Sal Collaziano

I'm definitely going to have a SuperRam installed at some point in the near future. I was wondering if 373's would be okay with it. I know at this point, my 307's are best for the quarter mile in my car. But, what if it can breath more in the upper RPM band? Would that allow me to use bigger gears without losing top end?

Thanks...

vader86

Im planning on 3.54s in a Dana 44 after i finally get my SR 383, i decided that 3.54 would give a big kick in the pants off the line and still do ok for my considerable hwy driving. And the D44 would be necessary for slicks.

I think that 3.73 would still be a bit too much, since it makes plenty of power low in the band, and youll just be stressing the engine with just 4 gears.

vader86

I didnt think it would give any real gain, i just decided to go with the extra punch off the line, since i would need to change for the D44 anyway.

TIMSPEED

3.07 would be IDEAL, but I mean..it's basically personal FEEL. The 3.54(45) will FEEL stronger off the line..and in a 100' race, it may actually BE faster..but in a REAL ¼ mile race, it's not any faster. (As proved by Todd) But hey, if you get a smokin deal on a D44 with factory 3.45(54) then hey, go for it.

Sharky Guam

I would say that it depends on your power band. This is determined by the other components in your system. If your power falls off at a lower rpm, maybe 5000 or less, you may not see an improvement. It also depends on the shifting points. So this is a very loaded question with many unknown variables. A chassis dyno test is probably going to be needed to determine the final answer. But if you can shift at the rpm level where you power begins to drop off, and pickup the next gear at the rpm level that is somewhere in the range where your power band is just under peak, then you will see optimum results. Gear changes are performed to allow proper management of the power band in order to get the power to the ground.Keeping the engine as close to the peak of your power band during the acceleration process will gain the lowest elapsed time thru the quarter mile. Properly utilizing the transmisson and rearend gear ratio is what is needed to maintain operation in that narrow portion of the power band. You also have to take in to consideration the tire diameter that you will be running. Taller tires need lower gears.

Bob86ZZ4

I had 3.73's in my car when I first put in my ZZ4. I liked them. Then, when I had the motor bored/stroked/mini-rammed/etc... I hated the 3.73's. First gear on the 700r4 is worthless when you have power. I now have 3.07 and love em. And I still love em even with my th400/Gear Vendors setup.

BuckeyeROC

I have 3.42's with my SR and traction is hard to find. "Theoretically", 3.73's would be better with my combo, b/c I would be at the top of 3rd (1:1 tranny gear ratio) at the end of the 1/4 mile, but traction would be even worse. Beside's, my 3.42's will be better once I add my 150 shot of nitrous.

I'd stick with the 3.07's for now and see how you like them. If you feel like you could use them, try 3.45's or 3.54's. I personally think 3.73's are too much on a good SR combo (unless you can find a way to hook), because you should be putting out so much torque and will lose traction.

Sal Collaziano

Thank you for all the replies.. Something certainly caught my eye here. I am using 17" rims but my car comes with 16" rims stock.. Does that mean a higher gear ratio might be better for my car now? I'm pretty sure I have the exact same tire diameter as newer C4's...

StealDads67

Hey Sal.... Sorry about this not being on topic... but i say you last week on Deer Park Ave... You were first one in line at the light.... I was next to you one car back, I was like hey look a Vette... then i was like... Hmmm those rims look familair.. and so do those exhaust tips.. by the time i put 2 and 2 together the light was green and i couldnt get up next to you... It was you right? I think it was last tuesday or something.. (not sure on the day) but it was at night..


[Modified by StealDads67, 7:06 PM 7/28/2002]

Sal Collaziano

That was probably me. :) I'm the only Vette up there (or car) with my rims.. Definitely say hello next time. Okay? We usually hang out in Nathan's parking lot. I don't think I'll be up there tonight, though.. Have you signed up on the http://www.deerparkavenue.com message boards yet? If you cruise, you should! :) I wanna check out your car one night...

BuckeyeROC

Quote:
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Thank you for all the replies.. Something certainly caught my eye here. I am using 17" rims but my car comes with 16" rims stock.. Does that mean a higher gear ratio might be better for my car now? I'm pretty sure I have the exact same tire diameter as newer C4's...
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The 17" rims in themselves don't matter. If your 17" tires have a lower profile than your 16" tires did and both tire heights are the same, you have not changed a thing. If your new 17" tires are taller than the stock 16's, then you have, "in effect", made your rear gear as if it is numerically lower. There are calculators online to figure all this out.
I don't know how tall stock C4 tires are, my IROC's were around 26", so if I got 17" rims to replace my 16" rims, as long as my new tires still measure 26" tall, nothing has changed.

J Z06

3.73s and a SR Combo is a :nono: unless it is a stick car. It'd put the rpms past the band too quickly in an auto car.

3.45 or 3.54 are just fine.