Flawless

This is one of the saddest days in my life. I just found out I have the absolute crap of crap gearing in my 99 z28 a4. This would explain alot, the crappy acceleration from 40-60, lightly modded Lt1s killing me from a stop, It all makes sense.

Tell someone tell me what are the advantages of having these gears? am i suppose to get better gas mileage?

Krab

iTrader: (28)

Better gas mileage and a lower rpm at higher speeds?

LSONE

iTrader: (1)

higher top speed

z98

I doubt that.

You'll top out higher with 3.23's I bet.

If this is the saddest day of your life you need some serious help.

Go buy a set of 3.42's. Actually, you can probably buy a whole rearend from some M6 guy upgrading to a 12 blt/9".

Have a nice day.

SpeedDreaming

Advantages:
1.Better mpg
2.physically stronger gearset than 3 series[don't go too nuts, still a GM 7.5 " rear]

Advice: Get a SSF 3500 convertor, or Yank 3800. End of problems, there's people with 2.73's and a high stall pushing high 11's with bolt-ons and a cam. Traction will be the biggest problem not LT1's.

jrp

iTrader: (16)

exactly what i was going to say

NA$TY-TA

iTrader: (21)

Keep them...................... runa big stall like said above and your car will wake up........ i hate my 3.73's.............. 3000 rpm's at 80 sucks ***...... i dont need the extra gear with my blower anyways........... keep them in the end you will be happy you did....
Kyle

tboneZ

1) 35 to 60 mph blasts take all of 2 seconds
2) for highway passing, downshifts all the way to 2nd
3) great mileage (28 hwy)
4) less engine wear due to lower cruising rpm's (2000 rpm at 80 mph)
5) stronger gearset
6) less traction "issues"

I have a 2000 Z28 A4 w/2.73 gears btw. Doing most bolt ons, a TCI 3200 stall with 2.2 STR, cooler, shift kit, aluminum driveshaft and nittos will give you an advantage from the lights over "lesser" cars for about $2500. Stage 2 is going to be a TR220 cam, TEA stage 1.5 heads, Mac headers, Hi flow cats, and LS6 intake for about $4000. My 1/4 mile goals are mid 11's at 120 mph.

I wasn't really excited about the 2.73 gears either until I had some time in the car. Seems like a perfect platform for what I want to do. Trips to the track will be very limited and Nittos are all the tire I care to put on the back. However, after stage 2 this "highway geared", "mildly modded" little F-body will give them all they want for about $20,000.

Phoenix 5.7

iTrader: (7)

I guess im lucky to have the 3.23s.

Stone0fFire

i had 2.73 and stock torque converter.
it would not lose traction even if i applied WOT from a stop,
i lost to a 3rd gen IROC Z28
so i got a 4000-stall TC w/ 2.6 STR
then i beat a 2000 WS6 w/ "stick" and a loudmouth.
from a roll.

then i changed from 2.73 to 3.73
and its harder to launch,
is not noticeably faster,
and sucks on the freeway.

the wife preferred the 2.73's !

she said esp downshifting to first from 30-40mph
everyone would just seem to disappear

Derek98z

iTrader: (55)

think of it this way~ I swapped from 2.73's to 3.73's on my last Z28. I only picked up .1 et. Not worth the money.
And yes, I could spin the hell out of tires from a stop then. Talk about losing races! I needed DR's bad.

Mooobunnny

iTrader: (1)

Get a converter!!!!

sleeperstyle

iTrader: (4)

gotta love the 35mph 1st gear downshift! . people always say "holy ****!" when it kick down and takes off. dunno, i HATED them for a little while but the 2.73's grew on me. im not sure that im even gonna change them, just don't race anybody from a 40mph- 60mph roll or your gonna loose. race them from 35mph or like 70mph or do it the real way and go from a stop.

Toadman

I was going to get 3.42s because people noticed a difference especially in the seat of the pants but after reading this forum I'm not sure what to do. I do not want to do a torque converter for any of the gears. I have read where people lost time with 410s but I figured that if I went in between the gear numbers I would probaley benefit the best there. So now I can't decide between buying 3.42s or keeping 2.73s.

audiopro

I have 2.73's in my auto also.. When I nail it from 35-40 the tires get a little spin before hooking. I think my 2.73's work just fine..

onyx_rock

iTrader: (8)

Just got my first track run in on my 2.73's and Im pretty happy with the results. I was definitely outrunning modded LT1's and also lightly modded WS6's with mods in my sig. I think I may try a convertor next year but am hoping for a 13.00 this year with a little more practice. I think the 2.73's have it in them. Heck I cut a 2.024 60' with original stall and 2.73's. Netted me a 13.279@106.10.

Stone0fFire

what are you, re*****d?
automatics need a TC.
being that your torque peak is ~4400rpm,
why would you want a 1600rpm stall tc?

do yourself a favor and get a 21-blade tc,
around 3400-3800 rpm,
and then after you get that 2.73-first gear-35mph-downshift from all speeds, then ask yourself is it really worth it to do 80mph at 3000rpm instead of 2000rpm just for -.1 in the quarter mile.

converter for auto
gears for manual

luvmeZ28

iTrader: (3)

i dont want to hijack a thread, but this question isnt worth its own. a guy i know(usually a complete idiot) has just informed me that the bone stock 99 Z28 he just bought came stock with 3.42 gears. just looking over the car the only options i can tell it has are power door locks/windows. did any Z28s come stock with 3.42s? can someone tell me off hand what the rpo code for 3.42s are? or 2.73s? so i can show the idiot. he is a pathat logical liar, and when i told him mine was optioned with 3.23s he just had to out do me.

Full-Force

iTrader: (11)

some 6 speeds come with 3.42's but the lowest gear you could get with the A4 was 3.23's

the last Z28 I had was an auto and on the window sticker it said in the options list:

Performance axle ratio - 108.00

didnt say 3.23 but after i tore that rear end all to hell and the dealership put a new one in under warranty they confirmed it was a 3.23

Full-Force

iTrader: (11)

while on the subject let me say that the 3.23 gear is a very good gear for the automatic

my brother had 2.73's in his Z28 and mine would beat him easily

with the 3.23 i used to "kick" it off with other cars at 30mph so traction was not as much an issue and would dust most people by nailing it with the car in 1st gear and then slide it into 2nd right after i punched it and then hold it in 2nd until 90mph before bumping it into D and that was a potent blast!

the 2.73 just takes too long to wind up IMO