Those would be super fun caught in traffic!

 

Exactly. Only a complete moron would install 4.56's.

 

Really? Such derogatory posts are not necessary.

 

I vote 355 or 373 but more on the 355 than the 373

 

They are when you suggest to someone to drop 4.56's in.

 

^^^agreed!

 

Then perhaps your time on TMS will be short lived. No need for remarks you made as mentioned by Gary.

 

So, Scott, just curious. Have you ever swapped gears to see which ones you like and why you like them? If you've never run steep gears in a Mustang, then you have no place mocking me.

In the last 30 years, I've swapped gears in just about every musclecar I've had. I had a '68 Pontiac GTO longer than any other car I've owned and went through 2.56, 3.23, 3.55, and 3.90 gears in that car. Guess which ratio I liked best (3.90's in case you weren't 100% certain). I've owned Mustangs with the following gearsets: 2.73, 3.27, 3.31, 3.50, 3.55, 3.73 (twice), 4.10, 4.30, and 4.56. I believe that entitles me to an opinion about gears as I've tried most every ratio offered.

Every one of my Mustangs have been daily drivers that also saw dragstrip duty, so I research thoroughly before choosing a gearset to be sure that it will be suited for both scenarios. I've decided over the years that I enjoy steep gears much more than lazy freeway gears. Does that make me a moron? And is my input any less important than yours for the OP to consider?

 

3.31's work well on a N/A Coyote auto due to the steep 1st gear, but they are not necessarily the best choice just because you say so. I have an acquaintence (Matt from The Mustang Shop near Seattle, WA) who just put 4.10's in his '13 GT AT and with just a tune, CAI, and DR's ran 11.90's. Before the gears, he was mid 12's. I'd say those 4.10's did wonders for his car. Personally, I think a good converter will do even more good for an auto's ET, but gears are right up there in bang-for-the-buck.

And if you want to know what's fastest, check out the official 1/4 mile ET ranking over at the S197 Forums. The fastest N/A Coyote auto is running 4.10 gears (belongs to Rick at Livernois, FYI). The fastest N/A 4V manual on their listing runs 4.88 gears and #2 runs 4.56 gears. I'm way down the N/A 4V list at #18 from when I still had the 3.73's in my '11 GT manual, but should be moving up the list now that I'm getting some seat time with the 4.56's.

Perhaps just as important as how quick a car is in absolute terms (dyno or track #'s) is how it feels on the street. Considering that most of us drive our Mustangs often (and some of us daily), having a car that feels good is a priority, as well. Adding steeper gears really adds a lot of snap to our car's acceleration. That's because gears are, by definition, a torque-multiplier. Torque is what gets a car moving, so extra torque makes for an entertaining ride. That's also why so many people choose that other torque-multiplier (a roots or twin screw supercharger) even when a good centrifugal blower is usually quicker at the track: we love torque!

 

I have 4.56's in my 98 Cobra and I used to drive it every day. Guess I'm a moron too. And will be going to 4.30's in my 2012 over the winter.

 

Absolutely...and the steeper gears will get you into the meat of the 5.0 powerband almost immediately. The 3.31 only help the stock cars bc we don't have the shift into 5th right after the 1000 ft mark. With the higher gears you are in 5th just after half track and pulling like a freight train.

 

I have an auto with 3.73 and wish I went with 4.10. Although my wheel spin is out of control on launches with the 3.73's

 

Yes I've swapped gears many times myself over the years. Four times alone on my Mach 1. I'm not just your run of the mill shade tree mechanic. I was the first one to put a Whipple on an 03 Mach 1 that was meant for an 03-04 Cobra. Complete writeup on it and I still get PM's/Emails weekly from guys looking for advice on this. And it's been five years.

And lastly need I remind you you were the one complaining your car actually went slower after you installed 4.56's?
http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showt...highlight=4.56

 

You and I have both been members at the Mach 1 Registry for a decade, so I do recognize you from there. A blown car (such as your '03 Mach 1) doesn't need steep gears. The OP's car is N/A, not blown, so what you did on your blown Mach 1 isn't relevant in this discussion. I went with 4.30's in my N/A '03 Mach 1 and loved them.

And that thread I started about the 4.56's ended with my realization that I loved the 4.56's. Much more entertaining around town, much better launches at the track, and a slightly better overall ET, on average. Win, win, win. You really should have read my thread all the way to the end instead of just the first post.

Did you take any time to view the 1/4 mile list at the S197 forums that I referenced above? Again, the fastest N/A 4V's (auto and manual) run steep gears (4.10+): FACT. And, even if the fastest ones weren't 4.10-4.88 geared, the whole point I've been trying to make is that steep gears make these cars really entertaining to drive. I thought the OP would like to hear from people who've had a variety of gears to help him decide what ratio best matches what he prioritizes in his Mustang.

 

I'm well aware of gears and blowers. I had three different blowers on my Mach 1 and four different gears including 4.30's. So please don't act like I don't have any experience. I did read your thread on S197 and even posted in it. And if you remember the advice given by others were to go back to your 3.73's and you'd be faster which you ignored. Yes I've seen the list but we must be looking at different lists. Answer these questions. Have you seen anyone else go with 4.56's? And if gears were the answer then why did you stop at 4.56's? You should have dropped in 5.14's. And have you forgotten the original poster has an auto? You want him to drop in 4.56's with the auto and a 1st gear of 4.17's? Wow.

 

Scott, you're missing the point big time. We all have opinions, and the OP was looking for opinions. I've mentioned that I like big gears. I mentioned that I've seen 4.10's work great in N/A Coyote autos. I've suggested how much fun it is to drive these cars with big gears. Again, just my opinion. You, on the other hand, just seem hellbent on challenging my right to give an opinion and resorted to name calling for no good reason. If people don't agree with you, then you mock them? That's not very productive and I trust the OP and other members don't appreciate your tactics.

How about you & I agree to disagree and part ways friends, Scott. The OP has plenty of opinions now to help decide if gears are a worthwile mod for his intended use of his Coyote.

 

First off. The automatic with 3.15 has a lower effective 1st gear than the MT with 3.73 gears.. Period.... 2nd-3rd gears are very close.

IMHO first gear already blows the tires off, so going any deeper than 3.55 with the automatic is just dumb... You will just spin through 1st gear every time and it will go by so quick it will be useless.

If you plan on adding a bunch of mods down the road id suggest leaving the 3.15 gears because as you start building a lot more power, those 3.15's will work more for you, because you have the TQ to pull them.

Deeper gears is not always better... even for acceleration.

 

Actually not true. 1st gear in auto is about the same as 6sp. with 355s and after that even 331 geared 6 speed has a gearing advantage over a6 car. That being said I just went 12.330 at 114plus in my bone stock 13 gt a6 on the stock 235/50/18s.

 

Is this your daily driver? Do you track it?

Yes, changing gears has the same effect on performance.

 

Thought for the day:

Gears are, by definition, are a torque multiplier. So, if you replace 3.15 gears with 4.10's, that's a 30% increase.

That means that 4.10 gears in an otherwise stock 5.0L GT Automatic with feel like a 5.0L GT Automatic with 3.15 gears that's making 508 lb ft torque (30% more than the stock 390 lb ft).

Doesn't mean the car will be 30% quicker, but it will feel like it.