Do Gears Improve Acceleration?

[98Mustang2017]

I'm wondering why it still takes this car 11seconds to get to 70miles an hour with 4.56 gears. i thought gears were suppose to help with acceleration. or maybe its the v6 power limiting it. i dont know. i'm always asking questions that even a technician doesnt know.

The car does show 8 codes but that is from when i ran without parts to make it run better, which it did.

 

[98Mustang2017]

NVM! i think the car goes faster than 70mph. GPS speedos are not accurate. But the scanner i borrowed is. 38mph in second without pushing it. This thread should probly be deleted.

 

[Noobz347]

You must correct all of the codes.

Whether or not a steeper set of gears increases your acceleration depends on a few things.

The driver and how quickly and cleanly he/she can shift the gears.
The clutch and how quickly and cleanly it will allow the driver to change gears.
The transmission and shifter for the same reason as above.
How much of that power you're able to transfer to the ground.

Steeper gears amplifies torque, that's all. You will spend more time shifting gears (maybe one more time) and that has to be offset by the increase in acceleration. Spinning tire is working backwards.

If you still have codes then the motor is not right. I have a feeling you might have mods that are not 'good' mods.

List everything and list all of your codes.

 

[98Mustang2017]

You must correct all of the codes.

Whether or not a steeper set of gears increases your acceleration depends on a few things.

The driver and how quickly and cleanly he/she can shift the gears.
The clutch and how quickly and cleanly it will allow the driver to change gears.
The transmission and shifter for the same reason as above.
How much of that power you're able to transfer to the ground.

Steeper gears amplifies torque, that's all. You will spend more time shifting gears (maybe one more time) and that has to be offset by the increase in acceleration. Spinning tire is working backwards.

If you still have codes then the motor is not right. I have a feeling you might have mods that are not 'good' mods.

List everything and list all of your codes.

I cleared them. They were all from experimenting. From removed o2's to removed MAF/IAT sensors. I guess that is what caused the random misfire code. I'm surprised the octane spout jumper removal doesnt register as a code. The other code was from a disconnected purge valve. Car no longer shows codes.
Right now i'm researching timing advance. Is 38* spark advance too high? i gave the engine a medium rev and saw the advance reach 38* .and that's with the jumper removed(the one at the firewall)..My car does not like that jumper attached.It loses acceleration power.

As far as shifting goes i'd say i'm good at the speed shifting. Could be better but i'm good. I'm just wondering about the timing chain right now.
Hey i think that synchromax stuff from valvoline works pretty well too. I'd recommend. Also running a stage 1 clutch now. I like being able to 1st and 2nd gear wheelspin but not when i'm doing a pull.

 

[Dark04GT]

does it improve acceleration- it depends on what type of performance measure you are looking at.

The gears have to be matched to your application (what event are you trying to do the best at).

As an example- Accelerating to 60mph is a common measure so most manufacturers set up the diff gear to be able to hit 60 in second gear so that they don’t lose time with an extra shift (See the attached image for a t3650 transmission and 3.27 gears). With the stock 6k redline you have to shift an extra time to get to 60 with 3.73 or higher gear ratios so your 0-60 time might be hurt with higher gear ratios. On the flip side that higher gear ratio can be optimized for better 1/8 or 1/4 mile times - on our 5 speeds you usually want to be near the top of 4th at the finish line (right balance of gear shifts and torque multiplication). There are countless threads on discussing the tire size, gear ratio, shift points, and launch points to get the best possible times.

Rough calculations (I don’t know if you have a stock transmission) - at 70mph seems like you should be near redline in 3rd. Assuming you have a Bolton v6 (and have good traction) your trap speed is probably 85-90mph in the 1/4 mile. Your gear ratio of 4.56 might be the ideal setup for your car for 1/4 mile (top of 4th gear) and 0-70 mph (top of third gear). If you swap to a v8 or add a power adder you probably need less gear to get the best possible time because you will have the power to support a higher trap speed (you would ‘run out of gear’). This is why 4.10’s are popular with NA v8 SN-95’s up to trap speeds in the low 100 mph range (i’m not adjusting tire height for simplicity).

Too much gear and you run out of gear on your event, insert an extra shift (the time shifting could negate the gear advantage), or you could multiply the torque too much that you negate your advantage by spinning your tires. So in the end - it depends if it helps with acceleration or not - it depends on your event you are trying to get better at.