YoMilkMan

All I have a 88 TPI Vette with a 700R4 ( w/1-2 & 2-3 trango shift kit) I have the 2:59 gears in it now. I'm thinking about a gear swap soon, but I'm stuck on which gear to install. It's pretty much a street car, I see highway trips, and I also drive around town sometimes too. I hit the 1/4 mile track at times too. My goal is to do a LSx swp in the next 2-3 years.

I heard that the DANA 36 is weak for anything over 3:07?
I think that the 3:54 might be a little deep for a TPI?
I think some (TPI) Camaros and Firebird came with 3:45 stock.
Anyone have 3:54s and do they work well with a TPI and whats your RPM at 70MPH?
Whats the RPM for 3:07 at 70MPH?
I'm kinda leaning on 3:07 but 3:54 sound like they might be good too? I need some advice please.


thanks!

Aardwolf

With the stock intake I would buy a used 3.07 pumpkin ($250ish) and install that. If you change out the intake and perhaps cam too, then the 3.54 sounds good. From the threads I've seen I definitely would not do a LSx swap, but good luck.

YoMilkMan

I bet my junk yard would sell it for $500 . Is the Dana 36 really that weak, would I want to spend money on a Dana 44 rather? Sounds like a LSx swap is a nightmare too? yeah I was more or less thinking 3:07 are just good all around, even with CAM and heads and Intake, cant go wrong i guess.

Aardwolf

With the stock intake adding a D44 would just be making you slower, due to extra weight. Not sure on junkyard price, just remembering the prices I've seen in the parts for sale section. I've been tempted to pick one up for a spare. For what I'm doing the D36 has been good.

Calderone

if you plan on improve your performance a D44 its a wise investment.
I started with the zz4 cam as my only upgrade, and ended up doing intake , cam (again), heads , torque converter and drag radials , i got to the point that my D36 is the weak link.
So a D44 is good if you plan on drag race your car someday.
I have 3.07's on my D36 now and i really like them !

UNCLEBILL

I have a 1990 Vert and went from 2.73 to 3.54. The gears are not overkill and feel just right.....note...Im retired and like the pull but again it is not overkill for the street. Yes it runs a few 100 rpm more at 60mph and lose about 1-1.5 mpg but to me it was worth it for the fun factor.
Bill

cv67

3.54 is not a steep gear go for it especially if youre throwing in an LSx they like a little bit of gear.

l98tpi

I run 3.07's and like them. You could run the 3.54's and appreciate them as well, especially for what you are doing at the drag strip. If you feel the 3.54's are too deep a gear once you run them, you could change back or go to 18" or 19" tires.

YoMilkMan

thanks guys. I think i might like the 3:54s and think about swaping into a carb setup one day until the 350 is blown. Maybe LSx swap in to much of a PITA from what I read.

383vett

I was running a 3.73 with a 700r4 when my car was on the street and I was very happy with the gearing. The 3.54 will not be too steep for you.

jimmymack

I went from a 2.59 to the 3.07, not all that impressed. If I do it again, will definetly move up to 3.54.

surfer93

I have a D36 and I am pushing 340 at the wheels and mine is fine, I know of several people running 400+ and they take it to the track with no problems.

But I will qualify this by saying, if I had over 425, I would put a D44 instead of the D36.

pologreen1

3.54 is no where near too steep for the TPI. In auto or stick. Is it optimal? NO, but it is a lot more fun than stock. You'll notice differences on a track, but on the street I doubt you'll be pushing the car hard enough all of the time to not justify the gears because the intake runs out of breath at higher rpms or uses a little more gas.

I have not seen many if anyone with 3.73 or 3.75 complain with the TPI either. That actually ran them or has them, let alone 3.54.

Aardwolf

Don't remember this thread?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...gear-swap.html

Road Agent

YoMilkMan

Well I def need to get this TPI intake off and get something better, in the short term/long term.. Not that the TPI is bad, but I'm looking at something to give me better revs, more reseach on my end is required. LSx or Carb or EFI... Somthing need to happen for me. the TPI is silly on a 350.

I want to get 3:54s but maybe a intake setup first.


thanks to All!

Calderone

Milk if you're pulling the intake do heads as well , i ended doing everything lol !

YoMilkMan

yeah man will do for sure. off topic. Are you carbed and how do you like the change? worth it or not? I think going carbed you can still use the ecm to control timing?

Calderone

it's the real domino effect
im not carbed , im EFI, all the way !
it started as a L98 Rebuild with some added spice so i picked up the zz4 cam, once installed i found new power and i destroyed the tranny.
Trans Rebuild, Boost Valves and a B&M 2400 Stall converter and shift kit.
It was not enough so i wanted Roller Rockers.
Got them ! but sadly they didn't fit with my 128 alum heads.

Guess what,i was so annoyed that i decided to sell my heads
and got a set of AFR195's. W A R N I N G ...That's when i thought...

Hey the intake is off and my engine is almost bare ...how about a new
intake ? Got the Super Ram ...now Super Ram with zz4 ? There is a specially designed cam for it ...so i got the 219 LPE Cam ....
Hey the stock throttle body is not enough...so i got a 58mm one ...hey the Injectors ...so i got 24 lb injectors a set of pulleys lifters , pushrods , headers.....i was very happy with the results but it was not violent.

Yes the 219 cam needed more stall ....so i ended up getting a 3200 Vigilante (one of the best mods ever!) and now im very very happy .
It sounds amazing since the Vigilante :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp_i7M3ffZo

That leaded me to pick a set of Drag Radials and Line Lock (just bought) and if im going fast i need to stop ...so i got brake pads , rotors and more and more ...its neverending !

Now im in need of a Dana 44. This has no cure man.
Im warning you. But the permagrin its priceless.

stevie1dr

I'm running a 3.75 rear end in my 89 in a Dana 36 housing with no problems. It's very streetable and is a real improvement over even the 3.07 I had in it before. It is a real neck snapper for torque and a monster improvement over the stock 2.59 set up. You will lose some mileage, but the gains in performance are worth it, at least to me!

Like everyone will tell you here, one thing leads to another. I wasn't satisfied with the stock 350 so I had it stroked to 383, switched out the TPI for a Super Ram, Comp's cam, 1.6.1 lifters, 32 lb injectors, Hedman headers w/o cat's and a Corsa exhaust system. I got rid of the MAF sensor and converted to a MAP Sensor and added a 58 mm throttle body, finally ending with a beefed up 700R-4 trans with a 2800 stall converter and Nitto Drag radials. Now the 5.0 Mustangs are toast, as well as the new Camaro's and Dodge's. The stock C-6 Vette's have found a nice spot in my rear view mirror on the 1/8 mile. I haven't run it against a Z06 yet, but hope to soon, to see how it does.

Now the car runs like I had hoped for. Nice manners on the street but plenty fast on the 1/8 mile. I plan on heading up to Moroso this weekend to get my first run on a 1/4 mile track. I wanna know how it does in a full 1/4 mile.