What would be the best gear for a street/highway combo??

Alwyn678 · 01-21-2002, 07:03 PM

I am currently running a sleepy 3:08

vettedave · 01-21-2002, 09:00 PM

I would say somewhere in the 3:42 to 3:73 range would be about right.

yedister · 01-21-2002, 09:08 PM

What transmission are you running? and what is your normal highway cruising speed? Do you run top end? Do you care about gas mileage, if you do then keep the current gear.

yedi

[Modified by yedister, 6:09 PM 1/21/2002]

[Modified by yedister, 6:10 PM 1/21/2002]

69 N.O.X. RATT · 01-21-2002, 10:38 PM

In my opinion there really isn't one if you are using a four speed. I went with a Richmond 6 spd in my car, very expensive ($3500.00) but I have the equivalent of a 4.22 rear end gear and in 6th it turns less than 2,000 rpms at 80mph. With your 3.08 rear end a Richmond 5 speed would be a good fit they run less than 2,000.00. You can run a deeper first gear and a 1 to 1 fith. It is truly the best of both worlds. You can check it out at richmondgear.com :chevy

SmokedTires · 01-22-2002, 09:08 AM

I would say either a 3.55 or 3.70 would be the best ratio comprimise. Many people believe that 3.70 is perfect but going from a 3.08, you may find the highway rpm's a bit high compared to what your used to. I would say if you do much highway driving then choose 3.55, if your not going to do much highway or plan on an O/D down the road, then go with the 3.70's.

Alwyn678 · 01-22-2002, 10:41 AM

[quote]What transmission are you running? and what is your normal highway cruising speed? Do you run top end? Do you care about gas mileage, if you do then keep the current gear.

yedi

[Modified by yedister, 6:09 PM 1/21/2002]

Sorry I am Running a Turbo 400 witha 2400 stall converter and 3:08 gears...I am not concerned with gas mileage...Longest cruise I do is around 200 miles

[Modified by Alwyn678, 8:51 AM 1/22/2002]

vettedan · 01-22-2002, 11:00 AM

A 3:08 is a bit weak; going to a 3:70 will really improve your acceleration. My vette has a 3:08 gears, but I'm using a 4L60E tranny which has a 3:07 first gear. If I went to a 3:55 gear I would probably lower my 1/4 mile time by around 3 to 4 tenth of a sec. getting me into the low 13 sec. It makes a difference.
Dan

vader86 · 01-22-2002, 07:45 PM

I think 3.73s are better for 5 and 6 speed trannys. 3.55 is a very good for auto.

Nomad78SA · 01-23-2002, 08:49 AM

My 78 witha automatic and 3:55 gear was pretty good. The rpms at cruise speed got to be a pain though. I would run 3200+ depending on the speed. Around town it has plenty of acceleration. I now have installed a Bowtie 700R4 but have not got the car on the road yet.
Neil in Tenn

yoslambo1@cs.com · 01-23-2002, 07:22 PM

i put 375's in my car. i hope you have a strong tranny....mine s*it the bed 3 days after gears were in. :eek: if you travel highway & care about top speed i dont suggest these. if you want a street dominater they are the best choice! :D

andy60 · 01-31-2002, 04:13 PM

Anyone know where I can get a 3:55 for my C1?

Andy

ylose · 02-01-2002, 04:11 PM

3:55 is good bottom and top end
3.70 is even better lower with less top end
3.90 is the best you can do in the 3 series carrier......

you said you didn't care about gas mileage right ? then I would say 3.70, a little higher on your RPMs but I used to run my daily driver with a 350 with 3000 stall and a 3.73 rear end...100 degree summers and snow/under -20......didnt bother me.

the largest for a 3 series carrier in a C3 would be some sweet 3.90's.....

people mentioned tranny going above....if your going for performance gears or stalls and launching your car hard, I would suggest getting a trans-cooler for your tranny ??? :cheers:

[Modified by ylose, 1:18 PM 2/1/2002]

mackeyred96 · 02-02-2002, 01:19 AM

4.10s and looking to go to 4.33.

Jvette73 · 02-02-2002, 02:44 AM

3.90's work great in combo with my 200R4 tranny. Very tourquey from the hole. 2350rpm @ 70mph with convertor locked in 4th. 26.1" tire diameter.

http://www.prestage.com/carmath/calc_gears.asp

bence13_33 · 02-02-2002, 05:12 PM

I currently have 3.36s out back and personally I consider them a pretty good all-around gear. Awesome gears on the highway and still provide a better low end grunt than the 3.08s. My plans are to go with a Richmond 5 speed instead of changing the rear end. The Richmond tranny will provide a better effective 1st gear and still give me a nice 1:1 5th gear ratio.

IMO unless you have overdrive, anything over 3.70 is a pain on the highway.