changing gears - 3.27 or 3.55?

[Marshall]

Great to watch this debate........to get so many varied experiences from stang owners is a terrific thing for us who are far away from the big city action but are also considering a ratio swap.

we can now make a decision based on experience.

Thanx to all contributors.

 

[TheFleshRocket]

I assumed my '89 GT vert had 2.73 gears, because they were extremely tall--turning a good bit under 3000rpm at 100mph. So I picked up a set of used 3.27s and had them installed. Well lo and behold, my new gears felt exactly the same as the old ones.

So I checked, and I had 3.27s before the swap. Not only did I pay to have the gears replaced with the exact same gears, the new used gears have developed a clunk to them.

I'm ordering myself a set of 3.73s, brand new. I advise you to do the same.

 

[GRGT1994]

Too much debate going on here between 3.55 and 3.73. There is really very little difference there, not much of anything from a SOTP perspective anyway. So to serve the poster's concern about going too radical, maybe he should go with the 3.55 for purely phsychological reasons, because there really are NO performance reasons to make the distinction. Yes, in the long run he will clearly be better off with the 3.73 gears, but live and learn.

3.27 is just plain stupid, as pointed out amply well above. You just dont spend $500 for that kind of an inconsequential change. Stay away from the idiot who made that suggestion in the first place.

 

[jeffs89gt]

id say 3.55s. my $.02

 

[GRGT1994]

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...

I disagree. More aggressive gears are actually EASIER to drive. You can pull away from a stop or off a hill easier. Clutch engagement is smoother. And the difference in "rowing the gears" between 3.55 and 3.73 is nill.

 

[Car RamRod]

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.

xactly. I went from 273s to 355s, and the difference is amazing. Second gear burnouts anyone?

 

[Foxfan88]

i say 4.30s!




















j/k
3.55s

 

[5spd GT]

I disagree. More aggressive gears are actually EASIER to drive. You can pull away from a stop or off a hill easier. Clutch engagement is smoother. And the difference in "rowing the gears" between 3.55 and 3.73 is nill.

No not necessarily...the gas becomes much more touchy and cruise control is also affected in a negative light. To much fluctuation.

Their is a difference...I still say for this case...go no steeper than 3:55's.

Don't call anybody an idiot by the way...name calling ='s

 

[Euphoric306]

my car does the rattle, shake, lurch thing too when i drive below 1500 rpms, is this normal, or whats going on

by the way... my vote goes to 3.55's

3000rpm gets me about 95 mph in 5th (estimated cuz my speedo only goes to 85 )

 

[MeanMussy]

wife = 3.55

 

[Fishhawk]

crap another double post but hey....

i used to get 14.30's out of my old '88 w/ 5-speed and 2.73's on street tires and bone bone bone stock

so if you want to improve on your 15.xx's .....improve your driving and don't worry about the gears.

btw...not talking to you whtpny....just making a statement in general

performance + fuel economy = "not ever gonna happen"

I run low 13's @ 104 with 3.55's and get 22 MPG. I say go with the 3.55's You'll notice a big difference from the 2.73's.

 

[Fishhawk]

I'm going to be the oddball here. My wife absolutely hates to drive my car because of it's lack of traction. She even hates it in the dry. 3.55s are going to make a traction problem even worse for you. 3.27s will give you more acceleration over 2.73s. Then there is also the issue of the speedo gear. 3.27 is as low as you can reliably go without tearing the tranny apart and changing the drive gear.

You guys need to remember that his wife will also be driving this car. The lower the gear the less likely it is that she'll wanna drive the car if she's anything like my wife.

Tearing the tranny apart to change a speedo gear?????? All you do is pull the speedometer cable out of the trans and replace it with a new $5 plastic gear. Takes longer to jack the car up and put it on jack stands then it does to replace the gear.

 

[tjm73]

I actually been thinking on and off about going down to 3.55's in my car. I had 3.08's stock. Went to 3.55's and then 3.73's within a few months. On my car I love 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th withthe 3.73's. They are fine. First is just too steep IMO. My other option is a Z-spec T5.

For you if it's 3.27 or 3.55, go 3.55.

 

[QDRHRSE]

I hear what everybody is saying and a few years back I would have agreed with 3.73-4.10's but I think 3.55's are perfect for a car that sees a lot of road miles. Whoever said that they run out of gear with 3.55's must have a 4spd....that's poppycock!!!! FYIoppycock is a funny word- as to not be insulting.....