With my stock 3.23's I can cruise at highyway speeds and still get a second gear downshift at full throttle. Ask some of the 3.73 guys at what MPH they can no longer recover second gear. That's important if you like to floor it on a roll. If you're always going to downshift to third and not second past 50 mph that would be no fun.

 

From a 60-70 MPH roll the 3.23s are hard to beat (I can barely catch 2nd from 75 MPH now that I have it programmed that way. When stock I could catch it from 72.)

But, in the 1/4 mile the 3.73s are hard to beat. <img border="0" alt="[burn out]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_burnout.gif" />

 

3.73s are a good strip & strip gear; especially for a bolt-on car. I like the feel, but they do not make your car that much faster if you have a high stall converter.

If you have 2.73s a switch to 3.42s is a good compromise. 3.73s get a little tiring on long highway trips; 2500 rpm = 73 mph. If you have 3.23s do not waste money switching to 3.42s.

BTW, if you not have at least a 3000 stall converter, buy that before messing with gears. More bang for the buck and you may find that you no longer need more gear.

I still grab 2nd at 70 mph, but having a high revving cam makes that possible. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

Everyone keeps telling me that 3.73s will be too steep for my automatic. Of course none of these people own an LS1 fbody. Will 3.73s bee too much gear? Should I go with 3.42s instead?

 

I've had 3.73s in my LS1 for almost 4 years now....it's not that bad at all

On the highway, at 80 mph, the car runs at aout 2900 rpm.....

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Ragtop 99:
<strong> If you have 2.73s a switch to 3.42s is a good compromise. 3.73s get a little tiring on long highway trips; 2500 rpm = 73 mph. If you have 3.23s do not waste money switching to 3.42s.

BTW, if you not have at least a 3000 stall converter, buy that before messing with gears. More bang for the buck and you may find that you no longer need more gear.

I still grab 2nd at 70 mph, but having a high revving cam makes that possible. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I currently have 2.73s and my car is bone stock, but you do not agree that I should decide on a rear gear BEFORE a torque converter? Shouldn't my rear end gear affect my decision on a torque converter?

 

Get a set of 3.42's out of an M6. You'll need a new carrier as well.

3.73 is for the drag racer on slicks <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

DO the converter first.

A good converter will get better with gear. But gear isn't nessasary.

Many people get a converter and decide not to go with a steeper gear.

 

I have 3.73s in my C5 and am considering 4.10s. No way 3.73 is too much gear. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> I agree w/ Ragtop that you might want to look at your converter choice first. The 3.73 might let you run a converter that might be too loose with your current highway gears.

 

Wilwaxu is right. Get a converter first. If you go with a converter, the worst that happens is you decide it is too looose feeling and decide to add gears later. 2.73 cars are good stoplight racers because the long gears make it easy to launch on street tires. The converter will give a lot of extra torque as soon as you hook up and cure the dead stops on the upshifts.

 

I think you also need to think about your future plans with your car. I went with 3.42(had 2.73) because I'm going with a pretty good size nitrous cam in the near future and now way are 2.73 gonna work. Also, the gears didnt cost me quite as much as a converter would since I do my own install. The gears are gonna cost me about $350 and the cheapest 3500 converter with a cooler would cost me at least $550. I'm goin with the TCI 3500 in the spring. Also, I do a fair amount of highway driving were I run 80mph for extended periods of time and the 3.73 will get old. I would think your gear would make a difference in the converter. If you plan on keeping the 2.73 you would want a converter with a 2.5 str, and if you had 3.73 you would want a converter with a lower str to keep better traction.

 

Ugh.... what to do, what to do.... I have a 3 series carrier and a gear install kit, and I can do the install myself. Also got some 3.42s laying around that I was about to sell (got a buyer lined up and everything). Soooo, I'm torn between keeping the 2.73s and just holding on to the new carrier and the gear install kit for a while, getting 3.73s, using the 3.42s, or maybe 3.23s now... ugh... it never ends.

 

screw the gears and just get a stall converter!! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

 

Ditto on get the converter first <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 98TAauto:
<strong> screw the gears and just get a stall converter!! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Get both <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> But be sure to get a low STR 2.0 or less.Then hang on <img border="0" alt="[driving]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_driving3.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Dustin 98TA:
<strong> Get both <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> But be sure to get a low STR 2.0 or less.Then hang on <img border="0" alt="[driving]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_driving3.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Say I did the 3.73s or 3.42s AND a TC at the same time... I'm very new to the automatic trans, so can anyone make some recommendations for some good converters?

 

Do a search on the Midwest convertor.It is priced right(under $500)and is a great convertor.Check out http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...threadid=54384 lots of info there. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />