ssheets

iTrader: (1)

I'm going to do a gear swap and can't decide.

The car is an 02 SS with the T56. I should be in the 400-420rwhp range when I'm done with the mods. I'm not a 1320 guy. I plan on street, highway and an occiasional Solo II event. Who has experiance with the different ratios? I'm looking for all around performance.

All advice welcome

2Xtreme

go with the 4.10s from what I have heard 3.73s don't make much of a difference

CySevans

Depends on what your primary fun factor will be. Roadrace and AutoX, 3.73. Drag race, 4.10. I have 3.73, and it did make a small difference. My first 13.1x time was after installing the new gears. Best before that was 13.3x. Driver could've had just as much to do with the better time since I was more experienced when I changed the gears, so there's no telling. I plan on forced induction at some point, so I doubt I'll ever run anything beyond 3.73.

goodhands

3:73 rear end with an M12 tranny (or just change the first three gears of your M6) is the ultimate for daily driveability and strip performance.The first three gears will equal a 4:10 w/M6.

onebadz

Defiantly go with the 4.10s. You will love them.

black_z

iTrader: (4)

What about 3:90's he wont want to shift into 5th.

cudaeh

iTrader: (2)

this is how i have always done it... figgure out what rpm you want to be at cruzing on the highway and use this formula.
rpm formula: mph x axle ratio x 336 / tire diameter
this has worked for me in the past. the therory is you want to have the quickest 'snap' to your accelration as possible but you realy dont want to be sitting at 4000 rpm at 70mph on the highway

Judas

You can use this calculator to find the right rpm that you want. With 400hp I'd leave it stock. You won't have to worry so much about breaking it then.
http://www.f-body.org/gears/

mcflyz28

Stock or a 12 bolt

SouthFL.02.SS

I have 4.10's on the stock 10 bolt. It's a great setup for running a big cam, as the gearing makes up for any weak-kneed low rpms. I have the setup for street/strip (until the 10 bolt breaks, then I'll go 9" and 4.11's).

For road racing, maybe 3.73's would be best.

jaberwaki

3.73 waist of time...
4.10's in a stock 10 bolt with 400+rwhp wont live more then 3-4 months..(if that)one good hard launch and BOOM
stay stock till you can afford a 12 bolt

BlakeSS

Most of the guys are saying 4.10s because of the acceleration factor, which is all well and good.

But

Since you said you mostly street/highway race, I'm going to tell you to get 3.73s. I went from 3.42s to 3.73s and from a roll, they are the best gear you can get. You will pull a stock geared car in all gears, and if you plan on high speed racing, you'll own 4.10 cars too. Trust me on this one.

Blake

z98

4.10's will beat 3.73's at any given speed (ignoring things like traction).

Smoke_Ford

I need 4.10s too, but I dont have 2 grand for a moser 12.

BlakeSS

You're ****** crazy. 4.10s DIE in 5th gear and you know it.

You take equal horsepower cars w/ equal drivers' skill. Leave one with 3.42s and put 4.10s in the other. The 4.10 car will jump out first but by the top of 4th thru 5th the 3.42 car will pull back and ahead of the 4.10 car.

Don't believe me? Ask around. The guy said he is NOT a track guy, he's a street racer. If you just want to run stop light to stop light, 4.10s will be fine. If you want to hop out on the highway and play with the big boys you need to stick with 3.73s or 3.42s. Preferably 3.73s if you're pushing 400 rwhp.

Blake

z98

All I can do is say physics proves you wrong.

BlakeSS

All I can do is say everyday street racing proves me right. I don't care what any textbook says.

Hell, a guy here a while back was bitching because he put 3.73s in his car and his buddy with 3.42s pulls him in 4th gear. Before he went to 3.73s he would put 2 cars on him and stay there.

What happened to physics there?????

Look dude I'm not here to argue with you, I'm just telling you what I know.

Shorter gears (numerically higher) do not always make the best highway gear.
If you're racing to 100 mph fine. Unfortunately for me, noone in a Vette or anything else for that matter (Except a Nova one night) has ever ran me that low. Nearly every damn time I get run up to well over 130 mph. I sure as hell would hate to be stuck in a top end race with 4.30 gears

Blake