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So I have a question. I have a 2006 z51 auto c6, I want to upgrade the final drive ratio on my car., Would I be able to just install a more a gressive ring and pinion or would I have to change the entire rear differential. and where would I be able to find a ring and pinion that would fit my rear diff. Im looking for some 4.10:1 gears.
This is not my daily driver, so Im not too worried about it being too steep since it is my weekend car that I track every now and then. Would 4.10 still be too much?
I have H/C/I, long tube headers, full 3inch exhaust catless, im at about 500whp right now and im planning on supercharging it sometime this year.
My experience with supercharging is only with 2 Mustangs but I owned them both for a combined total of 20 years. In my centrifugally supercharged 97 Cobra (600 rwhp) I had 4.11’s for the majority of the time thinking that was the best choice. I put a set of 3.55’s in it toward the end of ownership and WOW!! That car really came alive on the street! My ‘03 Cobra had the factory 3.55’s and I left them alone because the car was just about perfect at 525/500 whp/tq. I think the steeper gears are needed for a lower horsepower car but when you make 500 plus to the wheels that the lower numerically gears are better. Just my $.02.
Had a 2005 C6 with a manual transmission and 4:10 gears at 500 hp. Was fun but had to shift out of first after getting rolling. Add an auto tranny (with lower gearing) and forced induction and 1st gear would be usless and hard on the engine with any tire spin for a street driven car.
So I have a question. I have a 2006 z51 auto c6, I want to upgrade the final drive ratio on my car., Would I be able to just install a more a gressive ring and pinion or would I have to change the entire rear differential. and where would I be able to find a ring and pinion that would fit my rear diff. Im looking for some 4.10:1 gears.
4.10's are WAY too low for a C6 6l80. First gear in a C6 6L80 is 4.02 and second is 2.36. You would need to start off in second with 4.10"s for sure. Stock A6 rear end gear ratio is 2.56 (there was a 2.73 option). I installed an RPM built diff and went with 2.93 gears. 3.15's are probably about as low as you would want to go with the 4.02 first gear in an A6.(just my opinion) The manual six speeds have 2.29(ZR1), 2.66(ZO6), or 2.97 (base,Z51,GS) first gears.
If you multiply the transmission's gear ratio by the rear end ratio you will get the final drive ratio. A final first gear drive ratio of around 10 to 11:1(ish) is often considered good for street performance. I am sure there are a lot of opinions on that based on a lot of other factors. Tire diameter comes into play here as well. If you were to pair your 4.02 A6 first gear with the 4.11 rear end, you would end up with a final drive ratio of 16.5:1. that would be great for a stump puller or rock crawler but not necessarily optimum for a corvette. Starting off in second would be 2.36 x 4.11=9.67:1 which is worse than the 4.02 x 2.56 =10.32:1 that your car came with stock. My 2.93's gives me a 11.77:1. It doesn't stay in first gear very long when you nail it.
This is a handy reference i found years ago. C6 Gear Ratios
OP best gears for hci in a manual car is 4.11
if that same car is to be fi then stock gears will be nice or even a 3.73 but fi is not tall gear happy as a n-a cam engine having said that a manual car clutch with a taller gear ratio makes for a happy clutch and easier off the hole at the track.
In my A6 car with hci for the track my personal preferred 1st gear ratio is 15 + to 1 problem with that is the car will need 8000 rpm out the back or overdrive 5th in my case that’s not in so what is good off the dig ain’t bueno out the back so I use 3.42 diff with 4.03 = 13.7826 and that’s fun even with 28” tall tires at just 513 whp hangs em.
Upgrading stock final drive ratio.
