This paper presents the results of a detailed analysis of torsional stiffness of a pair of involute spur gears in mesh using finite element methods. Adaptive meshing has been employed within a commercial finite element program to reveal the detailed behaviour in the change over region from single- to double-tooth contact zones and vice versa. Analysis of past gear tooth stiffness models is presented including single- and multitooth models of the individual and combined torsional mesh stiffness. The gear body stiffness has been shown to be a major component of the total mesh stiffness, and a revised method for predicting the combined torsional mesh stiffness is presented. It is further shown tha the mesh stiffness and load sharing ratios will be a function of applied load.
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