Favorite gear ratios

BigSlappy · Apr 6, 2023

I want to change the gear ratio in my bonestock 86 gt, but from what Ive been seeing, everyone prefers their own gear ratio. What gear ratios do you guys prefer or like better than the others? I need some input before i blow 300 bones on some gears. My dad who has a 92 gt rocks (what I think are) 3.73's are those feel nice. The only downside from that gear ratio is that you sit in 2.1k rpm at 40mph.

Mindseye007 · Apr 9, 2023

on my 1991 LX Coupe 5.0, my motor is all stock except, for an explorer intake, pulleys, 70 mm throttle body, 76 mm mass air meter, Stock air box with a K&N filter, and 1 5/8th long tubes, 3-inch Tails, flex-a-lite Electric fan and I love my 4.10's with my z-Spec T5 never going back to any other gear. the pull-in 3rd gear is so sweet.

bwest · Apr 9, 2023

How you use the car really matters for 'right' gear. This opinion is based on a good all around street car that you can still drive on the freeway.

If I can ever find it (it's proving to be elusive), my vote is to change 5th to .73 and close the gap w. 4th (1.00) and run 3.27 rear. Final drive is close to .68/3.55, yet first is still useful and the down/up from 4th isn't an 800rpm gap.

Bullitt347 · Apr 9, 2023

Back in the day during the Foxbody boom, I built a ton of 8.8 differentials for customers.
On average, the 5-speed guys went with 3.73:1 gears and the AOD guys went with 4.10:1 gears.

Mustang5L5 · Apr 9, 2023

It’s all going to be subjective depending on how you use the car and powerband of the engine

I have a 3.35 stock T5 and 3.73s and am not a fan. I will likely step down to 3.27/3.31 at some point.

limp · Apr 9, 2023

Mustang5L5 said:
It’s all going to be subjective depending on how you use the car and powerband of the engine

I have a 3.35 stock T5 and 3.73s and am not a fan. I will likely step down to 3.27/3.31 at some point.

Those low first gears are so you can run some taller rear gears, for fuel mileage and freeway driving....
Do you think you would like the 3.73's if you had a 2.87 first gear? ( TKX).......

96pushrod · Apr 9, 2023

For a factory tire size I like a 3.55 or 3.73. Really depends on where and how you drive the car. If you have interstates where you can do 80+ mph and that’s all you drive, you might want a higher gear.

AeroCoupe · Apr 9, 2023

3.73's with a 275/40/17 and a T5 with a 3.35 first gear. Have had three mild 306's and currently a 331 and the 3.73's are coming out at some point. 1st gear is worthless as I shift out of it literately as soon as the car starts moving. I do not want to loose the hard launch the car has on the drag radials so most likely will move to some 3.55's.

limp · Apr 10, 2023

Bullitt347 said:
Back in the day during the Foxbody boom,

I must be OLD..... My back in the day car... Bought it when I was 15.....

Bullitt347 · Apr 10, 2023

AeroCoupe said:
3.73's with a 375/40/17 and a T5 with a 3.35 first gear. Have had three mild 306's and currently a 331 and the 3.73's are coming out at some point. 1st gear is worthless as I shift out of it literately as soon as the car starts moving. I do not want to loose the hard launch the car has on the drag radials so most likely will move to some 3.55's.There is no 375/40/17

I assume you mean 275/40/17
In that case, you would be spinning 2,731 rpm at 70 mph with a typical 5 speed transmission with 3.73 gears

With 3.55:1 gears and the same tire at 70 mph you would be spinning 2,599 rpm with the same transmission.
That is only a 132 rpm change.
For all intents and purposes, it is the same.

3.73 - 3.55 = .18
That's it.
Maybe think about a 3.27 rear gear instead if you want to see an appreciable change.

96pushrod · Apr 10, 2023

Bullitt347 said:
I assume you mean 275/40/17
In that case, you would be spinning 2,731 rpm at 70 mph with a typical 5 speed transmission with 3.73 gears

With 3.55:1 gears and the same tire at 70 mph you would be spinning 2,599 rpm with the same transmission.
That is only a 132 rpm change.
For all intents and purposes, it is the same.

3.73 - 3.55 = .18
That's it.
Maybe think about a 3.27 rear gear instead if you want to see an appreciable change.

Some cars the noise difference between 2600rpm and 2730rpm sounds significant, when you have to drive it for extended periods of time.

Like my friend’s fairmont. Cruising the interstate under 2600rpm it wasn’t bad, but get above that in a solid state load and there was just a weird resonance that hurt your ears.

Not like every car is this way though.

AeroCoupe · Apr 10, 2023

All I am after is a little more time in first gear. It hits 7600 rpm so quick and it can shock the tires pretty hard so a little softer would be good. I think the 3.27’s would loose a little too much.

rednotch · Apr 10, 2023

4.56.... What can I say I like NA combos lol. But most of the drivers end up with 3.73s and nitrous kit, I don't highway drive them on long trips though maybe hour an half 2 hrs tops and rarely on low pro tires.

Mustang5L5 · Apr 11, 2023

limp said:
Do you think you would like the 3.73's if you had a 2.87 first gear? ( TKX).......

Definitely, but it will likely be some time before I join the TKX club. Lets see how the T5 does.

Part of my dislike for short gears is due to the fact that highway cruising here is 80-85MPH. I hate feeling like i'm revving the hell out of the engine just to cruise.

My old 2003 GT had 3.27's and a 0.62 5th. I loved highway cruising in that thing.

BigSlappy · Apr 12, 2023

Currently i have the stock 86 gt rims on (which are 15's) and i have 225/60/15's on both the front and the back. I also have a T5 trans in my car, so im thinking about going with the 3.73's? I wonder how big of a rim and tire i could run on my car, because if i can go bigger i might go with a smaller ratio.

KRUISR · Apr 12, 2023

BigSlappy said:
My dad who has a 92 gt rocks (what I think are) 3.73's are those feel nice. The only downside from that gear ratio is that you sit in 2.1k rpm at 40mph.

If 2.1k is too high in 4th, shift to 5th and be at 1.4k.

If your 86 still has the original T5, then find an 94-98 V6 T5, swap the input shaft and you have an equivalent trans strength wise and get the 0.73 5th gear to close the ratio to 4th. The V6 WC T5s are basically a pre-90 WC T5 (with longer input shaft and 0.73 5th gear and some very slight ratio differences in 2nd and 3rd as well). For something to cruise around I would go 3.27/3.31/3.55. If drag racing is your thing, 4.10s or higher are probably what you want.

KRUISR · Apr 12, 2023

limp said:
I must be OLD..... My back in the day car... Bought it when I was 15.....

If you were 15+ in Dec of 1973, you are OLD. (I was only 3)

limp · Apr 13, 2023

KRUISR said:
If you were 15+ in Dec of 1973, you are OLD. (I was only 3)

LOL, I was 15 in 1970...

LILCBRA · Apr 13, 2023

BigSlappy said:
I want to change the gear ratio in my bonestock 86 gt, but from what Ive been seeing, everyone prefers their own gear ratio. What gear ratios do you guys prefer or like better than the others? I need some input before i blow 300 bones on some gears. My dad who has a 92 gt rocks (what I think are) 3.73's are those feel nice. The only downside from that gear ratio is that you sit in 2.1k rpm at 40mph.

I run a 3.55 gear in the 8 inch in my II with a swapped T5 and think it's just about perfect. First gear seems to shift in a normal range while highway speeds in 5th are at a tolerable RPM. I like it so much that I'm going to go with 3.55s in my convertible project that will be a similar engine build with similar sized tires. Stock tires on a Fox are 25.6" tall, the tires I run on my II are 25.4 - not enough to make a difference for comparison purposes. I'd suggest 3.55s

limp said:
LOL, I was 15 in 1970...

I was -2.

LILCBRA · Apr 13, 2023

A short video of me taking off from a corner onto a 4 lane, then a U turn and going back that my girlfriend shot with her phone. Hopefully this'll give you a little bit of an idea.

Favorite gear ratios

BigSlappy

Member

Mindseye007

bwest

Member

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

96pushrod

I think they're a little easier to get off

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

96pushrod

I think they're a little easier to get off

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

rednotch

I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

BigSlappy

Member

KRUISR

KRUISR

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

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Favorite gear ratios

Member

Member

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I think they're a little easier to get off

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

I think they're a little easier to get off

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Member

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

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