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Gears?

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zebra03 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 12-October-2008 at 3:38AM
On my 76 Gran Torino, I believe I have 2.75 stock gears. What would my options be? What gears would you recommend ? My motor is stock except for the Edelbrock intake and 600 4bbl carb. Would this mess up my speedometer?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-October-2008 at 3:59AM
 
You can change your 1st and 2nd gears in your transmission which will increase your
torque without effecting your speedometer, assuming you have a C-4 or C-6.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zebra03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-October-2008 at 4:10AM
Would that be easier than changing gears in the rear end? I have a c-4 . I dont do much interstate driving.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-October-2008 at 5:11AM
I think the effort is the same for both but it depends what needs to be serviced first. There are so many things that you can do to a C-4; better 1st, 2nd gear ratio, shift kit, torque convertor, R-Servo, etc. I think you'll like the results more than a gear swap and it will feel even better when you change the gears in your axle.     
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zebra03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-October-2008 at 5:34AM
I have a shift kit installed and it shifts very firm. I dont think I will mess with the tranny. What are my options for gears in the rearend ?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-October-2008 at 8:28AM
A good 9" Posi or Limited Slip is usually a good place to start. My first change in rear gears was 3.00's to 3.70 Ltd Slip. It made my car a lot more fun to drive, however my stock rear suspension wheel hopped a lot, mostly because of my lead foot. Do you plan to drag race your car?     
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zebra03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-October-2008 at 3:29AM
no drag racing. It is mostly a show car I like to run in town once in a while.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PatsPOS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-October-2008 at 3:24PM

Reckon I'll throw my 2ยข in here real quick.  Gear choice depends a lot on what kind of driving you'll be doing most of the time.  Unless you do a LOT of highway driving, I'd stay away from 3.00s...they're not much (if any) better than the 2.75s you have now.

A 3.25 gear is still a pretty good choice for the highway, and you'd definitely notice a difference over the 2.75s.  They'd be a little doggy for around-town cruising, but bearable.

3.50 gears would be winding things out a LITTLE on the highway.  With a 28" tall tire, I'm turning around 3000 RPM @ 70 MPH with 3.50s.  This is what I consider the best of both worlds...not bad (but not great) gas mileage, and fun on the street.

Now if you do most of your driving in town and want a BSEG (big XXXX-eating grin), then go with 3.70s.  Probably not a very good highway gear, unless you have deep pockets for gasoline.
 
3.91s and 4.11s are mostly for dragstrip duty, IMO...although I've known a few guys that have taken 4.11-equipped cars out on the highway.  They don't go fast and don't go far, and they sure don't do it very often!
 
And yes...you'll need to change your speedometer gear when you change your gear ratio.  Speedo driven gears are still available at the Ford dealer (and many other places), and they're ridiculously easy to change.  However, before you can get a new one, you'll need to know how many teeth are on the gear you have in your tranny now.
 
HTH,
Pat
'75 460 Gran Torino Sport (14.04 @ 97 MPH)
'91 Crown Vic (18.09 @ 75 MPH)
'89 300 F-150 (18.37 @ 73 MPH)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoSport Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-October-2008 at 4:32AM
I agree with Pat - I have a Torino with 2.75 and another with 3.00 - there is a slight difference between the two, but I'd recommend 3.25 unless you plan on a bunch of highway driving at 70MPH.
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