car runs w/ 8.8 but......

[mutantcapri1979]

finally drove my capri it was a base 4-cyl factory it now has a 86 engine EFI and trans w/ a 87 8.8 2.73 . its seem like its slow of the line w/ the 2.73 8.8 compared to the 7.5. what was the factory gear in a 7.5?

[gtluke]

i dunno but put 4.10's in there now :)

[mutantcapri1979]

i need something cheap.

[sbcstang]

I wouldn't run 4.10 unless you have a 5 speed or AOD.

Get some used 3.73 or 3.55. The 8.8 was used in the front and rear diffs on Explorers and F150s. Those ratios are very common for the trucks.

[gtluke]

3.55's = WORST GEAR EVER

be a man, 4.10's :)

[FoxChassis]

finally drove my capri it was a base 4-cyl factory it now has a 86 engine EFI and trans w/ a 87 8.8 2.73 . its seem like its slow of the line w/ the 2.73 8.8 compared to the 7.5. what was the factory gear in a 7.5?
Some early four-cylinders got 3.08. Later years got 3.45 or 3.73.

[sbcstang]

I've got 4.10s with a 3 speed auto now. Sucks doing 3400 rpm @ 60 mph.
Why do 3.55s suck? That's what I was thinking of swapping to.

[Evil86lx]

3.55's = WORST GEAR EVER

be a man, 4.10's :)

Huh.. Why do you say that. Or are we going to have another "4.10's are the only gear to run" argument.

3.55's work great on my combo, actually they work better than a 4.10 ever could.

kyle

[5 Liter Mustang]

my old 91 notch with 3.55's felt way better than my 86 notch with 3.73's.

i can't wait until i get some e7's on this thing

[83GTvert]

I went with that saying someone said on here long ago... "Don't fear the gear". 4.11 Here.
Didn't really notice a whole lot of difference from my 3.73.

[MurPHy]

I went with that saying someone said on here long ago... "Don't fear the gear". 4.11 Here.
Didn't really notice a whole lot of difference from my 3.73.

4.11? Did I read that right? You installed a 9" rear? How come?

[83GTvert]

4.11? Did I read that right? You installed a 9" rear? How come?

I'm pretty hard on stuff so I tend to go overboard. currie 9"

[jpywell]

Im going to the 3.55's aswell. Great combo and I have seem them used too run cars into the low 10's in the 1/4 miles.

[gtluke]

3.55's are bad because at an average trap speed (for those of us who drag race) you will either have to redline the crap out of 3rd or shift into 4th and barely use it.
with 3.73's you get better use of 4th, and with 4.10s you get pretty good use of it.
for a mostly stock car and drag racing, 4.30's are probably best. some run 4.56's

i don't want to hear your complaining, my galant has a 5.13 rear gear.
i travel to work at over 4,000 rpms in 5th gear. but then again thats why its fast.

but i have 3.55's in my mustang now. because i was on the redline in 4th for a good 300ft with the 4.10's and i plan on going much faster. i even have the 28" rear tires on there.
6krpms in 4th with 28" tires with 4.10's is 123mph
i need to do about 140 so i had to back down on my gears.

[frankiesaysrelax]

3.55's are bad because at an average trap speed (for those of us who drag race) you will either have to redline the crap out of 3rd or shift into 4th and barely use it.
with 3.73's you get better use of 4th, and with 4.10s you get pretty good use of it.
for a mostly stock car and drag racing, 4.30's are probably best. some run 4.56's


Thanks for explaining that Luke. Your comment make a lot more sense now. I too have to recommend 4.30s for a strip car with a basically stock powerplant. It is all about matching the entire combo. Ideally, you want to hit the traps at the top of the powerband in 4th.

If you see 10 second cars running 3.55s, there is a reason. With deeper gears they just plumb run out of gear before the end of the quarter mile.

For street driven 5.0s I'd go with the old standby, 3.73s in a 5 speed and 4.10s in an auto.

[Quick82]

I've always ran 4:10's, but I will tell you my 4:56's and C4 suck :lol:

3:73's seem to be the best all around cruise rpm/performance gear

[FATHERFORD]

<-----3.27's