Final choice for gears/TC?...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
From: IL
Final choice for gears/TC?...
(we'll see, as I am sure I'll change my mind til the order is in 
)
My stats: 99 A4 K&N CAI & Borla. Have 3.15 gears now. Using run flat tires and plan to keep. Car has 28K miles.
Plan to dump in $1000-$2000 a pop for mods now and then. SC is likely several years away and I may even get a newer vette anyways by then.
Car is driven daily and I am most interested in off the line accel and /or 0-60+ speed.
Hopefully this is enough for your advice.
It seems like changing gears makes sense...my question is which ones?
based on my tires and using the car daily...
1)should I go 3.42 or 3.73? (not higher?)
2) should I add a TC to one or the other?
3) if #2 is yes, which type is best?
Thanks again for the help!
)My stats: 99 A4 K&N CAI & Borla. Have 3.15 gears now. Using run flat tires and plan to keep. Car has 28K miles.
Plan to dump in $1000-$2000 a pop for mods now and then. SC is likely several years away and I may even get a newer vette anyways by then.
Car is driven daily and I am most interested in off the line accel and /or 0-60+ speed.
Hopefully this is enough for your advice.
It seems like changing gears makes sense...my question is which ones?
based on my tires and using the car daily...
1)should I go 3.42 or 3.73? (not higher?)
2) should I add a TC to one or the other?
3) if #2 is yes, which type is best?
Thanks again for the help!
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 22
From: Bella Vista Ca
When I was thinking along the same lines as far as mods... Gears/ TC/SC, I ended up going with 3.42s and a vigilante 2800. I talked with A&A about their recommendations if I chose to go with their SC in the future. As for the TC a high stall isn't what was recommended for the SC set-up i wanted. I'm happy with the combo right know, haven't added the SC yet. They car really performs nice like this and traction has become a big issue below 35.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
Originally Posted by 1999 Vette
(we'll see, as I am sure I'll change my mind til the order is in )
My stats: 99 A4 K&N CAI & Borla. Have 3.15 gears now. Using run flat tires and plan to keep. Car has 28K miles.
Plan to dump in $1000-$2000 a pop for mods now and then. SC is likely several years away and I may even get a newer vette anyways by then.
Car is driven daily and I am most interested in off the line accel and /or 0-60+ speed.
Hopefully this is enough for your advice.
It seems like changing gears makes sense...my question is which ones?
based on my tires and using the car daily...
1)should I go 3.42 or 3.73? (not higher?)
2) should I add a TC to one or the other?
3) if #2 is yes, which type is best?
Thanks again for the help!
)My stats: 99 A4 K&N CAI & Borla. Have 3.15 gears now. Using run flat tires and plan to keep. Car has 28K miles.
Plan to dump in $1000-$2000 a pop for mods now and then. SC is likely several years away and I may even get a newer vette anyways by then.
Car is driven daily and I am most interested in off the line accel and /or 0-60+ speed.
Hopefully this is enough for your advice.
It seems like changing gears makes sense...my question is which ones?
based on my tires and using the car daily...
1)should I go 3.42 or 3.73? (not higher?)
2) should I add a TC to one or the other?
3) if #2 is yes, which type is best?
Thanks again for the help!
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 602
Likes: 0
I would keep the 3.15s and do a 3000 stall converter.
With the money saved on gears buy a set of DR's and you'll still have 700 bucks left in your pocket
That will be the best increase in 0-60 and you'll still have GREAT highway mileage.
With the money saved on gears buy a set of DR's and you'll still have 700 bucks left in your pocket
That will be the best increase in 0-60 and you'll still have GREAT highway mileage.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 3
From: Davie Florida
High stall T/C & gears + run flats = tire smoke
Quick acceleration off of the line with R/Fs and a high stall T/C is going to be a problem for you. As Crispy pointed out if you are going to get a T/C you really need DRs. IMO you have two choices.
Install a T/C and gears or just a T/C with DRs and get really great performance. Or you can have less performance by keeping the stock T/C and just install 3.42 or 3.73 gears with your R/Fs.
Quick acceleration off of the line with R/Fs and a high stall T/C is going to be a problem for you. As Crispy pointed out if you are going to get a T/C you really need DRs. IMO you have two choices.
Install a T/C and gears or just a T/C with DRs and get really great performance. Or you can have less performance by keeping the stock T/C and just install 3.42 or 3.73 gears with your R/Fs.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 602
Likes: 0
Yep a good TC will give .6 faster ET's and +1-2mph.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 3
From: Davie Florida
Originally Posted by Chrispy
Yep a good TC will give .6 faster ET's and +1-2mph.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
I could not agree more. With an A4 it's all in the stall
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 908
Likes: 4
From: TROY MI
I droped .5 sec. when I went from 3:15 gears and stock tires to 3:73 gears and DRs.When I changed my TC I only droped .2 sec.I am sure if I did it the other way around the TC would have shown more My point is the gains are not additive the gains fom one offset the gains from the other..
Originally Posted by Chrispy
Yep a good TC will give .6 faster ET's and +1-2mph.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
With DRs and great traction gains of .8 have been seen. That is a HUGE difference!
Gears will be .1-.2 faster on average.
With the automatic cars the TC's offer the best performance gain by far. That with a sticky street tire or DR (Even a nitto will work well) you'll see a tremendous difference.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Country Boys Can Survive.
Originally Posted by Chrispy
I would keep the 3.15s and do a 3000 stall converter.
With the money saved on gears buy a set of DR's and you'll still have 700 bucks left in your pocket
That will be the best increase in 0-60 and you'll still have GREAT highway mileage.
With the money saved on gears buy a set of DR's and you'll still have 700 bucks left in your pocket
That will be the best increase in 0-60 and you'll still have GREAT highway mileage.
I'm running a Yank 2800 thru 3.15 rear gears and I can't get traction in 2nd gear at WOT. I don't want to put drag radials on cause I'm afraid of burning up the stock trans! I've got heads/cam, but even so, I don't think you should go any higher than 3.42 with street tires!
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Highlands Ranch Co
The order I did my mods was gears, heads cam headers, then t/c. I truly feel if I had done my t/c with my gears I probably would not have done the rest. I the feeling a t/c gave me the feeling I was looking for out of the car. I get great jump off the line now and it runs more like a stick than before. There are no dead areas(that bogged down feeling when accelerating) any more. From one person who was very afraid of a new t/c because of slippage, I wish it was my first mod!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 5,294
Likes: 2
From: Suffolk, Long Island NY
Yank's SY series converters are easy on the tires, they have a low STR, so they hit soft. 3.42's would be fine, but 3.73's would tighten the pedal back up.
As far as keeping the EMT's with a stall and gears, you can still get traction on the street, it just takes a lot of practice. As long as it was above 50 degrees and sunny out, I could still hook with my runflats with a SS4000 and 3.73's. On a cold night it would be dangerous though, lol.
As far as keeping the EMT's with a stall and gears, you can still get traction on the street, it just takes a lot of practice. As long as it was above 50 degrees and sunny out, I could still hook with my runflats with a SS4000 and 3.73's. On a cold night it would be dangerous though, lol.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
As far as keeping the EMT's with a stall and gears, you can still get traction on the street, it just takes a lot of practice.
One just has to decide if thet want to introduce some pre throttle "thinking" into the equation.
For me, I wanted to maintain a no-brainer to drive. My days of seeking a twitchy beast to tame... are long gone. I guess that's why I now prefer automatic trannies in my cars.
It's a different call for each of us.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 1
From: FT Lewis WA
Originally Posted by DRKNGHT
I've always liked 3.73's, and have never been a fan of changing out the T/C 'cause of the chance it'll slip too much. Slippage makes me crazy!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 1
From: FT Lewis WA
Originally Posted by loudsam
I'm running a Yank 2800 thru 3.15 rear gears and I can't get traction in 2nd gear at WOT. I don't want to put drag radials on cause I'm afraid of burning up the stock trans! I've got heads/cam, but even so, I don't think you should go any higher than 3.42 with street tires!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 3
From: Davie Florida
Originally Posted by DRKNGHT
I've always liked 3.73's, and have never been a fan of changing out the T/C 'cause of the chance it'll slip too much. Slippage makes me crazy!