Gear change
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 7
From: Ft Wayne IN
Gear change
I am doing some research on my next upgrade and thought I would run this by you. My 92 has some seriuos highway gears I believe 2:55's or around there, I think they are the lowest gearing avialable for the vette from the factory. Anyway I want some more bottom end and was thinking of going with 3:55's thinking the 3:73's would be a little high for everyday driving and highway cruises. I have an automatic tran. and also plan on an engine rebuild/upgrade hp in the future i.e. around 400hp. Can someone that has went with this combo post there results! Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,356
Likes: 2
From: No HOA, New Hampshire
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
My stock 88 AT came with 2.59 rear. The 3.07s are going in next week. I don't race except for a charity once a year. I just want to touch 100mph in the 1/4. That dam Z06 beats me every year. 
Pro
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 542
Likes: 0
From: middle of Illinois
I just got my 92 back on the road after a similar build to what you're talking about. I'm using a cc503 cam, refreshed heads / valvetrain, and most of the common air intake / exhaust / tune / stuff that goes along with a cam, including a 3000 stall torque converter and 3.73 gears. With all that, I'm still getting around 22-23 MPG on the highway. I believe I set the cruise just a hair over 2500 RPM on the highway, probably around 2600. My car is actually quieter inside on the highway now than it was with the 3.07 gears on the stock motor with modified exhaust, probably because 2500 is above the "resonant frequency" a lot of folks complain about on these cars. Overall, I'm very pleased with the combo.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
I am doing some research on my next upgrade and thought I would run this by you. My 92 has some seriuos highway gears I believe 2:55's or around there, I think they are the lowest gearing avialable for the vette from the factory. Anyway I want some more bottom end and was thinking of going with 3:55's thinking the 3:73's would be a little high for everyday driving and highway cruises. I have an automatic tran. and also plan on an engine rebuild/upgrade hp in the future i.e. around 400hp. Can someone that has went with this combo post there results! Thanks!
IMO 3.7X gears would be a good choice for a modified LT1 and the revs won't be too high in over drive at legal highway speeds.
I stuck with 3.45s since that is what came in the D44 I bought and the difference between 3.45 and 3.73 was not worth paying for a gear swap. But you're going for a swap sooooooo go to the F body.org gear calculator and figure out where you want your revs to be and choose the gears that get you there.
(as someone posted earlier don't forget about a good high stall locking torque converter "I'm using a vig 3500 it replaced a midwest 2800 and the vig is tighter in town, but you know its a higher stall converter than the midwest when the gas pedal is pressed to the floor)
Mike
Last edited by aboatguy; Jul 16, 2009 at 10:47 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 7
From: Ft Wayne IN
3:45's you must have a Dana 44? I didn't see anything in that range for the D-36. Yes I was planning on a mild stall like low to mid 2000's. Who makes a good lock-up stall conv? Also Ihate to jump around but my vette is doing the same thing as my Dodge Ram was, at highway speed with a lug on the motor usually in overdrive it has a vibration in the drive train. All I could come to on both vehicles is somthing wrong or out of balance with the lock-up clutches in the tourqe conv. all the u-joints and drive shafts checked out good
Anyway back to gears keep em coming, I will not bei going with 3:73's I think the 3:55's will be on the edge of my wanted RPM's. I put 4:10's in my dodge but it had alot taller tires i.e.30" It actualy got better milage in the city and the rpm's were just over 2,000 at 65 mph on the highway
Anyway back to gears keep em coming, I will not bei going with 3:73's I think the 3:55's will be on the edge of my wanted RPM's. I put 4:10's in my dodge but it had alot taller tires i.e.30" It actualy got better milage in the city and the rpm's were just over 2,000 at 65 mph on the highway
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 497
Likes: 1
From: Casa Grande Az
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,062
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Dont be afraid of 373, with OD you wont pull many revs on the fwy and will accelerate real nice. 3.45 is a good one also...Gear it for the cam, (not mpg) youre putting in otherwise it wont perform the way you want.
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Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 20,974
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If you think you are drawn to performance, and you get bored easil with current HP or fun level, I would go all the way
but that is just me, it is nothing that no one else has done, and it is not too extreme to really be a negative on the car.
but that is just me, it is nothing that no one else has done, and it is not too extreme to really be a negative on the car.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
3:45's you must have a Dana 44? I didn't see anything in that range for the D-36. Yes I was planning on a mild stall like low to mid 2000's. Who makes a good lock-up stall conv? Also Ihate to jump around but my vette is doing the same thing as my Dodge Ram was, at highway speed with a lug on the motor usually in overdrive it has a vibration in the drive train. All I could come to on both vehicles is somthing wrong or out of balance with the lock-up clutches in the tourqe conv. all the u-joints and drive shafts checked out good Anyway back to gears keep em coming, I will not bei going with 3:73's I think the 3:55's will be on the edge of my wanted RPM's. I put 4:10's in my dodge but it had alot taller tires i.e.30" It actualy got better milage in the city and the rpm's were just over 2,000 at 65 mph on the highway
Anyway back to gears keep em coming, I will not bei going with 3:73's I think the 3:55's will be on the edge of my wanted RPM's. I put 4:10's in my dodge but it had alot taller tires i.e.30" It actualy got better milage in the city and the rpm's were just over 2,000 at 65 mph on the highwayGood luck on your build.
Mike
