what rear end gears with a 5 speed

shawpdx1

Registered User
wanna get new rear end gears for this , are there any factory ones that will swap out like a lincoln or some other ford , and what would be a good choice for good launches but still ok for highway
 
3.27's

shawpdx1 said:
wanna get new rear end gears for this , are there any factory ones that will swap out like a lincoln or some other ford , and what would be a good choice for good launches but still ok for highway
3.27's will give you the best of both worlds. BTDT!!!

68COUGAR
 
3.27's suck ~~~ at the track. They are fine for street use but will kill your 1/4 mile potential. Either leave them stock or do 3.55's.
 
3.27 Questions

XR7 Dave said:
3.27's suck ~~~ at the track. They are fine for street use but will kill your 1/4 mile potential. Either leave them stock or do 3.55's.
OK Dave, Why only 2.73's or 3.55's? The guy wants a good compromise gear. What's wrong with 3.27's on the street OR wrong with them on the track? Why would 2.73's be better on the track than 3.27's?

68COUGAR
 
I'm not trying to answer for Dave here, but 3.27's probably add another shift in the 1/4 without really making any use of that particular gear (adds a shift right before the traps).

My DOHC XR7 had the same issue with 3.73's. It would shift into third right before the traps, thereby increasing the E.T. and producing a low MPH. Switching to 4.10's remedied the situation, as the car shifts into third at the 1/8th now, crossing the traps at about 5500 - 5800 rpm.

-Rod
 
I'll probably will never go to the track to expensive if I break something, Id just like good launch if I ever wanted it but would like something that would be good on the highway also , so know Im not sure what to do 3. 55 or 3.27 are 3.55 like 4.10 like 5000 at 55 basically want good all around performance nothing radical , thanks TED
 
373 gears are good for city and highway and will give you a good launch :) 342 and 355 are also a good gear its your choice good luck :cool:
 
shawpdx1 said:
I'll probably will never go to the track to expensive if I break something, Id just like good launch if I ever wanted it but would like something that would be good on the highway also , so know Im not sure what to do 3. 55 or 3.27 are 3.55 like 4.10 like 5000 at 55 basically want good all around performance nothing radical , thanks TED

Ted,

If your not planning to race it at the track, the cheapest option is to get 3.27s. These came stock in 89-93 SCs with AOD, so it's pretty easy to find a complete pumpkin.

David
 
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68COUGAR said:
OK Dave, Why only 2.73's or 3.55's? The guy wants a good compromise gear. What's wrong with 3.27's on the street OR wrong with them on the track? Why would 2.73's be better on the track than 3.27's?

When he said "launches" I assumed he was taking it to the track. 3.27's are horrible for the track.

On the street it depends on how much power you have. If you have over 300rwhp 3.27's are horrible on the street too because they will generate sick amounts of wheelspin and wheelhop. But if you are close to stock they are ok and like David said, they are plentiful and cheap.

Frankly I would stay with 2.73's on the street and get a good clutch (like a CF). I had 3.55's for several years and while they work ok I don't feel they made the car any faster or quicker. Currently I have 3.27's and I don't really like them.
 
Make sure you pop the diff cover on any pumpkin you decide to buy and check the ratio stamped on the flat part of the pinion gear that faces you with the cover off. You never know whats in there untill you check it out.

Ted
 
thanks guys for all your Input always helpful and educational think I'll go with the stock AOD gears, mine is not modified much yet. thanks again TED
 
agree with Dave or was it Dave???

I agree with Dave or was it Dave??? The wife had 3:27's in her car and they didnt benefit at the track any. I know there are arguments of how and why not?? but the extra shift and the lower RPM through the trap can actually hurt your time at the track over the 2:73's. At least that is what I am thinking. Could be wrong but it is just my thought. I ran 3:55's in my car and they, "in my experience" were ok for the track but some people just dont like to have their car running the higher rpm on the Highway..... Didnt bother me any... :D
 
3.08s. Give a little more low end grunt, and puts you in a slightly better rpm range per gear on the streets. You could actually use 4th gear when cruising at 40mph without having to downshift every time you hit a hill.
 
Pablo94SC said:
3.08s. Give a little more low end grunt, and puts you in a slightly better rpm range per gear on the streets. You could actually use 4th gear when cruising at 40mph without having to downshift every time you hit a hill.
Well, sort'a. You will downshift, trust me. But the 3.08s are very good.

Ira
 
At least it's better than pulling 13-1400rpm at 40mph. I'd think you'd be more around the 18-1900rpm range with 3.08s, right?
 
XR7 Dave said:
3.27's suck ~~~ at the track. They are fine for street use but will kill your 1/4 mile potential. Either leave them stock or do 3.55's.


XR7 Dave said:
I had 3.55's for several years and while they work ok I don't feel they made the car any faster or quicker. Currently I have 3.27's and I don't really like them.[QUOTE/]


So why would 3:55's be better than 3:27's? This seems contradictory. I personally wanted 3:55's but the world stated there is no first gear with them.
 
Pablo94SC said:
At least it's better than pulling 13-1400rpm at 40mph. I'd think you'd be more around the 18-1900rpm range with 3.08s, right?
Right at or about 1900-2000 depending on tire size.

Ira
 
irar said:
Right at or about 1900-2000 depending on tire size.

Ira

Actually, if 1400rpm gives you 40mph with 2.73's then 3.08's will give you 1600rpm. A difference yes, but it's subtle. A stock SC motor will cruise very happily at 1400rpm all day long. One with a cam won't like it as much but even so it's not bad. The car I'm working on now has a 224/224 .580" cam and it cruises along just fine in OD with the converter locked at 1200rpm around town.

Damon, I have voiced my opinion many times on this matter and someone always disagrees so if you follow the "voices in your head" you'll always be very confused. I have always said that 3.55's are decent for the track. They make 1st gear pretty darn short but they always worked good for me. On the street 1st gear is fine for normal starts but if you have any power at all you can't floor it in first gear. Of course if you have a decent amount of power you can't floor it in 2nd either. :D Ya, I'm a little jaded. :eek:

At the track it's all about what rpm you are at on the top end of the track. With 3.27's you will spend a lot of time WELL below your HP peak which will kill you. With my 440rwhp motor I was trapping at 4700rpm with 3.27's @ 114mph. It was pathetic. My car only made about 380rwhp at 4700rpm and my trap speeds showed it.
 
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Dave is correct. I was thinking 45 mph, because that is what I generally do around town. I actually paid attention to it this morning :p

Ira
 
Yeah, but cruising and being able to get out of it's own way are two different things. :p That extra little bit of rpm and torque multiplication from the rear helps quite a bit. I'd have suggested 3.27s, but have almost no 1st gear and with the .75 OD, he'd be turning more rpm than an automatic. Not very gas milage friendly... especially with today's formulas that are more eco-friendly crap than gasoline. :rolleyes:
 
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