My last truck had a 6 speed with no 1 to 1 and a 3.73 rear gear which was ok but I didn’t really like. My newest has a 10 speed with 7th being 1-1 which makes more sense. It has 3.55’s in the rear but with 3 OD’s I should have ordered 3.73’s again but didn’t. I never tow my 20’ enclosed trailer any higher than 7th and I can lock out the top 3 on the shifter.
Driveshaft speed wont wear out or hurt a driveshaft. Unless the driveshaft has some crazy angles, or is improperly balanced, it shouldn't even know the difference between 2000 rpm's and 4000 rpm's. But your engine and response feel will certainly know the difference between 2.73 and 3.73 rear gears.
It seems to be forgotten that the original question was about having the engine at the same speed in highest gear, and which was a better way to achieve it - with an overdrive and a high numerical rear end, or with a 1:1 high gear and a low numerical rear end.
It really is quite simple, at least I think so. I have always liked a wide gear spread to make the car do what I want. I like good stoplight take off, and hate a screaming engine on the highway. Back in the days of 3 speed manual gear boxes, and manufacturers building things the CHEAPEST way possible, the easiest way to do that was adding an extra planetary on the back of the 20 Zillion 3spd boxes out there. When most of these designs came into being, the Interstate highway system wasnt built yet, and the two-lane speed limits were low. A car would spend nearly all its life below 50 mph with short runs of max 55-60 because there were very few places to do such things. If you want to easily adapt them for higher speeds, just add a gear as cheaply as you can. Now that decades later it is even more popular to want a take-off gear and a tall traveling gear in the same car, engineers understand that there are a hundred ways to skin a cat. Sent from my SM-G981V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I once put a 2.75 first gear set into a Turbo 400 with a excellent coupling 13" custom converter designed for this set up. The rear end ratio was 2.56:1.. This really worked well especially with Rhoads lifters taking duration out of the 300/316 cam shaft. The issue was the noise. Those lifters were so noisy my ears hurt after a long drive.. This was in a 64 Bonneville with a updated suspension that could handle very high speeds.. I was running 8 degrees positive caster.. Before I installed the above turbo 400 I had a 4 speed hydro. This transmission had no torque converter but had a fluid coupling and had a first gear of 3.97:1. with a final ratio of 1:1.. Those fluid couplings lock up almost as well as a clutch.. Out of both set ups I liked the old hydro. When I would nail the gas going 30 mph all hell would brake loose when that tranny would hit 3.97:1 with no converter slip and automatically bang through the gears till I was going 150-160 mph if I wanted.. I was always afraid the windows would blow out going that fast. This get real quiet when going that fast and it almost seems like your just going 30-40 mph.. But the tach said 4500 rpm so you do the math, tire were 28" diameter. I was using Z rated Firestone PV-41 in 225/70r15. They were good for 150 mph. If you look at the one photo of the bell crank, I put an extra ball put on it to change the linkage ratio. This really snapped things up.. I had a lot of fun with this car but the 69 el Camino I have now is a lot of fun too lol...
They sure did, that were designed by the Dames of Design... GM had the sense to have women design the colors and fabric textures for there interior.. Notice the wine chiller in the arm rest.. LOL
Good friend had a '64 Bonneville with the 421 4bbl engine, 8 lug alloy wheels, and 4 speed manual. This was around '67-'68. That thing had a fantastic top end, plumb scary! Would totally bury speedo needle!
Yep, one of my friends back in 1969 had a 1966 Catalina 389 auto! Not real fast, but rode great, looked great, and I loved the dash, seats, just all the interior! Another friend had a 64 goat, it was fast and pertty! Pontiac had it going on! And I’m a Ford guy! Lol Bones
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