Although without the overdrive, I think it would scary at freeway speeds.
Anyone running 4:11 Gears?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
I ran 4.11s in mine for a couple of years before it let go. It was he$$ on the highway. I was turning 3500 rpm and barely keeping up with traffic. I put in 3.70s and it was better but still turned a lot of rpms on the highway. About an hour was all I could take. Put in the Tremec 5 speed now I turn 2200 at 70 mph. Life is good again! 
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
Never again...
I ran them in my '66 GTO and it's just too low for a street car. The thing was killer in a drag race, but I got between 4 and 8 miles to the gallon with the tri-power, and freeways were embarassing! My '64 had 3.70's and that was my favorite gear of all. It ran 12.80's on slicks with a stock RA III 400, built THM 400, and it was still a good street driver. I now run 3.55's in both of my cars and they're fine as I spend more and more time cruising. These are all non-overdive transmissions.
Hans
Hans
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
Likes: 43
From: San Antonio TX
I'm running a 3.55 in the 72 'Vette, a 3.89 in my '67 Fairlane, and I had a car that I ran a 4.57 with 30.5" slicks but drove on the street with 25" street rubber. The more gear you have, the more motor you need. If you can't run strong to 6,500 rpm and above, a 4.11 will be hard to live with. The engine will rpm too quick and shoot past the power band before you can snap your fingers. Sure, you'll be the fastest thing to the 50-foot mark but that's about it. But, if you do have the engine for the job, they are just part of the overall combination. Rear gears, trans and clutch(or torque converter), and chassis. Any of these out of balance tends to make the car hard to live with.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
There is such a thing as too much gearing. I pulled the 4.11's and went back to 308's because I was getting beat by everything out of the hole. The tremec's 3.25 first combined with 4.11's gve you about 13-1 out of the hole and I wanted about 10-1.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
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Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by FeedVaal
Do your teeth rattle at highway speed and is it worth the tire spinning fun in first?
I went from one extreme to the other with it!
I ran 3:08's for a couple of years after building the engine and going through transmissions. That car was an absolute highway screamer, and would come close to pegging the speedometer in second gear at 6500 RPM. I used G.M.'s 962 hydraulic cam when I built if if anyone is familiar....Anyway, time came for a 12-bolt posi and the one I put in it was a 4:11 with Richmond Gears in it. ACKKK
It destroyed the freeway driveablity of the car completely. (remember the Turbo 400 has no O/D)
I saw the guy that bought the car from me about two and a half years later and asked him about my motor and the rest of the car. He said that he's still driving it just like I built it and all is well.
But for the gears. He dropped 'em down to 3:73's right after he got the car from me. :o Because he couldn't stand them either!
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,926
Likes: 739
From: Youngstown Ohio
Originally Posted by jimtreber
4.11's here and wouldn't trade them for anything else.
Along with 406 and TH400 and 3000 stall.
Too much fun at the stop light.
Along with 406 and TH400 and 3000 stall.
Too much fun at the stop light.
Anything less than 4.11's & you wont be satisfied as far as performance goes..... you make your compromise as to how you use your car .....I use my TransAm to cruise the freeways.
