retainer nut would be kind of loose. I have never seen a loose one.

Thanks Marc! --- Jer

Two seasons ago I was having problems with my lowers and started blowing pinion gears and by the end of the summer I had a box full of broken gears.

First the right hand drive went so I rebuilt it. I just thought it broke because it was the weak drive. Then a few months later I broke the left hand drive which also made the trans oil pump break. I got Mark (MBAM) to send me a new trans and I rebuilt the lower as well. Then a month later the right hand drive broke AGAIN! I rebuilt the lower again.

It was all pretty frustrating because I had already had the boat for a while and never had any problems. It made me think a little because I had installed nose cones that year and started hearing that other people were having similiar problems with thier drives that had nose cones. So that winter I removed the nose cones and never had any problems since.

BTW, I am running about 525 to 550hp.

I can't imagine why the presence of a nose cone would cause lower gear failure....but I've always felt that the extra length of the stock TRS gear-case made nosecones unecessary unless you were running in the upper 80's and at extreme "X" dimensions. --- Jer

I say again...Cryo-treated gears?? -- and who rebuilt it?? --- Jer

Jpclear... I hear you run big hp and single drive...What kind of boat/ setup are you running???
Eric

As much as it sounds wrong, that was my experience. The boat was rigged in 1995 and never broke a drive until 2001 when I put nose cones on and broke 3 in the same season. Then I got rid of the cones and haven't had any problems for the past two years.

I lost 1-2 mph with the nose cones and lost about 200-300 rpms. I think the drive may have been getting loaded from the loss of RPM's. I think if I went to a smaller prop the drives would have stayed together. The props felt really sticky with the cones, even if you barked the drive slightly if felt harsh. Once I put the nose cones on you had to be right on the money with the sticks.

Again, I only speak from my experiences, whether you believe it or not that is fine by me..