Ok so Im about to install some gears and this is what im thinking. Right now my goal is mid to low 12's on stock motor, anything else goes. Im thinkin 4:10's right now, then when the rebuid with heads/cam and the cool stuff that makes real power comes, downgrade to 3:73's. I do have a 6 speed. Anybody agree? Disagree? Dont have a clue? Wanna get their post count up?

 

you'll probably want to just stick with the 4.10s with the h/c....alot of big cams require higher ratios to opperate at optimum levels.

make sure you get some good tires....and start saving for a rear end.

4.10s = no traction
good tires = traction
traction + hard launches = broken 10bolt

 

rear end is weaker than glass, save up for rear end before you launch it hard, if daily driver, i was without a car for 1.5 months b.c i have skinny nittos(245) and a 3k launch with specIII on stock power...

snapped driver side axle.... pics in sig...
cory

 

410s or bigger.

 

you really won't need more than a 3.73 until you get higher than .600 lift and 230 duration.

 

 

Get 4.10's, and unless you start running ~120+ mph in the 1/4 mile, keep them!

www.f-body.org/gears <-- should answer all your questions.

 

I run over 120 in the 1/4 with my factory 3.42's. Higher lift cams need bigger gears because they're all mid-high range power. They will bog out on the low end, especially auto cars-- they might just die completely without gears and a good tune. Gotta keep those R's up. If you're running a more mild cam, gears are optional, but for an m6 car, 4.10's is just poor idea, you're constantly shifting. Most people end up hating them and ditching them for 3.73 or lower.

 

IN an M6 definitly use 4.10

 

Lots of different opinions, no surprise there. My thaught behind it was while I am making just bolt on power, I could use a little more gear to propel me down the 1/4. Then when the day comes that I have H/C power I can effectively downgrade the gear so I not maxin out 6th in the quarter and have better results. I am not too worried about my mileage since I have a M6, and I understand that 1st will become a tricky gear at the least. Is my thinking right or wrong on this?

 

I ran 4.33s in my bolt on days with the lt1. Managed quite a few mid 1.7 60 foots.
Same gearing in the cammed car, got into the 1.6s.

Since you arent going to be trapping super high with bolt ons, a big gear isnt going to have you crossing the traps really high in 4th. ONce you start making power up a little higher in the RPM range, your traps will go up, as where you cross the line RPM wise. Its win win IMO.

A few of my buddies have bolt on ls1s, and built ls1s. The one is running 4.30s, and the other is running 4.56s. Both cars are 60' in the low 1.5 range, and are pretty fast. Bolt on car went 12.20 with 4.30s, then cammed/headed went 11.40 something. Other car cam/head (stock valves) went 10.9 something. Both are true street cars and arent running super radical cams cams.