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3.73??

  • Thread starter Thread starter lamakina
  • Start date Start date Jun 3, 2009
L

lamakina

New Member
Jun 3, 2009
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Jun 3, 2009
#1
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #1
hey guys.. i'm new here and i would like to ask you a question...


i have an 89 ford mustang with an AOD tranny... i got 2.73 gears on the back... so i'm thinking about getting new gears on the back.. i would like to ask you .. what gears would you all recommend??

my friends says 3.73

and my questions..

if i get 3.73 how big is the differene.. and if i'm going 70 or 75 what yould my RMP's would be???? i dont want my RPMS to be to high.. what do you all think??

with 3.73 gears would take off faster.. but what about top end speed?

thanks in advance?///
 

skunk21

Active Member
May 22, 2007
1,203
3
36
Taxachusetts
Jun 3, 2009
#2
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #2
1st gears are always a good idea but there is a slight trade off. It's going to eat into your mpg some. 2:73's are really tall and bogg the motor down so going to 3:73 are going to be night and day. I'm not an auto guy so I'm too familiar with your gear ratio's. Alot of the times it's recommended that aod guys run 4:10's and the 5spd guys run 3:73's. I still think 3:73's would be a great gear though but I'm sure the auto guys will chime in. I have a .63 5th gear in my T5 and run about 2,100 rpms or around there at 65 so 70-75 would be a few hundred more, to me that isn't bad at all. I got a feeling you wouldn't be that far off. You will not believe the difference in the car though.
 

Beasty306GT

Active Member
Dec 19, 2002
671
4
28
Oxford,Mass
Jun 3, 2009
#3
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #3
Everyone says 3;73 for 5 speed.....and 4;10 for an auto......its ur choice really
 
S

STP72

New Member
Nov 11, 2006
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Jun 3, 2009
#4
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #4
All depends what you want.. 373's if you do alot of highway driving and 410's for in town use.. I have 373's in my AOD.. It felt like I added a supercharger I could only imagine what 410's are like. I wish I went with 410's to be honest. On the hwy I am running around 2000rpm at 60-65 mph 410's you will be 200-300rpm more I figure.. I say go with 410's I WISH I DID.. Also put in a shift kit and do the epoxy mod to the VB will be alot more fun to drive
 
L

lamakina

New Member
Jun 3, 2009
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Jun 5, 2009
#5
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #5
what brand gears??

so.. i'm going with 3.73 since i run highway.. ans street..

but know the questions is..



do i buy the complete bearing kit.. .. what brand??

and for the gears...


FORD RACING..??

RICHMOND GEARS??

MOSER GEARS???
 

Turd Tops

New Member
Apr 9, 2009
103
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0
South Lyon , Michigan
Jun 5, 2009
#6
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #6
This my thinking only

Alot of freeway driving...3.55
Some freeway driving.....3.73
No to very little freeway driving...4.10
Some street and alot of track time...4.30

I would use this for a 5-speed but with the AOD i would start with 3.73's
 
S

STP72

New Member
Nov 11, 2006
109
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Jun 5, 2009
#7
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #7
You can't go wrong with ford racing gears or Richmond gears
While your doing the gears I would rebuild the Trakloc and replace bearings and seals at the same time. 373's are a fun gear you will like them. I want to try 410's next just to see what the difference is between 373 and 410's..
 

ill advised

Member
Apr 29, 2003
656
10
19
West L.A.
Jun 5, 2009
#8
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #8
You will definitley notice a jump with the 3.73, especially in "passing speed". My AOD is more for cruising/daily driving so I'm satisfied with the 3.73. I'm not looking for max performance. Otherwise I would have upgraded the stall converter, which is what you really need to get these cars moving. Even with the gear it still feels like a dog off the line. A quality stall isn't cheap though.

I'm running Ford Racing's ring & pinion in both cars. Summit carries several install kits.
 

skunk21

Active Member
May 22, 2007
1,203
3
36
Taxachusetts
Jun 5, 2009
#9
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #9
Gears go ford racing, they are quiet and a nice gear set. The ford racing bearing set are also a great choice , since you got the rearend open I would refreshen the whole thing. The ford racing M-4210-C kit comes with everything inside a 8.8 rearend, pinion/carrier bearings, axle bearings/seals etc. The B kit will also due the job minus the axle bits.

also a good time to rebuild the traction lok if you already haven't done it, the M-4700-C kit from Ford has the carbon fiber disc set, the B kit is the standard clutches. have fun
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,271
17,959
224
Massachusetts
Jun 5, 2009
#10
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #10
To be honest, with an AOD i didn't like 3.73's. It was great for drag racing but in terms of having a top end...it sucked. Anything past 80MPH seemed like you were running out of gear and with an AOD and 3.73's your top speed was around 100MPH at WOT since you can't shift into OD at WOT limiting you to 3 gears.

So for a freeway driver, i would stick to 3.55's or even 3.27's. If this car is your weekend cruiser, then by all means go 3.73's or 4.10's.

WHen i had my '03 GT i loved the 3.27's. Everyone told me to do 4.10's or 4.30's but i loved how i could be in 3rd and pull hard past 65MPH and shift into 4th.

Part of me wants to take my 3:73's out and go to 3.27's with my new 5-spd swap setup.
 

the pony boy

Founding Member
Apr 19, 2002
358
0
16
10512
Jun 5, 2009
#11
  • Jun 5, 2009
  • #11
i have 2 mustangs one with boltons and 373's with a pa valve body and the other with 410's shift kit and gt40 kit.i think the 373 car is more fun and more daily driveable than the 410 car.the 410's with the flowmaster exhaust was to much on the highway. phil
 

skunk21

Active Member
May 22, 2007
1,203
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36
Taxachusetts
Jun 6, 2009
#12
  • Jun 6, 2009
  • #12
Mustang5L5 said:
To be honest, with an AOD i didn't like 3.73's. It was great for drag racing but in terms of having a top end...it sucked. Anything past 80MPH seemed like you were running out of gear and with an AOD and 3.73's your top speed was around 100MPH at WOT since you can't shift into OD at WOT limiting you to 3 gears.

So for a freeway driver, i would stick to 3.55's or even 3.27's. If this car is your weekend cruiser, then by all means go 3.73's or 4.10's.

WHen i had my '03 GT i loved the 3.27's. Everyone told me to do 4.10's or 4.30's but i loved how i could be in 3rd and pull hard past 65MPH and shift into 4th.

Part of me wants to take my 3:73's out and go to 3.27's with my new 5-spd swap setup.
Click to expand...

Mike you would hate yourself taking out the 3:73 in a 5spd car. The only other choice I would have done was maybe 3:55's, but for a weekend/pleasure car leave the 3:73's, a 5spd car has plenty of running room with those gears.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,271
17,959
224
Massachusetts
Jun 6, 2009
#13
  • Jun 6, 2009
  • #13
greensvt21 said:
Mike you would hate yourself taking out the 3:73 in a 5spd car. The only other choice I would have done was maybe 3:55's, but for a weekend/pleasure car leave the 3:73's, a 5spd car has plenty of running room with those gears.
Click to expand...



Well i'm going to give it some honest miles with the 3.73's first before deciding what to do. I was going to swap them when i had the axle out, but i decided to try it first.

The only reason why i want to gear it down is that I will be doing a LOT of freeway driving. But i'll wait and see how it is with the 3.73's first
 

Dino Dino Bambino

15 Year Member
Jun 13, 2007
1,672
89
79
Cyprus
Jun 6, 2009
#14
  • Jun 6, 2009
  • #14
SickSix said:
Everyone says 3;73 for 5 speed.....and 4;10 for an auto......its ur choice really
Click to expand...

As an auto owner I'd suggest the following:

3.73: For a torquer 302 with a maximum rpm of 5500 or less.
4.10: For a higher HP 302 with a maximum rpm nearer to 6000.

I have a 3.73 and for freeway driving it's absolutely fine and delivers good gas mileage.
 
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