3.55 or 3.73?

[DemonGT]

i now alot of ppl have posted a topic like this but what do you guys think..should i go 3.55 or 3.73's? in the future i plan on a supercharger and mabe a 331..its mostly street i still havnt even taken it to the track once..but the thing is a freind of mine has some 3.73's he will sell me for $100????? what do you guys think?

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'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Mac long tubes,Cat-back,off road H,FMS 9mm wires,Competition gauges,C&L 76mm MAF

Waiting install:TFS street heat,Accufab TB

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,TFS heads,TFS stage 1 cam,lakewood struts/shocks,nitto DR's
ICQ#35670781

Go for the 3.73's!

I got them in my car with the Paxton blower and love them,do it,you won't regret it

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Paxton Blown 87GT
ICQ#91504337

[Smokedawg]

Go for the 3.73's!

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347 Stroker Motor: Balanced, Cobra Transmission, Extrude Ported and Polished Upper and ported Lower, GT40 Milled Ported and Polished Heads, B303 Cam, BBK 1 5/8 Headers, 30lb Bosch Injectors, Holley AFPR, March Underdrive Pulleys, Perma-Cool Fan, 3-Core Radiator, Accel Performance Coil, Accel 300+ Racing Wires, Ram Air, K&N Filter, 73mm Vortech MAF, 70mm TB, FlowMaster Exhaust w/BBK Offroad H-Pipe, Hurst Shifter, 3:55 Gears, Ram Clutch, Cross Drilled Rotors, AC del, rear seat del.

[QUIN]

3.73 w/o question. by the time you build it enough where the 3.55's may work better (if ever) than the extra 175$ for the new gears will look like weekend beer money compared to everything else you have bought! (although i got buddies who spend more on beer than i do on my car!!! lol)
i also recommend for the little increase in price that you purchase them brand new. gears are not an item that i would like to re-use.
thats your choice though.
Q

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Quin, 87 GT,306,forged/cut pistons,edelbrock head\intake,steeda#18cam,1.7rr,MSD Blaster tfi coil,A9L,pro-m75mm,24#inj,accufab65mm,2.5"pipes,hooker headers,dynomax exhaust,3.73 gr,110 lph fp,moroso cold air,ASP pullies, weld rims

See my engine on user rides.

I see your shwartz is as big as mine, now lets see how well you handle it!

I've used 3.55's and 3.73's and without a doubt, the 3.73's are the winners.

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Dave & Robin 88 GT, T5
306, polished crank, TRW pistons, underdrive pulleys, cold air induction, 73mm MAF, Xtreme Energy Cam, 3.73's, 1 5/8 unequal length headers, Offroad H-pipe, 2 chamber flowmasters, turn-downs, King Cobra Clutch, Steeda adjustable clutch cable with firewall adjuster

I'm CONFUSED - all the guys at the perormance catalogs I speak to say 3.55's are the gears to use w/ a blower..........but everyone I see on this site say the 3.73's are. Why would the 3.73's be better? I'm glad I have a place to come to to get all this info before I waste $$$ on a foolish purchase. Thanks.

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'90 LX 5.0; 12K original miles (no sh*&); 3.55 gears; pulleys;Edelbrock Performer Heads; BBK shorties; MSD 6AL box w/ blaster 2 coil; Motorsport E303 cam; Pro-M 75mm MAF; BBK 70mm TB; Eibach spring kit; Southside welded subs; K&N cone filter charger; Hurst shifter; fiberglass turbo hood; A/C-less; rear seat-less; cat-less; 2 chamber Flos; Corbeau racing seats (fronts);
30# injectors; JMS Chip; 190 lb fp; TFS track heat Intake (12.299 @ 113)

[TJR]

I have 3.73s and wish I had gotten 4.10s. I don't know how well 4.10s would work with a supercharger though.

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1989 lx notch
89,000 miles
bolt-ons,stock heads/cam
60'- 2.07, 8.90@78, 13.93@99

[NO SLO PK]

I guess I'm the minority. Unless you have good traction, the smaller gear will allow you to launch more easily and consistently. People always ask why I don't have 3.73s. The answer is that my lx spins the radials in first and second, but with 3.73s it would probably spin in third so why bother.

The Quarter Jr. Software program indicates that the difference in e.t. between a 3.55 and 3.73 gear is about a 0.10 seconds and 1 mph.

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Russ L
'91 LX
Procharger, 3 row intercooler, extrude honed Cobra intake, Mac full Length Headers, 30# inj., 73mm C&L, 75mm tb, E303 cam, 289 rods, ported E7 heads, MSD, T-Rex w/255 lph Walbro, 5 lug conversion, Cobra R wheels, 3.27 gears and Moser Axles.

[DemonGT]

i know used gears arnt good but he said he barly used them...he has a 347 and only used the 3.73's hardly at all and went 4.10

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'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Mac long tubes,Cat-back,off road H,FMS 9mm wires,Competition gauges,C&L 76mm MAF

Waiting install:TFS street heat,Accufab TB

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,TFS heads,TFS stage 1 cam,lakewood struts/shocks,nitto DR's
ICQ#35670781

[2FastLX]

I'm with Quin on this one. I don't think I'd go with used gears. But I think you can eyeball the gears to see if there is a noticable wear pattern in them or not and if there isn't you should be fine.

I'd definately go with 3.73's. I have them in my car and it launches hard with them. I get a kick out of looking at my passengers out of the corner of my eye and watching them sink into the seat at launch and after hard shifts

When you install the gears also rebuild your traction lock and replace the spring in the rear with one out of an F-150 pickup (I think that's the one we used). I left two black streaks down a freshly paved road last night that were about 50ft long and got posi the whole time!

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Too much to list. Best ET on the car so far with stock 2.73 gears - 13.73@102mph

Indiana Stangers Association
Buy your parts here
ICQ# 42269241

[This message has been edited by 2FastLX (edited 06-13-2001).]

[93CobraR]

3.73's all the way....

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87 GT, 4 inch cowl hood,17x9 Cobra R's/255/45's,GT-40 heads,Crane 2031, Edelbrock intake, long tubes headers,h-pipe,Flows,BBK cold air, Mass air,70mm MAF, 1.7's, 1" spacer,underdrive pulleys,Pro 5.0, King Cobra, Adj. fuel Reg., Lakewood Lift Bars,50/50's,subframes, 4.10's.
Best time 12.759
Best MPH 106.79
Best 60' 1.695

Visit my site at:
http://www.geocities.com/cobrar93_2000/MyPage.html

[joe4speed]

ooops

3.73's w/ a blower? Would I have to upgrade to a 8.8 rear (I only go to track once a year.....and don't use slicks)?

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'90 LX 5.0; 12K original miles (no sh*&); 3.55 gears; pulleys;Edelbrock Performer Heads; BBK shorties; MSD 6AL box w/ blaster 2 coil; Motorsport E303 cam; Pro-M 75mm MAF; BBK 70mm TB; Eibach spring kit; Southside welded subs; K&N cone filter charger; Hurst shifter; fiberglass turbo hood; A/C-less; rear seat-less; cat-less; 2 chamber Flos; Corbeau racing seats (fronts);
30# injectors; JMS Chip; 190 lb fp; TFS track heat Intake (12.299 @ 113)

[Skyman]

You already have an 8.8 rear end. All 87up 5.0 stangs do. No upgrade necessary there.

Now Im going against everyone else, because they have not looked ahead. 3.73's would be better for you at the moment. But as your going to add a blower, and increase your trap speed to probabably 120-124mph, your going to need to be able to cross the traps in 4th gear with a 26" or 28" slick. I believe 3.73's maybe a bit much with a 26".

Skyler

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-1989 Saleen Mustang #406- TFS Heads, E-303, edelbrock intake,70MM TB, 73mm MAF, off road H, headers and 3chamber flows.
12.55@107mph
50-175 Nitrous Works WET Kit just added.

Skyler, is that right.....my '90 comes w/ 8.8 stock??? A guy at one of the catalogs I called told me it'd cost me a good $800+ to get all that's needed to upgrade my rear to 8.8 and 3.73. What an ****** . Thanks for the info. P.S. Hope the girl situation's going ok

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'90 LX 5.0; 12K original miles (no sh*&); 3.55 gears; pulleys;Edelbrock Performer Heads; BBK shorties; MSD 6AL box w/ blaster 2 coil; Motorsport E303 cam; Pro-M 75mm MAF; BBK 70mm TB; Eibach spring kit; Southside welded subs; K&N cone filter charger; Hurst shifter; fiberglass turbo hood; A/C-less; rear seat-less; cat-less; 2 chamber Flos; Corbeau racing seats (fronts);
30# injectors; JMS Chip; 190 lb fp; TFS track heat Intake (12.299 @ 113)

[Stang Runner]

You have a 8.8 rear end!

Oops......bada$$ feels like a dumb a$$. Thanks for setting me straight on the 8.8

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'90 LX 5.0; 12K original miles (no sh*&); 3.55 gears; pulleys;Edelbrock Performer Heads; BBK shorties; MSD 6AL box w/ blaster 2 coil; Motorsport E303 cam; Pro-M 75mm MAF; BBK 70mm TB; Eibach spring kit; Southside welded subs; K&N cone filter charger; Hurst shifter; fiberglass turbo hood; A/C-less; rear seat-less; cat-less; 2 chamber Flos; Corbeau racing seats (fronts);
30# injectors; JMS Chip; 190 lb fp; TFS track heat Intake (12.299 @ 113)

[89FHPLX]

Now wait, what about me? I dont race my car at the track, but maybe once a year. I have 3.08's and my car GO's!! Can I use 3.55's just because I never drag race my car at the strip. My friend has 3.73's I feel the difference but he waist ("ALOT") more gas than I do.

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89 Police Interceptor
BBK Shorty Headers, K@N Cone Filter,H-pipe no cats, 2 chamber FlowMasters,Under Drive Pullys,14 degree Timing, Short Belt, No Air Silencer, oil cooler, 3.08's, And All Police Package goodies