changing gears - 3.27 or 3.55?
- Thread starter chrishicks
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FireFinder20
Founding Member
for what you want...3.55's will do the trick, especially from the 2.73's
I'm a 3.73 guy myself (all of my Stangs and 1 LSC had them) and love them tremendously, but your woman will hate them, that being said, good luck!
I'm a 3.73 guy myself (all of my Stangs and 1 LSC had them) and love them tremendously, but your woman will hate them, that being said, good luck!
Not to sound like a broken record, but go with 3.73's. I had 2.73's- and YES, it is a 4 world difference. And as far as gas mileage, i was concerned about that as well.. because i drive to highschool and back. So i gear hop (1-2-4-5) and i get HECKOVALOT better gas mileage i did with my 2.73's.
Oh- and i dont know if this was just my car, but when i had 2.73's- my car would rattle/shake/nearly cry if i even THOUGHT about driving below 1500RPM. but now- im able to cruise peacefully at 1000 which saves MORE on gas.
\ Just my .02
Oh- and i dont know if this was just my car, but when i had 2.73's- my car would rattle/shake/nearly cry if i even THOUGHT about driving below 1500RPM. but now- im able to cruise peacefully at 1000 which saves MORE on gas.
\ Just my .02
emagdnim said:
Yes. I made the same change, and it made a huge difference in 2nd/3rd/4th gear acceleration. Sometimes I wish I still had the 3.08's though, it's a lot easier to run out of gear on the highway with the 3.55's, but the light to light experience is much better.
Fishhawk
New Member
3:55's. If I'm at the track I do wish I had gone with the 3:73 gear. Then I take it on the highway and I'm glad I'm running 3.55's. Cruises at 70 nicely, only 2200 RPM's.
PS, Don't forget to change your speedometer driven gear. I needed the "red" 21 tooth gear. Depending on your tire size, you may need the 20 tooth.
PS, Don't forget to change your speedometer driven gear. I needed the "red" 21 tooth gear. Depending on your tire size, you may need the 20 tooth.
darthcual
Member
Going with the wrong gear can seriously hurt your performance. I recommend a 3.55 w/ a mildly modified everyday driver. those who have chosen 3.73s or higher are running through your powerband waaaaay to fast. Flame Away.
darthcual said:
I agree, you have to look at the goal for your car before you decide on the gear. If you're building a 1/4mi car that you occasionally drive on the street, then choose the gear that puts you in the right rpm across the finish line (this will depend on the power you're putting down obviously). If you drive agressively on the street and don't do much highway cruising, then a numerically higher gear will pack more grunt.. 3.73's or even 4.10's shouldn't be out of the question. If you're like me and have a daily driver that you occasionaly bring to the track, and enjoy a spirited highway jaunt every now and then, as well as a comfortable highway cruise in 5th, then 3.55 is probably your best bet. There's no one answer for which gear is best, everyone seems to default to "3.73's for 5sp, 4.10's for auto", but that's not always the best choice. It all depends on the application and how much power you're making.
super302
I'd do anything for free Bapples
- Apr 30, 2005
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wow!! lots of replies.
this is a daily driver and my wife drives it almost as much as I do. sometimes she takes it to work and its like a 35-45min. drive with half stop/go and the other half straight freeway driving. I think I'll go with the 3.55s because of this.
thank you for all of your replies.
this is a daily driver and my wife drives it almost as much as I do. sometimes she takes it to work and its like a 35-45min. drive with half stop/go and the other half straight freeway driving. I think I'll go with the 3.55s because of this.
thank you for all of your replies.
- Jul 17, 2001
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- Apr 30, 2005
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I'm going to shop for a set over the weekend so I wanted to ask if there is a certain brand I should get? should I just get the Ford Racing or is there something better? this is my 1st ever gear purchase so I have no clue as to what is good/bad. thanks.
5.0 Nostalgia
10 Year Member
here is a handy little rpm calculator that may help you make your decision, its not perfect depending on your tire, but not bad for guessing
http://mr5oh.tripod.com/gears.html
http://mr5oh.tripod.com/gears.html
There's hardly any difference at all between 3.55's and 3.73's. I bet most people wouldn't be able to tell any difference at all.
If you want a tad more mpg on the highway, I'd go with .55's. If you want a tad more acceleration (provided you can hook it), go .73's. It has a lot to do with what you want from the car now and also in the future if the mods start piling up.
If you want a tad more mpg on the highway, I'd go with .55's. If you want a tad more acceleration (provided you can hook it), go .73's. It has a lot to do with what you want from the car now and also in the future if the mods start piling up.
Stormwalker
Not a New Member
I guess I will chime in and say that I am very conservative about rear end gear ratios, and I am very happy with my 3.55s. I would not change gearing at all unless you at least go with 3.55s, since it is still a rather tall gear ratio. If it were an automatic, I would probably agree on the 3.73 ratio, but with a 5 speed, you will definitely notice a difference with 3.55s, yet it will make only a marginal difference in fuel economy even on 70-75mph freeways. I would not bother with 3.27s though, not enough of a benefit to justify the parts & installation costs.
huRACEmentPSR
Banned
i went from 2.73s to 3.27s because i put a 98 rear end in and didnt want to crack it open just to do gears right away. although it has been said it wont make a diff....i strongly disagree. my car went from somewhat quick to pretty damn fast. im still debating if i should do 3.55s, which i have in the garage. i think the 3.55s are gonna be perfect.
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