Skylar'sDad

I just acquired a beautiful '93 Triple White Vert. It has only 35K miles and it looks and drives like brand new.

That being said, it has the standard 2.59 rear end and it is not quick enough off the line and from what I have read about the LT-1 is that a rear end mod is the most bang for your buck for this particular situation.

So- I know it will cost $2K which ever one I go for, but I have limited the options to the 3.07 which was the 'performance' option for this year or the 3.36 which I do not think was available in '93, but may be a good compromise from something too beefy and the 3.07. Thoughts from anyone who has done this mod in this year Vette?

bob arrowsmith

Hi Dad, lol, i live near by i had the same problem with my white 96, i found a business near you called unitrax drive train inc. he was able to locate a good used 3.07 pumpkin gears only for me , made a big difference .

Cool Runnings

I'm running the 3:07 in my LT-1 auto. For everyday street use, I wouldn't want a 3:36 (too low). As is, 1st gear pulls very strong and the car is spinning over 2,000rpm at 70mph when cruising .

bob arrowsmith

cool running, i agree, after having a 383 stroker , cam, 1.6 rollers and a tune i almost wish i had my 259 s back, all that torque has made this car so much better on the bottom end and mid range, even at shifting at +6k passing gear cuts out around 85. still cant complain, lv the grunt.

Skylar'sDad

CR- Thanks for that info, I agree just enough to make it interesting. The problem is, after doing some more research, is getting the speedo adjusted, any tips on that?

Thank you in advance.

SD

Skylar'sDad

Bob, thanks for your replay. I called Unitrax- they can do it but do not adjust the speedometer after the rear end change. Can I ask where you got that done at here in SoCal?

Thank you in advance-
SD

billschroeder5842

The 3.07 will be a safe, rational choice. The 3.35 will be a F'n scream.

How close are you to your mid life crisis?

cv67

sheesh 3.07 is anything but a low gear dont be afraid of more

try ed at 4 wheel in north hills 818 830 1447

383vett

Guys, you're driving Corvettes, not Prius's. They are sports cars. My car started with a 3.31. I changed it to a 3.54, then a 3.73 (perfect for street/strip with a 700r4). Now I am running a 4.35 on my strip only car. Corvettes were built to run, not collect groceries.

Skylar'sDad

Bill- Oh, I have been in that type of 'crisis' for several years now...But from what I hear that may be too much gearing for this car. It's definitely more for getting the groceries as I live in Irvine, Ca. for chrisakes...

SD

Skylar'sDad

383- Yep, but according to my accountant, I still need to be married after the gear swap!

SD

bob arrowsmith

S D, the corvette shop,,,,, its close by in costa mesa on logan st,,, also the guy next door is mike mcphail, he used to work for gm, and was responsible for a lot of special engineering that went into the lt1 engine, he also tuned and repaired mine, i will contact you via private email .

vette196

how about 3.07s and a torque converter

383vett

Good one! Happy wife, Happy life.

cv67

Op a 3.45 gear is not too low its enought to justify the money to say "Hey I really feel it" and still have decent cruise rpm on the fwy

Tried (on another car) going from 3.08 to 3.73...ok but not what I hoped for. Then went 4.11 you really felt it so numerically jumped an entire point.
The 3.73 reasoning was for "hwy cruise rpm" which was a huge mistake...rest of the time wasnt happy how the car pulled.

For a TPI wouldnt go lower than 3.45 youll love the way it feels;otoh a 307 with a stall like one poster suggested will make a noticeable difference also. If its stock something around 24-2600 will feel stock and launch harder. Think S-10s came with them

MitchV

FWIW, This summer I went to a 3.54 diff (from Zip corvette) in my '93 auto. Mine had a 2.59. I could barely chirp the tires before. Now, smoking the tires is addictive. I've driven cars with a 3.07. While way superior to the 2.59, not as much fun off the line as the 3.54. No regrets.

biggiefl

My 383 stroker C3 runs a 2600 stall 700R4 and 3:73's It had a 3:07 and was a dog, especially in 4th. Personally I should have went with 3:55 as I run out of gear in the 1/4. Great for 1/8 or red light to light however. My 84 Z28 HO came stock with a 700R4 and 3:73, makes it seem quick(er). Both run close to 3k at 75mph. I think the ZR1 has a 3:42 and many do a 4:10 swap. I would not think unless you are running a LOT of highway that a 3:36 would be an issue. Then again going from a 2:59....I didn't know that made a gear that high.


I'm with Mitch on above post but I don't give a rats *** about gas mileage nor top speed on a weekend car.

Skylar'sDad

Mitch- Great feedback- good to know. Thanks!

biggiefl

Back in 93 or so when I did my rear you could do a swap with most corvette shops(Ecklers, mid-America, etc) as long as your diff was not blown up, etc. I could not do it with the 3:73 because they did not offer that ratio in the 80-82 alum rears. You might want to look into it but you "might" have to swap for the same ratio.....again look into it. Plenty of used rears for sale here and on other sites. Then again I think the new spicer gears and labor on mine was around $1200 but 25 years ago.

Dt86

I can't say with the lt1 but my l98 was a noticeable difference going from the 2.59 to the 3.07. I do find that I run up behind the cars in front of me faster after taking off from a light. First gear is a blur and second knocks me back in my seat. Oddly though I do miss the sound of the engine running through the 2.59 gearing.