I am wondering how fast my car will go on the top end, and where can I test that is close to Sacramento, CA? I have 4.10 gears so will that make it slower then the stock rated 152MPH or faster? Thanks!!
The 410 gears will bring your top end down. Unfortunately I don’t think there is any place that you can test locally that would be legal. Thunder Hill raceway is an hour away, and there is a part of the track I’ve been able to get pretty fast on that I’m sure you would hit your top end on before needing to break for the next turn.
Actually you'll gain some top end speed with 4.10's compared to the stock 3.27 gears...with the stock gearing 5th gear is useless as the car will stop pulling after a certain point...with 4.10's 5th can be used and it will still make the car pull...Theoretically, the 4.10's at redline should put you at around 189mph though...
4.10's would make your topend speed high as 5th gear is now usable. However aerodynamics will prevent you from seeing it's full potential.
Oh, and you are crazy if you take your car up to 150+mph on the street. Forget other cars....potholes, debri in the road....you hit anything like that. It was nice knowing you
In my case I had a 95 Steeda Q that topped out at 181mph. Put in some 410 gears and topped out around 158mph. Yes if you don’t have enough power to reach your top end a lower gear helps but if you do you will be slower.
Like the other guys said the 4.10's will increase your top speed becasue the gears will put you in the power band where the engine can still pull. The top speed of a stock 96-98 Cobra with 3.27 gears is 153 MPH in 4th gear...in 5th you would actually go slower as you would fall out of the power band... but with 4.10' the top speed is about 162 MPH in 5th gear becasue now the engine is in it's power band and can still pull.
If you want to find out your true top speed why don't you enter the Silver State classic road race or some of the other open road races and there you can run your car legally, after all you're not that far from Nevada.This is how John Buscema started with his 97 Cobra and he's the one that used 4.10's in his pretty much stock Cobra and went 162 MPH, his car was featured in MM&FF a few years back. Later on he almost went 200 MPH as he moded his car more and more.
Top speed for a '98 cobra is 152, with a 3.27 final drive and 245/45-ZR17 tires. With your tire change to 255/35-ZR20's, theoretical top speed goes UP to 159.9 mph, but the final drive change REDUCES it to 127.5 (theoretical) mph.