Cliff,
As a point of comparison, the toploader first gear ratios were either 2.32
(close ratio) or 2.78 (wide ratio). The wide ratio gears only came stock
with the Mk-II Tigers, so I'm guessing what you have now is the 2.32 first
gear. Many people prefer the wide ratio for the street, especially if the
engine has a more aggressive cam that sacrifices low end HP. On this basis,
the 2.95 compares closely to the wide ratio toploader and would be the best
choice. You don't want the gears set too wide or there's too much rpm drop
between shifts, which hurts performance. Another important question is what
5th gear ratio to use. A lot of the T-5's have a huge drop into 5th gear -
about 0.63 if I recall correctly. A 0.76 is a much better choice -
especially with 2.88's. For example, with the 2.88's in 4th gear now you
turn about 2800 rpm at 70 mph. With a 0.76 5t gear, that's 2128 rpm - which
is low, but OK for cruising if you have a pretty stock engine. With 0.63 5th
gear, that drops the rpm to 1764. Many people who put in a T-5 opt for a
lower rear end ratio to keep 5th gear not too different than 4th is now. For
example, a 0.76 5th means 2.88/0.76 = 3.79 would give you the same overall
gearing. There is a 3.73 gear available and also a 3.54. Either of these
would be good choices to complement the T-5.
Bob
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