Gears for 94 GT 5 speed..

[monkeydude3]

Definitely going to want to swap out the gears in our 94 GT Vert. 5 speed manual. I think it has the smallest gear possible, because at 55mph I'm sitting at about 1500 rpm, and at 70 it's about 1800.

It is an absolute dog off the line, and once I shift into 5th gear, usually at 55-60mph it just seems to lug the motor too much.

It's gonna be a daily driver, fair amount of highway time, probably will see a ton of bolt ons and maybe a head/cam/intake swap...

My neighbor told me go 3.55... I'm thinking 3.73, but I know how fun 4.10s can be...

lemme know... yes I searched and read around a bit!

 

[95Grandtouring5.0]

4:10's and 5th gear will always lug unless your pushing some decent power.

 

[Paul]

It's all personal preference and combination. There is no "best" gear.

I have 3.73s in both my SN95s and they work fine.

 

[monkeydude3]

okay, I just mean it's hideous how much it seems to lug in 5th. In my 97 I had the optional 3.27s and 5th gear was very smooth.

anyone have a link for that gear calculator?

I'd also like a gear that you can still reasonably use 1st as well
thanks

how much heavier is the vert. than the coupe? Like how much slower does that make it? Just curious!

 

[Paul]

Vert is ~300 lbs heavier than a coupe, and a couple tenths slower.

3.73s are a very good all-around gear with good first-gear usefulness and decent highway RPM.

As far gear calculators... :google2:

 

[scott5]

If you are doing alot of highway driving i would go with the 3.73s, thats what i have in my car and it gets up and goes in first and second and cruises at about 2200 at most at 70mph

 

[ryclef331]

The whole point of a 5th gear overdrive IS TO LUG THE MOTOR. Its for hwy speeds....thats it. I've never EVER heard anyone complain that their car was too "low" in overdrive....that makes me laugh.

 

[Paul]

Only road racecars needing to run stupid-long straightaways need usable 5th gears. Otherwise, there's no point. They are there for gas mileage. So in other words, listen to Ryclef.

Oh, and can we get a sticky saying "there is no best gear ratio" so that we don't have so many threads asking what gears to get?

 

[96flmustang]

Monkeydude, I understand what you are asking. With gas prices the way they are and your planning on your car being a daily driver, I would go with 3.73's. I would only go with 4.10's if you planned on doing A LOT of track time. My last GT had 4.10's and was a lot of fun but it was also an automatic. With your 5 speed, go with the 3.73's. Basically what everyone else is saying. Thats just my opinion.

 

[musclemustang94]

I just installed 3.73's in my GT this winter. On 18's at 80 mph i am at 2300 RPM roughly. If its your daily driver, i say go with the 3.73's. I am moving back home to washington here in a couple months (graduating from Fords FACT program) and I am planning on installing 4.10's because i will do mostly county driving. IMHO the Mustang should of came with 3.73's to begin with. Its the perfect final drive for it.

 

[monkeydude3]

THanks guys! What I mean by 5th gear lugging, was my old GT had 3.27s and I know this one has 2.XX gears and it is just much much lower than I was used to. It's settled, we are doing 3.73s. My neighbor knows how to swap ring and pinion gears and he has all the micrometers and stuff to measure clearances so I can get it done near free.

Thanks guys!!! I appreciate all the input. This car will be a screamer before we know it.

George

 

[musclemustang94]

It really wakes the car up, some people say first gear is useless with 3.73's but I don't see how. You cant still go like 30 mph in first if you're pushin it hard at the track or something. What I really like about 'em is its easier to drive around a parking lot with out lugging it down, before I had to drive a little to fast or it just felt like it was chuggin, and it hums down the highway now to instead of chuggin. I think it actually gave me better mileage on the hiway because the engine was bogged down and workin its ass off at 1600 rpm tryin to keep the car goin 75 mph. haha ok ill stop now.

MAKE SURE YOU INSTALL THE RIGHT! I paid someone to do mine because between work and class I dont have time and my stang is my only ride so I couldn't do it on the only day I had off in case something happend, bolts braking etc. So I dropped it off at Ford and got a rental car. They did'nt put 'em in right and my backlash is way to big so it makes this vibrating sound down the freeway, and it clunks when you let off the gas and push it back in when your crusing. Needless to say its goin back to them, but I just wanted to let you know BIG HEADACHES can happen if he doesn't set 'em up right the FIRST time.