*4.10's and the highway*

todd4566

Founding Member
May 24, 2000
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36
California
How are the 4.10's on the highway after the initial smiles wear off? I don't often take long trips in my car, but I greatly enjoy driving at 80mph anytime I hit the highway. I have found the rpm's w/ 4.10's is 2952 at 80mph, which seems a bit high to me. I have been putting my car in 4th on the highway lately to see how I like the 3k cruising feel, and I isn't the greatest feeling; makes me appreciate 5th w/ the 3.27's a bit more. Guess all I'm looking for here is a push that 4.10's really are worthy in a daily driver. I enjoy "feeling the power" as much as the next guy, but not at the expense of engine longevity and poor mpg. I have a friend who can install gears cheap, but I don't plan on doing this twice.

*I know this question has been beaten to death; I have read just about every gear post on every forum I visit, but I still find myself in doubt.
 
I've got 3.73's and at about 80mph 5th gear I'm at around 2800 rpm.. Any more and i'd be annoyed. 4.10's are no contest better on the street, but i have do a 375 mile trip about 4 times a year and if i had 4.10's i'd be over 3k for the whole trip which i wouldn't neccessarily want for my baby. I'm not saying "buy 3.73's", but its something to consider. that being said i ame happy with my decision.

You could always get 4.10's and put a .5" taller tire in back, similar effect to just buying 3.90 gears.

-wade
 
don't do 4.10s if u drive 80+ on highway. i've got em & i swear i have to drive slower now. just cant stand the car being @ 3k for that long. but poor mpg is bs, mine went up. i love em & would never swap for 373's, but i don't do highway that much either.
 
daver01 said:
don't do 4.10s if u drive 80+ on highway. i've got em & i swear i have to drive slower now. just cant stand the car being @ 3k for that long. but poor mpg is bs, mine went up. i love em & would never swap for 373's, but i don't do highway that much either.

Yeah I figured I'd have to slow down a bit. Hate the thought of cruising in the slow lanes though. What speeds are you cruising at now? Guess I could handle 75, but if 65 becomes the norm then :notnice:
 
i am in the same boat as you and i think i am going to go with 4.10's. think about it, it's only about 250 rpms higher at 80 m/hr than 3.73's. that is really that much more if you think about it like that, especially when redline is at 6,000rpm. you can spare 250 rpms no problem. also, think about how you car will haul serious a$$ with 4.10 on the street.


also, read other posts. 99% of current 4.10 street users would never go with anything less. this must mean something.
 
daver01 said:
70-75 now. depending on v-1 pig predicitions.

75 still puts you around 2700 right? Still seems kind of high. Maybe I'm worrying about this too much :shrug: . I didn't buy this car to limit it's purpose: to cart my butt around. I already had a 5.0 that refused to do extended trips. Just don't want to turn this car into the same thing.. reading about how much harder these cars pull with 4.10's though is pulling me in like a magnet.
 
just get em. some things like gears & exhaust are better experienced for yourself, no way someone can really graphically describe what it is like with em. besides, u will get used to it. just takes a couple of weeks. pickup in low end is worth alot of the small annoying things, to me anyway.
 
What about 3.55 gears, that is what the machs and 05 stangs come with. Would the 3.55's pull alot harder than the 3.27's and the rpms would be down much more that the 3.73's or 4.10's. Would the 3.55's be worth getting?
 
pjdellenger80 said:
What about 3.55 gears, that is what the machs and 05 stangs come with. Would the 3.55's pull alot harder than the 3.27's and the rpms would be down much more that the 3.73's or 4.10's. Would the 3.55's be worth getting?
no. going from 3.27 to 3.55 isn't a big enough change to feel any difference.
 
yeah, that would be a waste of money and time!! no lower than 3.73's. you're right though, i could only find one or two people out of probably a hundred who were unhappy with the 4.10's. after reading posts, i felt better too.
 
i believe the 5th gear ratio on the '03's is different, but my 4.10's are perfectly acceptable on the freeway. 75mph is a lil over 2500 and 80mph is about 2800rpm if I recall correctly.

I do a lot of freeway driving too, and it didn't really effect my mileage. Plus, the car pulls so much harder in 5th
 
pjdellenger80 said:
What about 3.55 gears, that is what the machs and 05 stangs come with. Would the 3.55's pull alot harder than the 3.27's and the rpms would be down much more that the 3.73's or 4.10's. Would the 3.55's be worth getting?

Thanks for the thought, but if I am going through the trouble of opening the rear, then something a bit more dramatic is going in. I actually have some 3.55's in the garage somewhere too. Some say that even 3.73 isn't that noticeable from the 3.27's. :shrug:
 
I've got 4.10's and LOVE freeway driving.
In fact, I like the difference on the freeway more than the difference on the street!
5th pulls great!
At first the engine reving at 2800+ at 80 bothered me.
Now I'm used to it.
No difference in gas milage!
I love the freeway now! 5th pulls really nice.
I can pass without downshifting, it's great!
The hi revs also keep me from speeding too much too. ;)
 
You wont hurt your engine running 3k rpms. Look at all the ricers. Theyre at that RPM range on the freeway and their motor seems to last :D


And PJDellenger, STOP WITH THE 'Kiss Me''Kiss Me''Kiss Me''Kiss Me'ING 3.55s!!! :chair: :uzi: :shock: :bang: :notnice: :rolleyes: