tommycompton

iTrader: (1)

Damn just when I have my mind made up, you go and make perfect sense.

lilgcts-v

dont gto's run 3.55's stock ? listen man regardless your going to be making much more power then stock, imo 3.55

MN_V

iTrader: (5)

I know I already posted but don't think twice go 3.55!!!!!!!!!!!! Having a 500hp car that can't hit 100 in 3rd gear with the 3.73.... car will have a better top end rush with the 3.55. They switched up the final drive gear when they updated my motorcycle, having owned both models I can say the slightly taller final drive pulls away on the top end from earlier models with only a slightly less snappy low-end. Your supercharger will make up for that on the V! C'mon does anybody not agree that 1st gear is about 5-10mph too short already with the stock LS2?? Spin city. 2nd gear would be perfect pulling to about 72 not 67ish.

DMM

I have everything on the floor, ready to be installed. I hope to know the definitive answer to this on Saturday afternoon...barring another kidney stone that is. Last weekend really sucked.

54inches

iTrader: (4)

Oh kidney stones! Beer and lemonade are your enemy.

DMM

Whelp...it's done, the 8.8 is in. Not a whole lot of difference than the 3.73's quite honestly, maybe 200 RPM? Feels the same during normal driving but cannot comment on the performance at the moment.

The only real difference is lugging the motor in the 1,200-1,400 range in third and fourth...vibrates/reverberates the car pretty bad with the additional strain and would likely be much worse with a lighter flywheel. Probably go away after I get the V2 mounts installed, but just an FYI for those of us that lug their motors around town.

I have to say, the 8.8" with the RevShift rear subframe bushing makes the V feels solid, just as it should have come from the factory. Getting the rear up to snuff will make you fall in love with your V all over again.

DMM

Enemy? My doc told me to do just that, LOL! But yeah, sucked pretty bad. Went to the ER and they just sent me home with a fist full of Percocets and some Flowmax. FML.....

54inches

iTrader: (4)

Beer and Lemonade are the ENEMY of the STONES. lol

How old did it make you feel to hand over that Flomax prescription?

lol

Dmax/04V

Isn't that the sad truth, some Ford parts and poly bushings will make our GM's feel solid. Can't argue with this though, getting the rear end in line makes all the difference on this car.

DMM

Damn man...I'm only 36, lol. It's an irrelevant question anyhow, I sent my 24 y/o girlfriend get them for me. Maybe they thought they were for her father.....

I8URSVT

iTrader: (2)

Haha i had a stone when i was 20, and they gave me flowmax as well. The lady at cvs was so confused when i showed up to pick up the prescription. Stones suck, glad you are done with it.

I always lug around at 1300-1500rpms when its possible (30-35mph in 5th and 50mph in 6th on flat roads). What motor mounts do you currently have installed? Post up performance impressions once gears are broken in.

DMM

Been doing quite a bit of driving today...1st gear is still useless, I can still start in second no problem. I don't believe the 3.55's will be a detriment at all to performance. Also, the car now has much less rolling resistance with the 8.8 for some damn reason. This, with taking some time to optimize the DFCO settings should result in a noticeable increase in MPG.

To clarify the earlier issue...it seems the range is more 1400-1700 RPM's and really only objectionable in fourth gear. It's the same "groan" that is present in every stock V when lugging fourth gear low in the RPM's under high load, it's just really bad now that it's 200 RPM or so lower in the band. Don't know if anyone else that has 3.55's can comment on the same thing...maybe I have a problem with my trans (bad bearing or something)...but never noticed anything abnormal before the swap.

I have solid Creative Steel mounts currently installed.

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

Beer yes, it is a dieretic and the last thing you want to be doing when you have a kidney stone is peeing every 10 minutes. Unless you like that kind of pain (ya freak). Lemonade...that one confuses me. I know that eating lemons prior to having kidney stones helps prevent getting them. The acid in Lemons helps dissolve the deposits in your kidneys.

54inches

iTrader: (4)

I was told, you want to pee, so as to dialate the uretha, so the stone will pass.

As you stated, the acid in citrus helps keep stones from forming for most types of stones in most people.

MN_V

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the updates DMM. My car all stock is actually very smooth in 5th gear from 25mph and up, no shudder. Not that I'm climbing hill or anything with it, though. 4th gear is solid from 20 and up, a little shudder using it below that, but I'd imagine it's a strong gear if GM expects people to use the skip shift at 16mph! If I'm cruising at 38 or above I put it in 6th. 96k miles on everything very smooth.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Ugh. You're asking for all kinds of motor and transmission bearing failures there, and you're not saving gas by doing that. Some people think that the car consumes 1 per-unit gas at a given RPM, but engine loading is at least as important.

Someone else on this forum also tries to "hyper mile" with the V--as I recall, he complained to me after his TRuTorq L3 cam installation that he couldn't put the car in 6th at about 30 mph and just cruise. Apparently he considered that a design flaw of the camshaft and was upset that I didn't mention that. Anyway, my rule of thumb for stock gearing:

3rd gear minimum: 18 mph
4th gear minimum: 28 mph
5th gear minimum: 35 mph
6th gear minimum: 50 mph

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

Im with fuzzy on that. Lugging (shudder) is terrible for the entire situation. Hard on crank bearings too, along with transmission bearings. That 1st to 4th BS from GM is terrible, and the 1st thing I always do is the cags delete.

MN_V

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the input. I have NO shudder at those speeds, and I agree that I hate it and it's terrible if you encounter it at the 4th gear point of 16-17.

tommycompton

iTrader: (1)

Good feedback, I am literally a few days from ordering.
DFCO?

DMM

Decel Fuel Cut Off...makes quite a difference if you play with it. Go 3.55's and don't look back.