Actually, that's false. Gears absolutely do affect REAR WHEEL torque. You won't (*shouldn't) see a change in the number on the dyno, because it calculates/reports the torque of the engine as measured at the wheels and adjusted for the gears (trans & differential) & tire size through mathematical calculations that derive the total gear ratio by comparing the RPM of the drum to the RPM of the engine (effectively). But the physics of what's happening at the tire is absolutely, unquestionably affected by the gear or the tire size. You are precisely right to compare the 'feel' of acceleration to the torque produces at the wheel.
If you drop from your 225/60/16 to a 225/55/16, and keep in mind that the sidewall is affected by both the tread width number (1st) and the sidewall series number (2nd), that would effectively act like you just went from 3.27 to a 3.38. However, 225/55/16 is actually the stock size for the later foxes. So, it's more accurate to say you're returning to 3.27 from a 3.16.
Likewise, if you drop from your 225/60/16 to a 225/50/16, and keep in mind that the sidewall is affected by both the tread width number (1st) and the sidewall series number (2nd), that would effectively act like you just went from 3.27 to a 3.51. However, again since 225/55/16 is actually the stock size for the later foxes it's more accurate to say you're going from 3.27s to a 3.39.
*Actual tire diameters vary by manufacturer and I simply used the direct mathematical calculations of the tire specifications, but it should be pretty close.
Taller sidewalls have other uses like shock absorption & they store some of the shock of the launch, too. So, bear that in mind if you treat the tires like gears, you may be giving up traction, though that's unlikely to be a big deal at stockish power levels, and you may be pounding your suspension and your back a bit harder when you hit those bumps.
If you drop from your 225/60/16 to a 225/55/16, and keep in mind that the sidewall is affected by both the tread width number (1st) and the sidewall series number (2nd), that would effectively act like you just went from 3.27 to a 3.38. However, 225/55/16 is actually the stock size for the later foxes. So, it's more accurate to say you're returning to 3.27 from a 3.16.
Likewise, if you drop from your 225/60/16 to a 225/50/16, and keep in mind that the sidewall is affected by both the tread width number (1st) and the sidewall series number (2nd), that would effectively act like you just went from 3.27 to a 3.51. However, again since 225/55/16 is actually the stock size for the later foxes it's more accurate to say you're going from 3.27s to a 3.39.
*Actual tire diameters vary by manufacturer and I simply used the direct mathematical calculations of the tire specifications, but it should be pretty close.
Taller sidewalls have other uses like shock absorption & they store some of the shock of the launch, too. So, bear that in mind if you treat the tires like gears, you may be giving up traction, though that's unlikely to be a big deal at stockish power levels, and you may be pounding your suspension and your back a bit harder when you hit those bumps.