Gearvendors OD? How does that work?

-Dustin-

 

3.23's to 3.73's made my Formula accelerate like a raped ape off the line as well as on the highway when it was an Auto.
It is now a 5 speed and I run through all the gears very fast. I can leave it in 5th and pass cars with ease. My old 86 Trans Am 5 speed would barely accelerate in 5th with the 3.27 gears, I'd have to go to 4th to pass.

 

I just read this whole thread and now I cant decide between doing a) nothing, b) 3.42 or c) 3.73 gears (I have 3.23's and 2800 yank stall in). Anyone else have some input on how bad was it on the highway in 3.73's...

A) 3.23 (do nothing)
I'm already stalled and without tires any more gear is useless

B)3.42
Some say its too small a change to bother
highway driving may be a bit better than going all out 3.73's

C)3.73
Best gear for the 1/4 if you can hook.
All round more noticable than 3.42s, should make the car feel zippier around town

I'm not too concerned about milage (the way I drive it, it's already gone to hell).
I've always leaned to doing 3.73's but do I need fatter tires to pull this off realistically on the street?

 

i have 3:42's and want 3:23's because they will pull harder...(at higher speeds) stick with the 3:23's

too bad we can't trade...

 

If you do a lot of highway driving the 3.73s may be a bit much for you. I don't drive on the highway a lot, so it doesn't bother me too much, but when I do they do tend to drone a bit. Your exhaust system can have a heavy impact on the noise at those speeds, though, so results may vary.

Around town they're perfectly acceptable. As long as it's warm out, I can hook pretty well on 315 Sumitomos. Some drag radials would be even better, though.

BTW that's an excellent point about gearing and transmission ratios determining wheel torque vs. engine torque. IMO it's always about how much work an engine can do in a given amount of time, which would be a measure of hp. To me it seems that if two engines are making the same torque, but one is turning twice as fast, it's going to be accelerating faster.