3.73's to 4.10 possibly 4.30...is that too much gear for a 5.0L?

[rd]

I have 4.10's and I'm going to 4.56's as soon as I get time to change.

On my toy though. I actually never have to drive over 55 around here anyway, but it sure gets to 55 quickly. This should give me a safe max of 100 mph in the eigth mile. For quarter work, the 4.10 or 4.30 may be better, as I am limiting the motor to 6k rpm.

 

[QDRHRSE]

4.30's may be too much. You have the mods to support it....maybe. If you have any traction problems now they will be 10x worse with more gear. I run a 28" tall tire and cross the line tached out. You may want to consider an extender with that kind of gear.

 

[QDRHRSE]

Ooops. I'm tached out with 4.10's....my bad for forgetting that minor detail.

 

[Highbredcloud]

thanks guys...I know this is a tough one...4.10 or 4.30...I have to get my new clutch packs so I figure I will re-do the whole rear-end...My cam makes power at 2600-5600...I will have full suspension done by next year...My heads are also ported and I need the extra velocity to get them flowin...this is really a tough decision for me...I don't plan on running a 28" tire all the time as much as my 26" tire...

 

[raph130]

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[5spd GT]

no gear is too much. some have 5.30's or higher. mazda miatas come with 4.30's from the factory. if old people can drive those cars than im sure if you got balls you can handle a v8 car with 4.10's or better. this subject is old and stupid. do not fear the gear. get 4.10's at least and never look back.

4:30's in a Miata is completely different...there powerband is shifted up and rev higher than these 5.0's...

Go with 373's...

Thats like saying why have the factory rev-limiter...why don't we put a "chip" in to extend it to 18k like some bikes...

 

[90mustangGT]

A higher gear ratio is never a solution to cure tracton, sticky tires and suspension is the answer. I could burn them through first and into second when my car was bone stock with 2.73 gears, but I can't do that now. I want to make it so I can't spin them at all.

 

[cleanLX]

Hey guys...currently I have 3.73's in my car...the car is a 91 GT 5 speed vert...the following mods are done:

GT-40X heads
GT-40 intake
FTI cam

Since you have a custom cam, I'd be calling Ed and seeing what he had to say.
My guess is that your combo makes peak power around 5600, so you'll want to be going thru the traps at 5800-6000. Depending on your mph now, and the gain in mph from proper gearing will tell you what gear you want out back.

You'll probably gain 1~2mph by gearing the car properly, so, figure that into your calc's.

My guess is a 4.10 gear combined with 110-112mph traps would be the order of the day. I'd also venture to guess that the 4.30 would put you into the limiter in the 1/4. All guesses.
If you are traping ~105 the 4.30's may be the ticket for proper trap rpms.

Again, I'd call Ed., or dyno the car and see where it's power is at and how you want to make gears utilize that power.

My dad back in the day ran 5.13's in his alter'd Modle A with 289 dual carbs bla bla bla... but that has little real world ties to your EFI'd 302 street/strip motor. Comparing 5.xx gear ratio's for your combo is purely ludicras(sp?).

Traction and gearing... now there is something most folks have a hard time with. Sure any yahoo can rev it up and dump the clutch and burn rubber. Deep gears and a lead foot with no feel will allow this with even more ease... initially...
An example I like is... go out on a gravel road and try launching the car hard in 2nd gear. You either bog out or get massive wheelspin. Now launch it in 1st... less tire speed makes it much easier to control tire spin, making for greater acceleration. But you have to be able to drive(modulate gas clutch)
Lower gears(higher numerically) give you decreased tire speed in relation to the pavement, giving you less spin and quicker recovery time.

I went from 3.73's to 4.10's and have less tire spin comming out of the hole at same and even higher launch rpms, and quicker 60's. With 3.73's the car was spinning 8-10 feet out shifting sideways ever so slightly and cutting mid 1.7's. With 4.10's the car spins 4-5 feet, does not have enough tire speed to get out of line, and cuts 1.70's. Not spinning at all is a recipt for big bog's and broken parts out of the hole.

Bla Bla Bla...
Good luck making your decision.

 

[raph130]

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[5spd GT]

makes no difference. i drove a miata for 2 months. i was able to shift from 1st to 3rd to 5th and cruise, shifting as low as 1500rpms at which the engine probably only makes about 20hp. it was a very fun car. i dont know how anyone can stand to drive with lower numberically gears it drives me bananas i have to have at least 4.10s or the car doesn't feel right.

Comparing a miata to a 87-93 5.0...is totally different...the 5.0 has much more torque and does not need an excessive amount of "fake torque" produced by steeper gears like a 5spd'ed miata...

Yes it does make a difference...

 

[Highbredcloud]

Since you have a custom cam, I'd be calling Ed and seeing what he had to say.
My guess is that your combo makes peak power around 5600, so you'll want to be going thru the traps at 5800-6000. Depending on your mph now, and the gain in mph from proper gearing will tell you what gear you want out back.

You'll probably gain 1~2mph by gearing the car properly, so, figure that into your calc's.

My guess is a 4.10 gear combined with 110-112mph traps would be the order of the day. I'd also venture to guess that the 4.30 would put you into the limiter in the 1/4. All guesses.
If you are traping ~105 the 4.30's may be the ticket for proper trap rpms.

Again, I'd call Ed., or dyno the car and see where it's power is at and how you want to make gears utilize that power.

My dad back in the day ran 5.13's in his alter'd Modle A with 289 dual carbs bla bla bla... but that has little real world ties to your EFI'd 302 street/strip motor. Comparing 5.xx gear ratio's for your combo is purely ludicras(sp?).

Traction and gearing... now there is something most folks have a hard time with. Sure any yahoo can rev it up and dump the clutch and burn rubber. Deep gears and a lead foot with no feel will allow this with even more ease... initially...
An example I like is... go out on a gravel road and try launching the car hard in 2nd gear. You either bog out or get massive wheelspin. Now launch it in 1st... less tire speed makes it much easier to control tire spin, making for greater acceleration. But you have to be able to drive(modulate gas clutch)
Lower gears(higher numerically) give you decreased tire speed in relation to the pavement, giving you less spin and quicker recovery time.

I went from 3.73's to 4.10's and have less tire spin comming out of the hole at same and even higher launch rpms, and quicker 60's. With 3.73's the car was spinning 8-10 feet out shifting sideways ever so slightly and cutting mid 1.7's. With 4.10's the car spins 4-5 feet, does not have enough tire speed to get out of line, and cuts 1.70's. Not spinning at all is a recipt for big bog's and broken parts out of the hole.

Bla Bla Bla...
Good luck making your decision.

Well I don't want to bother Ed with such novice questions...besides I know what he will say..."Don't fear the gear"...The car made 291RWHP at 5200RPM and 322 RWTQ at 4500RPM the car wasn't tuned at all and The guy on the dyno stoped the car rather in lower RPM's because for some reason he thought I was running to lean...and he didn't want to blow anything...I took the car to the track for the fist time and this is what I ran:

My best was a 13.6 but I really suck at driving...

My 60 foot was a horrible 2.1xxx
My MPH in the 1/4 104.xxx
the 1/8 mile was 80.xxx MPH

That was all on stock suspension and 3.73...I did have drag radials on but I didn't even warm them up when I found out that only one wheel was spinning when I did my burn out...I didn't even launch the car...too many problems that day. For those of you that don't know this by now...I HAVE 3.73's...I definately want more gear because I know my car is under geared for my setup...the question is 4.10 or 4.30...I was at about 5500 in 4th gear when I crossed the 1/4 mile...BTW my stock tach is off by like 300 RPM...so it was more like 5100-5200RPM...I just don't know what to do...I am doing whole suspension...shocks, upper and lower control arms, springs next year...thanks to all that contributed...

 

[raph130]

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[cleanLX]

Well I don't want to bother Ed with such novice questions...besides I know what he will say..."Don't fear the gear"...The car made 291RWHP at 5200RPM and 322 RWTQ at 4500RPM the car wasn't tuned at all and The guy on the dyno stoped the car rather in lower RPM's because for some reason he thought I was running to lean...and he didn't want to blow anything...I took the car to the track for the fist time and this is what I ran:

My best was a 13.6 but I really suck at driving...

My 60 foot was a horrible 2.1xxx
My MPH in the 1/4 104.xxx
the 1/8 mile was 80.xxx MPH

That was all on stock suspension and 3.73...I did have drag radials on but I didn't even warm them up when I found out that only one wheel was spinning when I did my burn out...I didn't even launch the car...too many problems that day. For those of you that don't know this by now...I HAVE 3.73's...I definately want more gear because I know my car is under geared for my setup...the question is 4.10 or 4.30...I was at about 5500 in 4th gear when I crossed the 1/4 mile...BTW my stock tach is off by like 300 RPM...so it was more like 5100-5200RPM...I just don't know what to do...I am doing whole suspension...shocks, upper and lower control arms, springs next year...thanks to all that contributed...

Hmmm...
I'd get things sorted out before I concerned myself with gear ratio's... but, I guess you're asking so you only have to tear it apart once...

You paid good money for that cam, and, most all of Ed's customer's rave about his support even after the sale, I would not hesitate to call. Buddy Rawls is still quick to help me, and I've not even had the car running in over a year... I have friends who went Ed C's way, and they tell me his service is on par.
Either that, or, get it back to the dyno and make a few full pulls.

Be a shame to guess at things, only to regret your decision.

Good luck.

 

[5spd GT]

i drive my friends notchback that has 4.10s once in a while and its very powerful. he does have ALOT of suspension mods so it hooks good tho. not hard to drive whatsoever once you get a hang of it.

A 4:10 geared car isn't any harder to drive than a stock geared car...you just shift more...

 

[raph130]

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[5spd GT]

untrue. you can skip gears. i did it in my miata every day even with only 100hp i could go from 1st to 3rd and then to 5th. you can def do it a whole lot easier in a car that has real power. i find shifting alot fun anyway if i choose to. you also accelerate 5x faster.

Just because you can skip gears or can't does it make the car harder to drive...and you don't accelerate 5x faster...

 

[willys1]

I had 373's and currently have 410's and an AOD.The 410's are 2 tenths slower in the 1/4,but are more fun to drive on the street.This winter Im putting a cam in,and new heads.And Im definitly putting in 430's If I keep it 2500rpm's or lower( at 2500rpm's Im doing 72mph) I get 21mpg But again,thats with an AOD.I would imagine 430's rev pretty high on the highway.

 

[willys1]

sorry I didnt proof read,,I meant 430's and a 5 spd would rev pretty high on the highway.

 

[raph130]

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[raph130]

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