BGDDYKWL

I recently purchased a 2000 Vette, and was considering a rear end gear swap for a little more punch off the line. It's an automatic, and cruising on the freeway at 75mph I'm only at about 2200 rpm. I'm assuming the stock rear is a 2.73 or 3.08, but I'd guess it's the former. I'm thinking something around 3.73 would be perfect, as it is a daily driver. I figure this is the best "bang for your buck" modification, as I put 5.13s in my Chevelle a few years back, and that was just ridiculous. Not great on the freeways though. I know an entire rear end swap will run me a decent amount of money, but I know when I changed the gears in my Chevelle I just did exactly that, and kept everything else the same. That only ran me about $400-$500 installed. I've looked around and haven't seen anything mentioned about just switching the gears in a Corvette. Where could I get them (I think I got the ones for my Chevelle in a GM parts catalog) preferably new, and about how much should I expect them to cost? Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks.

rayb_satx

bump..

looking for the same info for my 97 a4...also...anyone know anything about b&m shift kits?? a buddy mentioned this to me.. and dont really know what its all about...

Mitch C

If you are really at 2200 RPM at 75 MPH you probably have 3.42 gears. I would get a Yank SS3200 or SS3600 T/C instead of swapping gears. A T/C will give you much more bang for the buck than just gears. To find out for sure what gears you have. Put your car in 3rd gear and drive at a steady 75 mph. If your tach says 3420 RPM you have 3.42s if your only at 3150 RPM you have 3.15 gears.

Mike Mercury

determine your C5 rear axle ratio:

http://mikemercury.home.att.net/ratio.htm

BGDDYKWL

Thanks for the info. To my knowledge the gears haven't been changed, so I'd assume I have the factory 2.73s or 3.15s, but obviously you know a lot more about this stuff than I do, so I will certainly check it out in third gear at 75mph to make sure. If I'm remembering correctly, and was around 2200 in fourth, then dividing that by .7 would put me at 3140, which would mean I probably have 3.15s. That being said, I could go to 4.10 and still be under 3000rpm in fourth gear at 75mph, which is fine by me. I'm assuming I can get the gears from a parts catalog and swap them, without having to change the whole rear end. In terms of the T/C, I can't say I'm terribly knowledgeable. What affect will that have on the car exactly, and around how much could I expect to spend?

BGDDYKWL

I actually took a look at some of the T/C threads and they were very informative. I guess my question now would be considering the fact that this car is a daily driver, and the only mods to date are intake and exhaust, which T/C would be best? I essentially never take it to the track, and would really just be looking for more punch, especially off the line, as the car would never see over 90mph. Just seems now that when I'm accelerating there's a bit of a delay until the rpm gets high enough to really get the car moving. Assuming I went with 3.73s or 4.10s, would the Yank SS3200 T/C still be worth getting? Is it going to hurt mileage significantly, or drastically change the feel of the car during regular driving?

Face

With the SS3200, around town you may lose a mpg or two. On the parkway, you shouldn't lose anything.
With 3.15's, there shouldn't be much of a delay. So little that after driving for a hour, you wouldn't even notice anymore.
With 3.42's or 3.73's, you wouldn't notice any difference till you punch it.
I wouldn't call any verter swap under a 4000 stall drastic. Even a 4000 isn't bad if you get the right combo and a good tune.

patton

starting in 01 they got the better intake manifold . that will always hold you back. 342 ,s 3200 very streetable. if ya got alot of miles do the tranny . pull out tq , firm up the shift and turn it loose. milage down harsh shifts and more trips to tire store you lift you lose

BGDDYKWL

Thanks for the responses. I do have a different intake on the car, but the previous owner did that so I'm not sure about all the details. The car has 28,000 miles on it. So with the 3200 or even the 3600 it sounds like I'm still more than fine with it as a daily driver. Assuming I have 3.15s now, is going to say 4.10s and the 3200 the best relatively inexpensive way to increase performance?

Mitch C

The most inexpensive way to boost performance would be to keep your 3.15 gears and install a Yank SS3200. Once you have a good T/C gears don't matter that much as far as performance goes.Bigger gears however make a high stall T/C feel tighter. I would not recommend 4.10 gears in an A4 unless you are really serious about drag racing.

Jackal

The only other issue that I can remember (if I remember right) is that the 2.73 rear end is actually physically too small to put 3.42s, 3.73s, 3.90s, or 4.10s. In this case you would have to buy the diff. as a whole.

BGDDYKWL

Thanks for the info. I figure with 4.10s I'd be at about 2850rpm at 75mph. I could be wrong, but that seems pretty streetable. Is the switch from 3.15 to 4.10 a lot of added strain on the car? Can I change the gears without swapping the whole rear end? From the comments on this thread and others I've read, the 3200 T/C sounds like the way to go. I'll have to think about the gears. Right now I have the GMPP warranty, does anyone know if changing the gears or T/C will void it?

BGDDYKWL

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Same problem if I have the 3.15s as well?

Mitch C

The 2.73 differential is not the same as 3.15 and higher. Any gear ratio up to 4.10 can be installed in a 3.15 differential. However VERY few shops have the tools or the knowledge to swap the ring and pinion in a C5 differential. DTE can install any gear ratio in a 2.73 differential.

fdxpilot

The Gertrag differential is peculiar to the C5 and C6 Corvette. There are many specialized tools and procedures peculiar to it. Unless there is a shop near you who has a lot of experience with the Gertrag and will stand by their work, you are much better off getting a complete differential. Also, either route you go will require disconnecting the torque tube, and dropping the tranny/differential assembly to remove the diff to change gears. It is not anywhere similar to the old-school straight live axle in your Chevelle or an F-body. Basically, No, it can't be done for $4-500.

Also, given the low 1st and 2nd ratios in the vette A4, 3.42s or 3.73s seem to be the prefered ratios. Some guys have done 3.90s, but 4.10s would make 1st gear almost unusable.

Vette_Fan

For best drivability (DD), how does 3.42 with Yank 2800 sound? Is there any major diff or benefit of the SS-3200? I've a 2.73 right now..

Mitch C

Don't waste your time and money on the Yank Stealth 2800 or 3000.
They are nothing but modified heavy inefficent OEM T/Cs. The SS3200 or SS3600 are lighter 9.5 inch T/Cs that are more efficent and will give you better performance.

BGDDYKWL

Would changing the gears and or T/C affect the GMPP warranty?

Mike Mercury

Probably. You won't get a black/white answer on this. Meaning.... you'll have top take a "risk".

Heck, I changed rear axle ratio on my 2002 with 3500 miles and just 6 months after purchase (new).

If you're not a risk taker (and there's nothing wrong with that) then don't do it. You'll just work yourself into a frenzy worrying about it.

ken-rx

Swapping rears is no little job in a corvette. I recommend finding a complete 3:42 unit and find a shop that can do the wrench work and reprogram your ECM for the proper gearing. DO NOT TRY to reprogram it with a predator or some other piece of crap. Get it done once , get it done right. (Your car probably has 3:15's, 3:42 are only available with a manual trans) I think 3:42 are the best all around solution.