how does this pattern work

Yes - MAny companies will do this with gear sets. It is nice to know what type of gear we are dealing with as some are a 5 cut process gear and some are 2 step process gear. The gear you have appears to have a 2 step process cut making the drive side pattern LOOK like it does. Kind of a diagonal pattern. IF that is the case I would leave it alone.

The other guy that said yto move it .020 I think you might have wanted to put .002 ??? Correct? Cause if you put 20 thousands your pattern will be SO deep it will not work. 2 thousands could work BUT for me the coast side (concave side) works the convex siude (drive side) Could maybe use that .002 if it were a standard 5 cut process gear Where the pattern is like a bullet oval shape.

Like I said before it appears they you could run that pattern.

What was the shim? Did you try the original first? Also WHAT is your back lash... Try adjusting the backlash tighter or looser if you are in the .007 range.

Backlash is the distance slap between the ring and pinion gear mesh coast to drive side rock. :) JIm