Gears

I have 3.55 gears in my '89 LX that has a KB blower. I wouldn't go any steeper and, IMO, I recommend 3.08s or 3.27s. I factory ordered my car and specified the 3.08 optional gears. I probably should have kept them. If you have a manual tranny then you likely have 2.73s. If you have an automatic then they are probably 3.27s or maybe 3.08s and I would leave them alone.

A gear swap runs about $400 including parts and labor. Get is done by someone that knows how to do it or you'll have nothing but trouble. While your at it have them replace the clutch packs in the differential. Yours are like worn down if you stock have the stock differential clutches installed.

Michael Johnson wrote in news:0o2dnWwhmt6ptk_anZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

My '93 AOD came with 2.73s from the factory; I went up to 3.73s with an Auburn and it's perfect IMO. That said, I don't have a blower. The car can run 80mph all day long with no problem. Mileage is between 15 and

As Michael has suggested, 3.55s are probably as numerically high as you'd want to go (especially if you have a stick), given the extra torque courtesy of the KB.

My Auburn is coming up on 10 years now, and it's been perfect. I doubt I could say the same for a rebuilt OEM rear.

You hit the point I failed to make. With a KB blower the low end torque is so great the higher (numerically) gears are not needed and will cause massive wheel spin on launching. The 3.55s are really too much for my taste but not not bad enough to warrant changing them.

The clutches in the OEM differentials do wear over time. New clutch packs are cheap and with the rear end apart it is a good time to replace them. I really like the Torsen differentials as they adjust to give more torque to the wheel with the most traction. It makes them great for carving corners and going in a straight line. They are a little pricey though.

If it's a daily driver used around town, you're not likely to get there any quicker. In fact, if you try, it may take you considerably longer while the traffic cop writes out the ticket. And it's quite possible it's going to cost you more for the change on top of the fine and insurance increase :0) Happy Motoring.