Best overall gear ratio

[jabnasty]

My first is great for just crawling but that is all. I pretty much launch everything in either 2nd or 3rd most of the time in 3rd but also have a 4th if need be. To launch in 4th its gonna take another 100hp which is on the calender.

 

[Neal3000]

with 44's, better go 5.13.
This is with me having 4.10's, 4.56's, racing in rigs with 4.88's, 5.13's and 6.17's. My honest opinion is the lower the better within reason. Get high side where it's actually usable. It will feel like a fast drag car with low gears. It will feel like a dog ass turd with anything in the mid to low 4.xx's and down. Running in low all the time is gay

is there any concern with reliability using such low gears in your axles instead of in the t-case?

 

[jabnasty]

I blow 6.17 up all the time.

 

[hinton]

cammed ls1, th350, 203/205 doubler with 5.13 gears on 44's. that way i can have 1:1, 2:1, or 4:1 that way i have lots of gear choices. i like my doubler but it is big and heavy. i would have to say that in 4:1 1st gear in the transmission is useless i use 2nd and sometimes go to third

 

[blacksheep10]

is there any concern with reliability using such low gears in your axles instead of in the t-case?

It feels like way more seat of the pants power 100% of the time when your gearing is in the axles. This is after having ass in lots of seat and driving lots of different combinations.
That said, having 6 teeth on the pinion on a 60 is scary. That's why 5.38's (lowest you can go) in 14 bolts are enroute to hold the extra power he is looking for and to hold bouncing on the gas.

 

[Neal3000]

is he rockin a 4L80E in that team nasty rig?

 

[blacksheep10]

is he rockin a 4L80E in that team nasty rig?

yes, 2.5:1 first like a 350/400 I believe

 

[Neal3000]

i've been trying to decide between a th400 or 4l80e.......hoping to change my engine/trans/t-case this winter to a 6.0 or 6.2 with auto and prolly 4.3 atlas to go with the 4.10 axle gears and 40's that i've got now

 

[doctordick]

4L80 = 2.48 to 1 in 1st. 4L60 = 3.06 to 1 in 1st

 

[Neal3000]

been doin some research and even streetracer camaro guys break 4L60e's i don't see how that could be a good option for us, it's essentially the same as a 700R4......weak

 

[GONOVRIT]

Bringing this back from the dead ;D
I'm switching to a manual in my "jeep". My previous setup was an LT1/TH350/STAK 5.44/5.38's(round 74;1 1st gear) with 42's. Gear bound as hell for a long hill climb but trail riding and crawling was a blast with all the bottom end.
I've ran my course with autos and they're not for me. Now I'm planning to run LT1/NP435/205/5.38's(think that was 69:1 1st gear.
My question is will that be low enough for technical crawling? I'm not new to wheeling a manual by any means but its been years since I wheeled one that wasn't geared w/out a tcase at 4.1 or better.

 

[doctordick]

Keep in mind when switching from the auto to manual (given equal final drive ratios) that you'll be losing up to 50% of the torque applied to the wheels due to the torque multiplying effect of the torque converter. Theoretically you'd need to roughly double the mechanical final drive ratio to achieve the same torque at the wheels.

 

[GONOVRIT]

I just did the math on my old setup from '07, 4.0/ax15/4.0/4.88 w38's was 74:1. I did tons of technical stuff back then and liked the gearing. I think at 70:1 w/a v8 I'll be fine, if not I'll get in line for an atlas :

 

[Stretch]

You should be fine with that. Austin was saying one of the last times we were at Mtn City that he doesnt use 1st all that much now that his is geared 4.0 in the case and 5.13 in the axle. Im at 93:1 in the toyota on 42's now and unless Im just getting pulled up on an obstacle its too damn low. Even with the tired old 22r it still likes second gear double low (roughly 55:1).

Let me know when youre wanting to put the pile back together and Ill help drink beer, heckle and offer little to no help in that airplane hanger.