One more time as a test to see if I've got my formatting straightened out.
B
I wholeheartedly agree with all the comments about converting from a close
ratio transmission to a wide ratio setup while keeping the 2.88 rearend gears
for street driving. My first Tiger had a close ratio transmission and 3.31
rearend gears, and although it was great out of the hole, it was terrible at
70 mph on the highway at 3500 rpms. Granted, a close ratio setup is great on a
road course where you want your engine rpm in the sweet spot of the torque
curve at all times, but stop and go street driving is a drag with such a tall
first gear.
B
The factory 2.78 wide ratio first gear is 20% lower than the
factory 2.32 close ratio first gear. I have mentioned to some here on the
Tiger List that when I converted my present Tiger to a wide ratio, I installed
a 2.90 first gear instead of the factory 2.78 first gear. This makes for a 25%
lower first gear over the close ratio setup. My first gear is now so low that
I am next going to install 2.72 rearend gears for a 6% overdrive (compared to
the 2.88s). This will drop my 2.90 first gear to a comparable 2.74 ratio,
nearly identical to the factory 2.78 wide ratio, still a 19% improvement over
the close ratio configuration. This will also drop my highway engine speed
another ~200 rpms lower than the factory 2.88s.
B
I spent ~$450 for new wide
ratio tranny gears and sold my old close ratio gears for ~$200. The 2.72
rearend gears range from $20 to $90 and use a fine spline (26) pinion flange.
I paid $50 for my rearend gears and $90 for the flange. Naturally if you farm
out the labor, it will be more. But for less than $500 for parts, 1/10 the
cost of aB 5 speed, I have a 2.74 first gear and a .94 overdrive, with no
cutting up the car, no issues with the bellhousing, clutch, throwout bearing,
linkage, speedo cable, gear shift opening or drive shaft, and an unbreakable
toploader that can easily handle the torque of my 331 stroker motor.
B
For
those who are interested in a wide ratio setup, here are the best prices I
have found:
http://www.allstategear.com/Toploader.htm
2nd - WT296-21A - $59.10
3rd - WT296-11A - $57.60
input - WT296-16BBB - $82.10
cluster - WT296-8A -
$142.60
B
http://toploadertransmissions.com/
2.90 1st - $125
Note: David
Kee no longer sells the 2.90 first gear, but Dan Williams does.
I found the
Dana 44 2.72 gears on Craigslist and eBay and the flange you can get from IWE
Rearends in Canada (you can use my name).
IWE Rear Ends Only
FREEB 888-433-4717B
For those of us who donbt race open track and donbt
feel like dropping bcubic dollarsb for a 5 speed, yet who like everyday
street driving, to me this b poor manbs overdriveb with the low first
gear is the best all around setup.
Gary Crandall
ext 1, Danelle
www.iwerearendsonly.com
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