? about changing gears

[tripleoption]

'00 XLT 5.0 AWD, equipped with 235/75/R15's and 3.55 conventional...I want more acceleration without sacrificing fuel economy too much.

What can you folks tell me about? I'm new to the gear changing process.

Also considering this on my other car. The tires spin like crazy with 2.75 conventional gears (RWD), so I think I need some better tires. I need to research that a bit.

Thanks for any advice, or for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[RiverRat]

Gears are one of the best mods you can make. First thing to do is figure out any other mods such as tires or power adders that would impact your gear choice.

If it were me and I was to keep the same tire size I'd go with a 3.73 with a traction aid. You could pick up some 3.73 gears cheap.

 

[tripleoption]

My horsepower isn't going up drastically any time soon, and my tires are not changing. What's all involved in changing gears with an AWD? How much might this cost at a decent shop? What can I expect in terms of results?
What do you mean by 'traction aid'? My mom in the back seat?

 

[RiverRat]

Well with an AWD you would have to change both front and rear ring and pinions. That could be quite expensive. Around 600-1000 bucks for a shop to do it. The other thing is that 3.55 to 3.73 won't make a big difference.

IMHO, with a 2WD I would get the 3.73 but with AWD I don't think it's worth the money.

Moms make great traction aids depending on the displacement and location in the vehicle.

Since you already have AWD a locker or limited slip might not be much benefit to you depending on your terrain.

What kind of traction problem are you having with the other vehicle? One wheel slipping or both?

 

[tripleoption]

Dammit. I really should have researched this vehicle more before I bought it. That, or I should have never joined this site to learn about all the cool things I can do to my truck.
Yet another mod I can't quite afford. Drilled air box and throttle cable mod drained my piggy bank.
Thanks for the help though. Someday.

 

[tripleoption]

Didn't see that last question. It's both, as best I can tell. It's a 69 Marquis, sitting on flat pavement. I have to fill the tank to the top just to get a hint of traction. A few bodies in the trunk helps too.

Honestly, I'm not sure if it's one or two. I assume two, though.