Hey I'm buying some gears soon (Strange), and can't decide between 3.73s and 3.42s.....Will I notice ANY SOTP difference between the two? If not, I guess I'll go with the 3.42s for a little bit extra fuel economy.....let me know how u guys feel about this.
Thanks in advance
Matt

 

3.73's all the way...there's a difference between the two in performance but not with gas mileage...you'll love 3.73's....

 

i agree with FacelessZ. I went from 2.73's to 3.73's in my old 93 A4 Z and i felt an amazing difference! Thing is, everyone complains about gas mileage, but i never really noticed a major loss. It'll drop a little bit, but it wasnt as bad as everyone lets on. Good luck!

 

I have experience with both, except in an M6 You can definitly tell a SOTP difference between the two in a manual. It's not that big, but definitly no mistaking it.

-brent

 

ok well, you guys with a4's and 3.73s and stock shift points, what RPM are you crossing the finish line at in the 1/4 mile? how bout with 3.42s?

 

i went from 342 to 373 and i love them. definitely go with 373 if your worried about gas mileage buy a hybrid. but get those 373's for that bad boy

 

3.73's all the way! I cross the finish line at at approx 5400rpm maybe more in 3rd.
trust me they are the perfect match for an A4 car.

 

im also deciding on gears, im in the same boat as you, i have opened a similar thread in the drivetrain section, i finally decided on going 342's myself, i know everyone likes the 373's, but i heard that most 373's whine even more, also i dont race my car, i just like to know i have that extra power if needed...i have 273's with an auto and i raced a 96 z with the m6, he only beat me by half a car lenght, so i figure if i go to 342's with my auto i shouldve had this guy probably, but who knows maybe my car runs better then this guy and he shouldve beat me more....but im going 342's for sure just because i never take my car to the track or anything and im not competing with anyone, i think ill be very happy with 342's myself and im not gonna do major mods for my motor anytime soon.

 

What kind of ET drop will I see going from 3.23s to 3.73s?

 

I don't really race my car either, but I sure do like to have fun

I'd take it to the track maybe once every 2-3 months.

 

I have 3.73's and they don't whine AT ALL. I got the "soft" gears instead of the hardened ones, so the whine is minimized...

 

I have 3.73s and my friend has 3.42s. The difference is noticeable, but the MPG loss isn't big. My 3.73s don't whine any worse then his 3.42s, it's all about how well installed they are. I had 3.23s and swapped in the 3.73s, big differnce (sorry no times before the swap). I would go with 3.73s.

 

Preciate it - with drs and 3.73s am I looking at mid 8s or high 8s?

 

ok guys, I think I'm gonna go for the 3.73s. Thanks for all of your help, I appreciate it.....I doubt I'll regret it.

 

I had 2.73 then went to 3.42 then 3.73.
The car just wants to accelerate like hell with the 3.73's in all gears, however with the stock 245/50/16 tire cruising at 80 mph will be 3000 rpm.
I currently get 12-15max mpg. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford a magic bullet like www.gearvendors.com under/overdrive, which will make my 3.73 a 2.91 at the touch of a button and give me 8 gears instead of 4. Being put in tomorrow.

It's made for a truck but will fit into our cars with a short jegs torque arm as it adds 14" to the transmission length.

Before going with the gearvendors I was going to put the 3.42's back in so think hard if you plan on any highway driving over 65-70 mph.

The 3.73 thrill is sweet though but highway revs are a little high.