SgtRod

Im getting ready to do the gears on my A6 and wanted to hear from the experts. I know similar questions have been asked but I would like to know the ups and downs of each gear set.. Top speed affect etc. Those will real world experience please comment.


Thank you?
Rod

dicky

how do you use the car, like do you like to drag with it? and do you have a stall? if so how big?

i have the 3.42 with a yank 3600 in just a bolt-on car and i like the way it drives. i went with the 3.42s because i like to drag my car and i planned on getting a high stall but with my short drag tire (mt 275/40/17 which is about 25.7 inches tall) my car is at the very top end of 4th going through the traps which is about 122.5ish and tryin to shift into 5th. so if i want to add a power adder and trap about 132ish then i will have to go to a taller tire or i could have went with the 3.15s and not really have to worry about changing tires just so i can run a power adder.

im not really sure what the MPG difference would be but i lost about 2 to 2.5 MPG on the interstate at 77MPH but around town it seem to go a little.

good luck with your choice
dicky

SgtRod

I like the roll race from around 80-150ish. Dont have a stall but wondered how gears would affect the higher speeds. I heard that it helps the "punch" but does it run out of steam up top? A also heard from subfloor that he noticed no difference on the street or track from the 2 sets but did notice a difference in hwy rpm. Whats the advantage and disadvantage for each set for my plans?

Thanks Dicky

HP JNKEY

If you like to run from 80-120 I would suggest leaving the gears that are in your car. I have 3:15's and my friend has 2:56's in his car. We have similar rwhp. I'm quicker off the line but his car seems to pull harder over 80 mph.
3:15's or 3:42's are a blast around town though and great for the drags.

Silver Bullet C6

I just added 3.42 gears to my car that already had A&A Si-trim S/C, headers, and small cam (220/220,114). The car makes 580 whp and 513 wtq. I've only had the new gears for about a month, but they are great from 0-80. Of course the car was already fast 80-???
I'd recommend 3.42 for the lower end of the speedometer...they're not too much. (you may try to get a ride in both types of cars.)

I'm using Poenza RE-11s in rear, stock size...they work surpising well for a street tire.
I'm in the process of going to Mickey Thompson ET Streets with the Spin Monster traction mod (18" wheels in rear). The wheels/tires should be in place in the next month. I'll use the RE-11s in the winter and switch to the ET Streets for warm weather.

TrenAman

I am like SB C6, A^ with 3.42's and love the change. I think it is a perfect set of gears. Get a stall while you are at it since they have to take the stall off to get the tranny anyway.. will save yourself some $$ on labor doing both at once..

Whisky

Even if you don't plan on racing it the 3.42 gearset will make the car more fun to drive day to day. I've always thought that 1st gear in the tranny could stand to be lower(numerically higher) as the car doesn't feel that snappy at low revs. A 3.42 rear gear will be an improvement over a 3.15.

pmj341

3.42's work for me, like Dicky said it's what you plan to do with the car!!

c6 batmobile

do a search for the subfloors post on this. He used both gear sets in his a6 and did a write up on the performance. From what I can remember there was very little difference between the two.

FU

SgtRod.....3:42's with a good tune on the A6

SgtRod

Now thats a real world experience involving my intensions for the car.

Yeah the gears are fun around the block but most people seem unwilling to admit that it sacrifices 80+mph acceleration. Why do the advocates deny this?

Anyone have any eperience that contests this?

FU

Experience tells me that a 3:42 gear will get you to a lower top end (MPH) faster than a 3:15.
The 3:15 will have a higher top end (MPH) but will take the car longer to get to it's top speed.

kenw

I have been very happy with my 315s. Car pulls stronger but Twin-Turbos might be part of the reason.

vetracer

I have the 3:15's and I'm pretty happy with them. I am at around 2000 RPM on the freeway, I get a little popping from the (Corsa) exhaust when I suddenly lift off the throttle at 70 MPH or so, otherwise I wouldn't know it had gears in it when cruising.

pmj341

You will not go as fast as the 3.15 or the 3.42 will allow.!!

dicky

i think for the 80-150 blast i would probably just leave the stock sized gears in. the advantage with the stock gears is better hwy MPG and better top end in 4th which is about 150ish, disadvantage would be slower take off and weaker gears. advantage with the 3.42s would be rpms climb quicker,and better to drive around town. disadvantage would be worse hwy MPG, and shifting into OD before your done with the 80-150ish blast (that might not be bad to some but for some reason i dont really want to be in OD while WOT)
i figured the 3.42 were worth about .2 in the 1/4 so im thinking it would be less of a gain in the 80-150 blast. so if thats what i was into then i would just go for more power instead of gears.

dicky

TrenAman

you can hit 200mph with both gears sets.. Do you have enough HP to get there is the question..

I have a A6 3.42's all day long..

SgtRod

Thats another thing I hear. Your top speed wont change, you'll just get there faster.. Then what about those that stated they jump out in front but get realed in on the higher mph?


Not so much top speed but higher mph acceleration..




I may get a mn6 instead and really change gears!

FloydSummerOf68

Lower Ratio gears will make you accelerate harder at all speeds...I dont know where this myth of Lower Ratio gears making your top end suck came from, because that's all it is...a myth.

Yes, your top possible MPH will be lower with the lower ratio gears, but you will get there quicker.

SpinMonster

It moves the top speed down from 270 to 230.