3.45 gears... worth the money?

[JonnyG2132]

Im looking for my next upgrade and I think 3.45 gears might be on the list. Does it wake the car up a lot? im assuming so since we have crappy 2.92s in there now. Are they worth the money?

[youngrushhour]

Absolutely.

[travis gore]

yes,it will get rid of the drone.lol You will need some type of tuning software (HP Tuners or EFI live) to adjust the shift points and speedo. I am looking for the write up that Charlie did,be right back

http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?t=16755&highlight=3.45+diff+install

[Devilish34]

The car feels lighter with the 3.45s in it....And I beat my pb from last year(36* day) 3Xs so far on days with warmer temps(76*-80*).

[JonnyG2132]

awesome.I think i might go that route then. good for 2 tenths maybe? I was thinking that or heads. They will be right around the same price for parts and labor when all said and done.

[TomPierce]

Gears are one of my first changes to almost any car (after headers and exhaust). I previously had another big, heavy car ('94 Impala SS) and going from 2.73 to 3.42 definitely woke that baby up. (I actually went to 3.73s originally, but that was too much gear for a daily driver).

I'm still waiting for the prices to come down before I change the gears in this car. I guess the days of $200 gears and $100 to install them are long gone :(

[JonnyG2132]

Gears are one of my first changes to almost any car (after headers and exhaust). I previously had another big, heavy car ('94 Impala SS) and going from 2.73 to 3.42 definitely woke that baby up. (I actually went to 3.73s originally, but that was too much gear for a daily driver).

I'm still waiting for the prices to come down before I change the gears in this car. I guess the days of $200 gears and $100 to install them are long gone :(

haha ya no kidding.

[Devilish34]

awesome.I think i might go that route then. good for 2 tenths maybe? I was thinking that or heads. They will be right around the same price for parts and labor when all said and done.

.2-.3...... I'm running on 80* days what I ran on 50* nights last year. I'm looking fwd to a good cool night to see what it does.

[JonnyG2132]

ok i think i def want to go that route then. did it take awhile to get the tuning down? Im having New Era tune the car so im sure it will come out perfect. just curious?

[Devilish34]

ok i think i def want to go that route then. did it take awhile to get the tuning down? Im having New Era tune the car so im sure it will come out perfect. just curious?

Street tuning it is easy....To get it where Charlie and I were happy with it at the track it took a while..I can't remember exactly how many but close to 30 logged runs and a lot of his time.

[GeorgeInNePa]

The gears also work well with your converter. It will feel like it has the stock converter in it.

Until you mash the gas...

[JonnyG2132]

This! Love the 3.45's! Huge gain in feel and makes 3rd and 4th much better for street runs. Works at the track too if your into that type of thing. Stock diff is gonna go out eventually might as well upgrade...

Just another reason to go with gears. You guys have been a big help. Thanks!

[Devilish34]

I should of worked on that commission deal with Greg last year.

[wyldman]

Gears are one of my first changes to almost any car (after headers and exhaust). I previously had another big, heavy car ('94 Impala SS) and going from 2.73 to 3.42 definitely woke that baby up. (I actually went to 3.73s originally, but that was too much gear for a daily driver).

I'm still waiting for the prices to come down before I change the gears in this car. I guess the days of $200 gears and $100 to install them are long gone :(


What about 3.27's ? Ever feel the 3.45's are too much? There are a couple of 3.27's on Ebay right now but I'm not sure they would be worth the time and effort (their not cheap used either).

[Devilish34]

IMO no but thats me......

[JonnyG2132]

I have heard from a few people that the 3.27s are not that much of a difference from stock

[wyldman]

I have heard from a few people that the 3.27s are not that much of a difference from stock

Yea. Thats what I'm afraid of.

[wreckwriter]

Yea, not much different as far as feel. Et improvement for sure. 3.45 good if staying close to stock tire height. If going anywhere near 28" go 3.70

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[JonnyG2132]

I was either going to do a 275/45/18 or 275/40/17 for the drag radials. Would getting a pair of GTO 17" rims help a lot or wouldnt it be worth the money? I was either going to get the GTO rims and have a 17" dr for the track and keep my stock street tires for daily driving or i was just going to get 18" DRs like i normally do and drive with them all the time

[Mike P]

I'm really considering doing the 3.45 gears, as I think it would help my 1/4 mile time........ (even with using street tires.....)

I really need to contact Vector Motorsports though, because I'll need to get retuned locally after the gear swap.... and the whole LS2 Edit, HP Tuner, EFI Live non compatable deal........


* Also, will this help me out ya think? (the 3.45 gears)

Cost would be like...... I think.....

$1100 for the 3.45 diff part
$300-500 for the labor

Is this estimate about right?



Input? Any other advice? (besides for me to use drag radials....)



...

[-Ray-]

I was either going to do a 275/45/18 or 275/40/17 for the drag radials. Would getting a pair of GTO 17" rims help a lot or wouldnt it be worth the money? I was either going to get the GTO rims and have a 17" dr for the track and keep my stock street tires for daily driving or i was just going to get 18" DRs like i normally do and drive with them all the time

I think the idea is to get as much side wall as you can get.

[-Ray-]

I'm really considering doing the 3.45 gears, as I think it would help my 1/4 mile time........ (even with using street tires.....)

I really need to contact Vector Motorsports though, because I'll need to get retuned locally after the gear swap.... and the whole LS2 Edit, HP Tuner, EFI Live non compatable deal........


* Also, will this help me out ya think? (the 3.45 gears)

Cost would be like...... I think.....

$1100 for the 3.45 diff part
$300-500 for the labor

Is this estimate about right?



Input? Any other advice? (besides for me to use drag radials....)



...

Mike, you're in a tough spot. You can still do the email tunes from Kirk after a gear swap, but it may take quite a bit of time to nail down the shift points. You might want to see if Kirk will unlock your tune, so you can find someone locally. How long you going to be there?

[JonnyG2132]

I think the idea is to get as much side wall as you can get.

So does that mean I should get 17 inch gto rims and DRs or stick with 18 inch stock rims and DRs? Sorry that i dont get it

[-Ray-]

So does that mean I should get 17 inch gto rims and DRs or stick with 18 inch stock rims and DRs? Sorry that i dont get it

It depends on what you want. Look at the cars that are top 25 in the 1/4 mile list and see what tires and wheels they are using.

[Devilish34]

I think the idea is to get as much side wall as you can get.

^This but don't go too tall or you'll eat up what the gears give you...

[JonnyG2132]

i guess my main question is this... would it be worth it to buy 17" GTO riims for 220.00 or should i save my money?

[Devilish34]

i guess my main question is this... would it be worth it to buy 17" GTO riims for 220.00 or should i save my money?

I would go with a 9" rim min(I believe the GTO is a 8.5).....

And I'll post my opinion of a 27" tire one I run on a not so hot day.....

[JonnyG2132]

Ok thanks cause i was about to purchase them. so i guess ill save my money

[-Ray-]

The GTO's are 8" I just bought two for $120.

[youngrushhour]

The GTO rims are perfect for what you want. Trust me. I've been running them for 3 years now (on my old GTO and now on the G8). They are great.

They should cost ~$50-70 max. Anyone selling them higher is full of shit. Check LS1GTO for cheap GTO rims.

Trust me. Go this route. Either that or getting some Race Star's or something.

[JonnyG2132]

The GTO's are 8" I just bought two for $120.

oh wow really? good thing i didnt spend 220 then

[youngrushhour]

oh wow really? good thing i didnt spend 220 then

Like I said, check LS1GTO.com for rims. They are ALWAYS on sale in the for sale section.

[G8-4-Speed]

Im looking for my next upgrade and I think 3.45 gears might be on the list. Does it wake the car up a lot? im assuming so since we have crappy 2.92s in there now. Are they worth the money?

I have cut a 1.68 60ft using nitrous and a stock converter with 3.45's.

[fiveoh]

Bumping an old thread.

Whats an approx cost for the camaro 3:45 + labor?

Also for those that have done it, how bad did it hurt your gas mileage?

[13 QTR]

What about 3.27's ? Ever feel the 3.45's are too much? There are a couple of 3.27's on Ebay right now but I'm not sure they would be worth the time and effort (their not cheap used either).

Damn....just saw this thread.......seeing how I have the 3.27's.......I guess I need to respond. For me.....I like the 3.27's and feel the 3.45's would be to much......even now 1st is useless on the street at anything over 60% throttle. I ran the car with stock gears and ran a 13.2.....changed and went back and ran 12.7.......so for me it was worth 0.5 at the track.
As for the gto rim thing.....that's what I run with a bfg 275/40 dr.......cut's 1.6 60'......not bad for a 2 ton pig. On the top end....with stock gears it was around 1900rpms at 80.....now it's around 2300rpms....not real bad....
I haven't even looked at prices now(ebay).....it cost me $1350 shipped to my door for the new diff pumpkin...and $100 for the install.......having friends with a lift is nice.....just helped pay for his time....

[wyldman]

Damn....just saw this thread.......seeing how I have the 3.27's.......I guess I need to respond. For me.....I like the 3.27's and feel the 3.45's would be to much......even now 1st is useless on the street at anything over 60% throttle. I ran the car with stock gears and ran a 13.2.....changed and went back and ran 12.7.......so for me it was worth 0.5 at the track.
As for the gto rim thing.....that's what I run with a bfg 275/40 dr.......cut's 1.6 60'......not bad for a 2 ton pig. On the top end....with stock gears it was around 1900rpms at 80.....now it's around 2300rpms....not real bad....
I haven't even looked at prices now(ebay).....it cost me $1350 shipped to my door for the new diff pumpkin...and $100 for the install.......having friends with a lift is nice.....just helped pay for his time....


Thanks 13 QTR. Thats some good info. 0.5 at the track is well worth it imo.

[JonnyG2132]

5 tenths with 3.27s?? I havent even heard 3.45s doing that much. The most i have heard was 2-3 tenths.

[JonnyG2132]

The gears gave me .1 at best. But its worth it since the car is more drivable and much easier to 60'.

thats truely amazing that going from 2.92 to 3.45 only gave you a tenth? seems like it would help so much more. so how would 3.45 help gain 1 tenth and 3.27 help gain 5 tenths?

[wnt2gofst]

thats truely amazing that going from 2.92 to 3.45 only gave you a tenth? seems like it would help so much more. so how would 3.45 help gain 1 tenth and 3.27 help gain 5 tenths?

Could be a few things. Better track prep help him launch lowering his et. Cooler weather again better. Better da as result of cooler weather. Less humidity in the air.


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[13 QTR]

Could be a few things. Better track prep help him launch lowering his et. Cooler weather again better. Better da as result of cooler weather. Less humidity in the air.


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alot of reasons.......the mods on the car,power levels and rpm settings.. I only had intake& a tune at that point. Seems it helps a car alot the closer it is to stock....
Once your pushing alot of power....you get into serious traction and suspension issues......

[GeorgeInNePa]

thats truely amazing that going from 2.92 to 3.45 only gave you a tenth? seems like it would help so much more. so how would 3.45 help gain 1 tenth and 3.27 help gain 5 tenths?

I'm not sure that the DA was taken into account on the 5 tenths.

As far as what gears will be the best, you need to know a few details.

What RPM, in what gear, are you going through the traps now and is it realistic? By that I mean, are you leaving at the RPM you should be and are you getting traction. If you are getting 2.09s for the 60' and the car should be getting 1.71, it's going to change the location of the car on the track at the 3-4 shift. Also, where is your power peak?

[Devilish34]

alot of reasons.......the mods on the car,power levels and rpm settings.. I only had intake& a tune at that point. Seems it helps a car alot the closer it is to stock....
Once your pushing alot of power....you get into serious traction and suspension issues......

You had a stock converter then too.... Seems most with cam/heads/stall ect have only picked up a tenth maybe a little more

[Devilish34]

I'm not sure that the DA was taken into account on the 5 tenths.

As far as what gears will be the best, you need to know a few details.

What RPM, in what gear, are you going through the traps now and is it realistic? By that I mean, are you leaving at the RPM you should be and are you getting traction. If you are getting 2.09s for the 60' and the car should be getting 1.71, it's going to change the location of the car on the track at the 3-4 shift. Also, where is your power peak?

It never is.....

[JonnyG2132]

I'm not sure that the DA was taken into account on the 5 tenths.

As far as what gears will be the best, you need to know a few details.

What RPM, in what gear, are you going through the traps now and is it realistic? By that I mean, are you leaving at the RPM you should be and are you getting traction. If you are getting 2.09s for the 60' and the car should be getting 1.71, it's going to change the location of the car on the track at the 3-4 shift. Also, where is your power peak?

Right now I am getting consistent 1.7's with drag radials. I am leaving it in third and crossing around 6700 rpms, which is a little high. my power band goes until around 6300-6400 rpms. I was going to put a taller tire on so that i would cross at a more manageable rpm but now im going to get either 3.27 or 3.45 gears depending on what you guys think

[GeorgeInNePa]

Right now I am getting consistent 1.7's with drag radials. I am leaving it in third and crossing around 6700 rpms, which is a little high. my power band goes until around 6300-6400 rpms. I was going to put a taller tire on so that i would cross at a more manageable rpm but now im going to get either 3.27 or 3.45 gears depending on what you guys think

Do you have any dyno sheets you can post?

What are your shift points and the height of your rear tires?

[Daniel Linnett]

hmmm.....where is the best place to buy the 3.45. That is what I had in the GTO and most of them would go to 3.91s. I was always pushing enough power that the 3.45 made more sense. Do the camaro diffs fit? what is the cheapest solution to this. I can do the labor just wondering on best place to source one.

[wnt2gofst]

hmmm.....where is the best place to buy the 3.45. That is what I had in the GTO and most of them would go to 3.91s. I was always pushing enough power that the 3.45 made more sense. Do the camaro diffs fit? what is the cheapest solution to this. I can do the labor just wondering on best place to source one.

Greg@paceperfomance


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[GeorgeInNePa]

hmmm.....where is the best place to buy the 3.45. That is what I had in the GTO and most of them would go to 3.91s. I was always pushing enough power that the 3.45 made more sense. Do the camaro diffs fit? what is the cheapest solution to this. I can do the labor just wondering on best place to source one.


Greg@paceperfomance


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And yes, it's the Camaro diff.

With the torque from the maggie, you may not need 3.45s

[Tempest2000]

A car with a stock converter should see bigger gains than a car with a higher stall with the same gear. My $.02 and that's really worth $.0000001 :)

[edmanet]

Right now I am getting consistent 1.7's with drag radials. I am leaving it in third and crossing around 6700 rpms, which is a little high. my power band goes until around 6300-6400 rpms. I was going to put a taller tire on so that i would cross at a more manageable rpm but now im going to get either 3.27 or 3.45 gears depending on what you guys think

Why would you keep the car in 3rd ??? I have a 26" tall tire with a 3.27 diff and I cross the line
in 4th at 6200rpm.

[JonnyG2132]

Do you have any dyno sheets you can post?

What are your shift points and the height of your rear tires?

Ya i will post it up. I was running stock street tires. i was normally running Nitto INVO tires that are a half in taller

The paint shows my newest numbers after going from A 3000 stall to a 3400 stall and advancing the cam 4 degrees. i know its ugly. i have been told. Either way I ran a 12.2 with it looking like this :)
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt352/JonnyG2132/Thisyearaftercamandportedintakemanifoldand4degress advance.jpg

[JonnyG2132]

Why would you keep the car in 3rd ??? I have a 26" tall tire with a 3.27 diff and I cross the line
in 4th at 6200rpm.

I would always run it in 3rd and then i read most people would let it go into 4th. so i told mike to tune it so i would go into 4th. well on back to back runs i had the same 60 foot and i ran in 4th and 3rd and i ran a tenth faster in 3rd.

[Devilish34]

Last year on 11/6/09 I made a run with the stock gears on a night that was about 10* cooler than last night.
11.870 @ 116.74 1.76 60'
link to post with slip (http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?t=153&p=168862&viewfull=1#post168862)

Last night I bested that time on similar track conditions with a 11.615@118.84--1.679'.
The only changes to the car other than gears is an elec wp,race axles, toe rods, trailing arms and used Roys tires. I don't know what if anything the pump added(other than weight about 5lbs) but I didn't do it for a HP gain. Also all the suspension parts, axles weigh more too(about 28 lbs ).

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h171/devilish34/bbb887f7.jpg

[edmanet]

^^^^ And he let it shift into 4th.......

That time was all rim....LMAO

[JonnyG2132]

well i dont get it then. cause i went much slower when i was in 4th

[Devilish34]

well i dont get it then. cause i went much slower when i was in 4th

I shift into 5th after I go through the traps

[edmanet]

well i dont get it then. cause i went much slower when i was in 4th

Me neither....I will say with the 2.92 diff I ran 11.95 and let it shift into 4th. I've never held 3rd.

[JonnyG2132]

Why would you keep the car in 3rd ??? I have a 26" tall tire with a 3.27 diff and I cross the line
in 4th at 6200rpm.

what are your shift points at?

[JonnyG2132]

Me neither....I will say with the 2.92 diff I ran 11.95 and let it shift into 4th. I've never held 3rd.

hmm maybe i should give 4th another shot and make sure my shift points are on par. Are you guys thinking i should get 3.45s over 3.27s?