gear swaping??

[chuckystang]

GEAR SWAPPING???

OK, I have a 99 cobra with the normal bolt on's, but I'm just soo sick of the sleepy 327 gears...(first gear goes by soo soo fast, but then 2nd and 3rd and so on just seem to take hours to wind up!)I want to put in some 373 but I am nervous about doing the swap because I cannot do it on my own and everyone keeps telling me how expensive it is to do on a cobra with IRS. How much is the right amount to pay for labor and what other stuff would need to be installed to make this all work? I am also on my 3rd t45 tranny which are a joke for any cobra owner, But my point is with that...will a higher numeric gear ratio put more stress on my tranny or rear end, because I know some people here have complained about breaking the IRS. Basically my car is a total daily driver and I don't want to worry about breaking any more things on the car than I already have. Realistically is the only trade off with a gear swap, worse gas mileage, because if thats the only problem, well then there is no problem at all

 

[missouri_guy197]

Most people get better gas milage with a gear swap...

Skip the 3.73's and go with 4.10's, they make the car that much more fun and it's only a few hundred more RPMs on the highway...

 

[Nicks98Cobra]

I would think it would put less strain on the transmission because it is easier to turn the rear wheels with more gear. Think of it as you trying to hoist up something with some kind of ratcheting crank not much gear reduction. Now think about how much easier it is on you and the handle when there is more gear reduction. Hope that helps.

 

[missouri_guy197]

I would think it would put less strain on the transmission because it is easier to turn the rear wheels with more gear. Think of it as you trying to hoist up something with some kind of ratcheting crank not much gear reduction. Now think about how much easier it is on you and the handle when there is more gear reduction. Hope that helps.

That's where you get the mechanical advantage, but remember, the transmission and engine will be spinning at a higher RPM with lower gears while doing the same MPH as would be with higher gears...so they would be working harder to do the same sort of work...But then again, that's why we get gears, to get the engine into the meat of the powerband faster...

 

[chuckystang]

Thanks alot guys... I just don't won't to put something in my car that may shorten the life span of such things as the engine and transmission, although Im not too worried about hurting a naturally aspirated DOHC. They are built to rev. Just a random question to throw out there...because my transmission place was telling me that I do lots of damage to the tranny by shifting at high rpms even if you do use the clutch properly...How true is his statement becuase Ford told me that it is usually too much horespower or tourqe that destroys a trany or long burn outs and stuff? But a regular old 320 horse mated to a t45 seems like it should work just fine, because after-all Ford did chose that tranny