seabirdak

Does the gearing actually make your car faster? For example going from stock 3.42 to 3.73 or 4.10s?

NLang

iTrader: (12)

Going taller/numericly higher multiplies torque @ the wheels. It's sort of like gears on a bicycle...You have it in a low gear to climb hills (torque), and then a shorter gear for speed. Taller gearing will make a car quicker (ET's). Fast is usually the term associated with trap speed. I hope this helps...

BadAndy

Let me explain that a little differently. A numericaly higher gear ratio allows the engine to accelerate faster under a given load than a smaller gear. At each shift point you reach, the car will be moving slower, but you will reach each shift point sooner.

mzoomora

iTrader: (36)

Just to clarify something,
Shorter gears are higher numerically, and taller gears are lower numerically. Shorter gears are good over a shorter distance, that is the easiest way to remember it. Also, people will say the rear is geared "low" and what they mean is higher numerical (4.10, 4.56).

NLang

iTrader: (12)

I worded that a bit assbackwards My apologies...

seabirdak

so what gearings best? does it actually add TQ to the wheels, like 50 ft lbs?

CHEVYXTREME_00

I think the common rule is if you have a auto tranny put 3.53 but if you have a manual put in 4.10

02WS6Bird

iTrader: (2)

its not that it puts torque at the wheels...

look at it this way its a ratio 3.42(rotations):1(rotation)

3.42 turns of the axles/wheels(?) to 1 rotation of the Driveshaft

so by getting 4.10's your car travels further than 3.42's with one rotation of the D/S hope that helps

mzoomora

iTrader: (36)

You have that backwards. It takes 3.42 turns of the driveshaft to turn the tire once. It works similar to a pulley system, the more mechanical leverage you have the easier it is to move but the less distance it travels. A 4.10 would be quicker out of the hole than the 3.73 with equal traction as long as it isnt too much gear. You will usually give up some top end with the higher numeric gears in order to gain some low end or 1/4 mile punch. Sometimes a lower gear is only needed to compensate for taller tires, etc. In rare occasions, like with 2.73, etc, you will gain top end because the car couldnt pull top gear with the old ratio.

02WS6Bird

iTrader: (2)

oh i was told the other way around...by a few people actually...but hey they could be wrong. Makes more sense

if the wheels would trun more for 1 turn of the D/S that would mean they spin faster or more because of the the ratio

the way your showing it is that the driveshaft would haveta truun faster to make the gears quicker out of the hole

seabirdak

ah i get it now

BOWTIE

The people who told you that are backwards as well. mzoomora is correct, the ratio is the number of times the axle (or input shaft) turns to turn the tires one revolution. By increasing the ratio (3.42 to 4.11) it allows the motor to rev quicker and consequently accelerate the rate at which it turns the tires. Even though at any given rpm the tires will be turning slower than they did with the lower ratio. This is why many times a car running 112in the 1/4 with stock gearing will be turning about 5000 rpms (in 4th gear with M6) through the traps, but after switching to 4.11 gears will be turning the same speed at 6200 rpms in 4th gear, but hopefully a few tenths sooner (quicker) than before.