gears

i'm savin up for a limited slip dif and i want to drop in new gears while im at it. i only have a v6 but i dont know whether to put 3:73 in or 4:10. Eventually i'm going to put in a turbo so that will be more power to push bigger gears but do you think i should just stick to something smaller until then or what. Oh and i have 17's on it not that that's a big deal but they are bigger and wider and heavier than stocks. i don't know much about gears hoping to learn me up sumthin. That's your cue prodrifterx. I need one of your essays. lol

i think you have stick shift, than don't go with anything higner than 3:73. it is usually stick shift 3:73 auto 4:10. if you put 4:10 on stick it will suck on gas. actually you can go with 3:55's which will be somethng in between stock and 3:73

Not sure prodrifterx will be able to answer any time soon...he may be a little hungover...haha!

My preference is 4.10s but can't really say whether those are good for a turbo or not. I have a 5spd with 410s and wouldnt go any lower. If you do alot of highway driving, then 373s would prolly be better. Other than that, 410s are fun and I didnt lose any mpg on my gas (other than always getting on it).

ahh...will post up something nice in a bit. need food after last night....but all upon preference and driving habits.

how soon are you planning to boost?
basically only if you had a roots or twinscrew id suggest keeping your current gears or not passing the 3.73s.

First i want to make sure you know that with gears you will need to reflash/recalibrate the ecu to account for gear/tire change.

Second, are you seriously boosting?, if so id say get a 8.8 from junkyard or craigslist and swap that in once its built. it already has a trac-lok carrier, and the ring/pinion are 3.27:1 (factory) unless someone had swapped them out. find one in a junkyard and go thru the differential and keep anything salvageable and check on the ring/pinion ratio.

otherwise you could stay with your 7.5 axle and place in a track-loc.

i recommend checking out late model restoration, american muscle, stage3 motorsports, lethal performance, texas hot rods, tma turbo, super six motorsports, jpcracing, woodbine performance---basically it'll take some research or time online, but my personal preference is larger gear (geared low--i.e. steep gearing being 4.30/4.10 etc.) as compared to a smaller (geared high--i.e. gradual geairing being 3.27/3.55 etc.)

basically your choices with the 7.5 are either 4.10 or 3.73. pending how heavy you ride the clutch and hard you stomp that gas pedal will decide some. if you cant stay off the pedal some id say 3.73s because of driving habits, because of daily driver in winter. personally id go high like 4.10 and id learn to keep off of it, yet over time one will learn the gear and how touchy it will become for tire spin and such. if you can have some self control go with the 4.10s, be great for drag racing, a nice gear for back road cruising, be able to cruise back roads in 2nd-4th.....

however if you go with an 8.8 id recommend 31spline axles (can never be too careful once boosting or racing), id recommend a torsen t2r for maximum performance, a rear girdle/cover with torque bolt to torque/keep the bearing caps from coming off the housingdue to a hard launch, and a set of gears between 3.90 and 4.56, pending upon transmission gearing, transmission type, clutch, enigne specs, and driving habits.

personally with an 8.8 and a 5speed with stock gearing inside, id go with a set of 3.90/4.10 gears in the diffeerential. if you were changing the gears in the transmission for a wide ratio set id go high or mid in selection for gearing (all depends what you will do most with the car). if you wnet with a t56 6speed viper/cobra/vette/camaro spec id say 4.56/4.30-----

again all depends on your plans for the cars use and your driving habits. if you are doing top speed challenging id say wide ratio transmission(T56 6speed) and a set a stock or close to stock rear gears (anythign lower than 3.55s). if you were doing backroads/roadracing then id say close ratio transmission and a set of 3.73-4.10 gears. if your going drifting id say do whatever trans you want but do a set of 4.56s to keep the tire speed higher than the car speed to keep the drifting going so the tires dont slow and hook, straightening the car out.

alot of tire spin and variables alike will not be consistent or constant....i.e. weather, pavement, tire type, tire pressure, gears, rpm launch/take off......

basicall decide where you wana go with the car. if you want to turbo it and will do it in a year then go for an 8.8 and build it properly. otherwise 7.5 will do, get a track-loc, and a set of4.10s imo, if you can stay out of it some...otherwise get the 3.73s. nothing like and no more fun than a steep gear.

also be careful what you pull or source an axle from bc the width and mounting will be different between the foxes (length) and s197s(lenght and mounting) and pickups(length and mounting).

if you source an axle (even sourcing a 7.5 is a smart idea imo, bc oyu can slowly and properly have it built prior to install. im sure someone here could/would build it for you or find a nice shop and ask them to build the spare axle) take a good look over it and ask questions, what its form how is the car it came out of, where the car had its issue (engine, fire, body side, body front, body rear).

hope this helps, i can go on, and i am a fountain of knowledge/research if oyu need anythign else.

Ahh thanx. Ok i wasn't sure if i could swap out my 7.5 for an 8.8 but i guess you can. the main reason i wanted trac lok was because im tired of 1 wheel spins. I'd feel much better going with the 8.8 and 4.10's because i am boosting but i'm trying to build a track car not a drag or drifter. I am hard on the pedal at the moment but that's on;y because i want more. i could defiantly learn to ease off. Are you saying i should check out a scrap yard for an 8.8?
oh and i am ordering a tuner from SCT.

in my opinion id check out a scrap yard, craigslist, ebay, forums etc. for used 8.8 axles so that you can do the swap. you can look online/call dealers for a price on a 8.8 housing only for 99-04 but you may pay a nice coin for it.

go with 4.10s if staying with the 7.5 axle, go with 3.90 or 4.10 motive gears from stage3motorsports, and a rear end girdle if you go with an 8.8 axle. know that the carrier such as the trac loc determines the spline required for axles. 28 spline (factory) or 31pline (aftermarket)....there are 33 and 35 splines out there but they are pricey and you wont need something that sturdy. so if you go with an 8.8 check out what you are getting prior to just buying a 31spline carrier when you are gonna use factory 8.8 28spline axles or aftermarket 28spline axles...31spline carrier requires 31spline axles. reseal and re build the entire rear end with new bearings etc.

Is it possible to build a v6 that would need more than a 7.5 dif though. If i were to tt it could it handle it?

the ring and pinion and housing would be ok....in my opion. i believe the isse would be with the carrier and axles. snapping one or shredding the splines off the axle or grenading the carrier.

anything is possible. it all depends on the power you want to make and with what.

turbo = 3:55, 3:27 Turbo's love load.
Supercharger = 3:55 - 4:10, Superchargers have a NA torque curve, and HP since it runs directly off the engine.
NA - 3:55 - 4.10

buy once, for your ultimate goal.

3.73 is the best gear to run in a v6 new edge mustang

ok thanx everyone. i've made my decision. I'll go with the 7.5 inch trac lok and 3.55's with 31 spline axles. Should be Bad >>>. My v6 will be a bad >>> mother Fu**er. A BAMF if i may. (Dane Cook)

only issue is, i dont believe i saw a set of 3.55s offeredr for the 7.5

if i bought this would it go on my chassis. It says it for a GT but you said i can put a 8.8 on my v6. IDK im confused
http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-31spline-88-lsd.html

yes that would bolt right on, you can actually take a GT diff from a junk yard

KingMucha wrote:if i bought this would it go on my chassis. It says it for a GT but you said i can put a 8.8 on my v6. IDK im confused
http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-31spline-88-lsd.html

yes, but you need the housing and all related parts. that 8.8 carrier wont fit in your 7.5 housing.

when i say go 8.8 you need housing, carrier axles, ring, pinion, bearings, seals, etc all for an 8.8 axle setup.