Hi:
The rear end gears in my '64 1/2 are far too high ratio for my taste. The engine's revving higher than I am comfortable with at as little as
50 mph. My father put the gears in originally and I remember quite clearly him saying that they were 4.11's. That would seem about right considering the low end power the car has, but not consistent with his nature (I can't imagine why he would put street gears in it). I would prefer something more comfortable, since I would never race the car, or anything similar. This weekend I grabbed another rear end my father had lying around.
The problem is, now he doesn't seem sure at all about the history. He claims now that maybe the gears in it are the original 2.73's, and maybe it's the non-original tranny (apparently pulled out of a Granada) that leads to the high low end gearing. My knowledge of this is limited, so I have no idea how reasonable that would be.
The question: is there a way to determine the ratio on the gears currently in the car, without pulling things apart (e.g., are there markings or something)? Furthermore, am I right to assume I will be able to determine the ratio on both the new and old gears simply by counting splines (pretty sure, but why not ask)?
Thanks.