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Pro Form Pinion Depth Set Up Tool

UPDATED!
Page 2
  1. Using the same method as above and in the bearing bore, take a series of measurements to the top of the pinon head, rotating the pinion for each measurement. Once you feel you have a consistent measurement, take the travel of the dial indicator and subtract it from 3". Record this measurement.
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  1. After removing the pinion we will take our final measurement which is of the pinion head. DO NOT INCLUDE THE SHIM IN YOUR MEASUREMENT!  PREVIOUSLY I HAD POSTED ON THIS SITE THAT YOU SHOULD MEASURE THE SHIM AND PINION HEAD, MAINLY BECAUSE THE DIRECTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE TOOL WERE HORRIBLE AND I DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO USE IT.  Do this with the dial caliper. Take a few measurements (at different points) and record the result.
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Measurement of the factory pinion head without shim using a dial caliper.
  1. Add the measurements obtained in steps 12 and 13. Then, add or subtract the offset as determined in setp 9. The result is the pinion depth.
Illustration of my measurements
Needle on the dial indicator traveled .487 on the bearing bore measurement. Subtracting this number from 2", the bearing bore measurement I came up with was 1.513".
Dial caliper measurement of the bearing race was 3.062". Dividing that number by two, the result was 1.531".
The offset, as determined using step 9 above, resulted in an offset of .018" needing to be added to the pinion depth measurement below.
The travel of the dial indicator on the pinion depth measurement from the bearing cap mating surface was .480". Subtracting that number from 3" left a pinion depth from the bearing cap surface of 2.530".
The dial caliper measurement of the pinion head  was 1.880".
Adding the three measurements; dial caliper measurement of pinion head and shim of 1.880", pinion depth of 2.520", and the offset of .018", I was left with a final pinion depth of 4.418". This measurement is .002" shallower than the factory setting of 4.420".   This is a good measurement.
Originally, I did not like this tool from ProForm, and still have one negative feeling  about it.   When I used the tool a second time, I obtained correct readings, making it a useful tool.  However, the dial indicator that came with the tool was not used: I used a different dial indicator.  Now, this could have been a faulty indicator, but who knows. 

Overall, if you like tools and/or will be setting up rearends in the future, I think the tool is worth it.   Again, the only problem I still have with the tool is that the dial indicator extension screwed into the dial indicator crooked. 

Having said that, I'd not use the tool as the be-all-end-all last word on how the gears mesh.  As a matter of fact, no matter what method I used, I'd finish with checking the wear pattern with gear marking compound for sure.
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Pinion and Bearing Removal