Mintsick
10 Year Member
Bottomline here, if you're swapping from 2.73's like I did you will absolutely love a set of 3.55s.
So you hate the 73's and like the 55's but have you tried the 55's yet? Seems to me like you still have the 73's in your car and haven't switched. Or maybe you know you like the 55's because you've driven a car with them?
I'm trying as well to figure out which to go with and I don't know anyone with a mustang around here to try out. Where I live I mostly drive on back roads where speed limits are around 40-50mph. I rarely hit a freeway. Some back road highways might get me up to 60mph and that's it. Are 3:73's at 40-50mph going to be too high of an rpm to cruise but to low to shift? For instance right now with stock gears at 45 mph i'm in 3rd gear and can't shift to 4th till at least 55mph. 2:73's suck!
These questions tend to get old and repetitive pretty quick i think but it's a large sum of money to get it wrong and this modification really effects drivability if you get it wrong.
Mike are you cruising at 90+ cause I think you are way over exaggerating the "rev the crap out of it"
.68 OD 26"tire and 3k rpm is 92 mph
I loved the 373 when the car was more stock, changed it into what felt like a rocket.
according to the rev calculators the difference between 3.73 and 3.55 at 70 mph is about 130 RPM
If I were buying gears for a bolt on or mild car with a t5 3.73 would be my choice
Well thanks guys for all the input. That is exactly what I was looking for. I decided to take a ride to Delaware Sunday for a little car show - about an hour down I95 - I and I really enjoyed the highway cruiseability (not a word) of my car so I'll probably go with the 55's so I keep some of that. I'm sure I'll notice the difference from my stock gears. Like I've heard on this thread my regular road cruising at 45-50 mph is a struggle between 3rd and 4th gear. Keep it coming though because I'm probably about 2 weeks from pulling the triggerI actually looked into 3.31's for a bit from the newer 05+ Mustangs.
Anyway you slice it...my car does still have 3.73's in it. So aparently I don't hate them that much. But i do know if i had a bone stock Fox with 2.73's...i wouldn't consider 3.73's for it. Prob 3.55's would be the steepest.
I stopped and talked to the guy who owns the local high performance shop in my area - he did my clutch and I'm really happy with it - and shared with him all the input I've gotten from this thread. He says go with the 73's. He says that I'll really feel the performance difference and my 5th gear is an overdrive of sorts so the highway should be no problem. Done 73's
Thanks but I'm gonna have my guy supply and install them. That way if there is any problem with them it's his problem. I think he's going Ford RacingGoo
Good choice. And I have a set for sale
Joe