changing gears - 3.27 or 3.55?

Matts89LX5.0 · May 20, 2005

3.73s enough said...don't get 3.55s unless ur going to do a power adder. I have 3.73s....wish i had 4.10s

FireFinder20 · May 20, 2005

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!

JMD Engineering · May 20, 2005

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

jb89coupe · May 20, 2005

emagdnim said:
I have the 3.08 gears and have been looking at a pair of 3.55s . Is it worth it to go to the .55s? I can get them cheap or should i spend more on the .73s?
Thanks

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 · May 20, 2005

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.

darthcual · May 20, 2005

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.

jb89coupe · May 20, 2005

darthcual said:
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.

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.

5spd GT · May 20, 2005

I guess this thread shows who read the post and who didn't...

"my wife also drives the car"...

Go no more than the 355's...5.0Nostalgia said it well...

super302 · May 20, 2005

5.0 Nostalgia said:
While 3.73s are the most popular (I have them myself) they may not be the best for you based on what you stated. Yes, you will be shifting more, especially in city driving. With the 3.27s, you will see very little difference is gas mileage. On the other hand though, you will also see only a little difference in performance. The 3.73's are a very streetable gear. As stated, you will be shifting more frequently and running higher engine speed on the highway. Based on your needs, I think 3.55's are the best for you. You will get the best combination of seat of the pants feeling, fuel economy, and shifting frequency.

chrishicks · May 20, 2005

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.

Henceforward · May 20, 2005

I agree that 3.73s are what you need.

chrishicks · May 23, 2005

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.

Grn92LX · May 23, 2005

Stick with Ford Racing.

5.0 Nostalgia · May 23, 2005

5spd GT said:
I guess this thread shows who read the post and who didn't...

HISSIN50 · May 23, 2005

thumbs up to both replies above this one.

Mean86GT · May 23, 2005

whtpny said:
For what he is after than 3.55s will be great. People need to remember not all of us need the most perfreomance possible just an improvement over the sad 2.73 gears.

agreed

Allforspeed · May 23, 2005

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

Bobert · May 23, 2005

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.

Stormwalker · May 24, 2005

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 · May 24, 2005

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.

changing gears - 3.27 or 3.55?

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