Best gears for Long Island Mustangs!

[JCCNY]

I apologize in advance for another gear thread. My search showed the last one of any substance was about a year ago and I wanted to solicit opinions more specific to LI driving conditions. I'm in the South shore of Nassau where there's plenty of traffic and not of lot of opportunities to open her up.

As you may have guessed I'm going with 3:73 or 4:10 gears for my 04 GT 5spd. Car is not a DD, about 50% parkway driving and will remain N/A. I've heard of problems with 3:90's, so they're not an option. I'm an old dude (40's) just looking for more fun around town (never race).

Most recommend 4:10's, my concerns are excessive shifting since I hear 3rd gear happens super quick. Also traction - should I swap my "General" tires for ones with more traction?

Another member posted this which concerns me (not the mileage part) "4.10's killed the mileage more than the cams did. im going to swap to 3.73 when i can. 4.10 makes 1st and 2nd gear useless and it sucks on the highway." Bottom line is I'm confident I'd love 3:73's, but not sure if I'd want more or would think 4:10's are too much. Are 3:73's the perfect gear for cruising around LI or go 4:10's and don't look back? Please educate me and try to provide more insight than "4:10's FTW or don't fear the gear." Thanks!!

 

[Chevy_Guy]

I would say 3.73's. 4.10's will make 1st gear useless and in any kind of traffic you will be shifting steady.

 

[Wicked One]

4:10 will give you the best butt dyno feeling, but 1st gear is useless when you get on it. 3:73 will give you an all around great performance and a little more giddy-up for ya. But 4:10's would be great also, much more low end torque.

make sure you get FRPP, not motive, and have them installed properly or they will whine like a bitch.

Just my opinion, I have 3:55's in my 07' but am going F/i so that will be fine, if I were to stay N/A i would drop in some 4:10's.

 

[bobbyoooo]

im cruising in south nassau with 3.73's and i'm loving them and im in traffic alot, although i do have an auto so this might not help

 

[jrmandryck]

I've always thought 4.10's are great in automatics but too steep in manuals. Ive had great experiance with 3.73 in a 5 speed

 

[JCCNY]

Thanks, please keep the opinions coming! I take it that nobody thinks that gears aren't worth it.

I've done the exhaust and intake. Will probably add an MGW shifter and stop there if I can.

 

[Wicked One]

gears are the "best bang for the buck", or "don't fear the gear".

Either set will give you rewards that can be felt.

 

[jrmandryck]

I agree that gears are worth every penny. Just make sure you have a reliable person/shop install them. Obv wicked extreme knows his stuff but my vote for bang for the buck is a tuner

 

[bobbyoooo]

I've always thought 4.10's are great in automatics but too steep in manuals. Ive had great experiance with 3.73 in a 5 speed

i heard that too, but i would like to go to the track eventually and i've heard 4.10's are way to steep

 

[Chuckie B]

i have 3.73's in my 03 5 speed...they def wake the car up but when doing the gears i'd go with a gear & tuner package. i could def feel the difference with the gears and a 93 oct tune...but if i was going 2 stay NA...i might have decided 2 bump up to 4.10's...yah "1st gear is pointless" but when the car actully grabs traction in 2nd. you'll be grinning from ear 2 ear ..either way u'll be happy. it all depends on if u dont mind shifting more often really...u said it's not a DD so just go 4.10's and really wake the car up.
oh and if u really want to get ur full advantage of the gears. a stickier tire is a must...even nitto 555R's are a step up from a normal summer tire...i have them on my car and they hook pretty decent for a higher mile Drag Radial.

 

[JCCNY]

i have 3.73's in my 03 5 speed...they def wake the car up but when doing the gears i'd go with a gear & tuner package. i could def feel the difference with the gears and a 93 oct tune...but if i was going 2 stay NA...i might have decided 2 bump up to 4.10's...yah "1st gear is pointless" but when the car actully grabs traction in 2nd. you'll be grinning from ear 2 ear ..either way u'll be happy. it all depends on if u dont mind shifting more often really...u said it's not a DD so just go 4.10's and really wake the car up.
oh and if u really want to get ur full advantage of the gears. a stickier tire is a must...even nitto 555R's are a step up from a normal summer tire...i have them on my car and they hook pretty decent for a higher mile Drag Radial.

Thanks, is it ok to drive Nittos during all seasons? I think I'll barely take it out in the Winter, but will drive plenty from April-Nov. Any tires available with raised white lettering (I have stock wheels)? I like the old school look.

Mustang Magic will likely do the install, but I was thinking to check out Super Street Performance in Farmingdale. MM guarantees the gears for a year. $50 for speedo recalc, or I can buy a hand held tuner.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[mach1]

Go with the 4.10's. They are a great stop light gear. (if you know what I mean) Mike at Mustang Magic does a great install job. He does them all day long. I guarantee you they will not whine. Go with the motorsports. I currently have 3.73 in my auto. Going back to 4.10's. Just saving my pennies.
NYmustang members also get a discount at MM

 

[mach1]

btw, you could always off-set the gear with a taller tire. Also look into STEEDA shifter.

 

[wildponies]

I have had them all.. here on long Island was the question with all our traffic lights and stop and go all day long on any road......4.10s is the way to go.. my last mustang had 3.73s to tell u the truth I missed my 4.10s so in my fox I have 4.10s and it is an automatic but I am doing a stick conversion over the winter..
4.10s

 

[TBapp3]

I love my 410s and I dont think 1st is that bad...Although I do have a 28inch tall tire!

 

[JCCNY]

Are Nitto's tall enough? Definitely like the look of fat rear tires, preferably with RWL.

Joe at Mustang Magic said he quickly switched from an MGW to Steeda shifter on his Termi, but I've read so many great things about the MGW.

 

[modularmustang]

sometimes with my 4.10s i start in 2nd and go striaght to 4th just to cut down on shifting because im lazy. However when you get on it they are well worth it. So it really depends on the person, ifs its a weekend car and sees NO SNOW (gears+wide tires+snow=zero traction btw lol) then do 4.10s. In fact I kind of want more gear after driving on the 4.10s a bit. Gears dont kill gas mileage, your foot does. Yes you have more rpm but remember that you now need less throttle at that rpm. reports of bad as mileage are reported by people who general have over sized TB's that cant control partial throttle as well as a stock sized TB (one reason why bigger isn't always better in TB's).


When it comes down to if it really is personal preference and you'll never truly no which is best for you til you ride in a stang with different gears or drive one a bit with gears. Ask around the site for people in your area that wouldn't mind giving you a ride i'm sure people would be happy to help.

oh yea, almost forgot, i have an old video of my stang and at the end i compare the stock 2.73's to the 4.10's its a pretty big difference, its at like 3:10ish if you dont want to watch the beginning, haha.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcZ2B73hfmY]YouTube - 1997 Mustang Gt[/ame]

 

[Cobra Esq]

Lived on LI about all my life and have driven both. Your decision is really based on how and when you are driving the car.?

Nassau has lots of stop lights so you will feel the 4:10's, problem is in the next light is 100 yards ahead. The parkways are usually too crowded (you did not say when and in what direction you travel) for any kind of sporty driving and when not crowded, you are noticeably high in the rpms which equals more noise and lower mileage.

On the other hand, if a significant amount of your driving is , and you are willing to put up with ^ ^ ^, then 4:10's are the way to go.

 

[magic maker]

You can't go wrong with either 3.73's or 4.10's. For daily drivers I reccomend 3.73's for weekend cars i go with 4.10's

 

[JCCNY]

Lived on LI about all my life and have driven both. Your decision is really based on how and when you are driving the car.?

Nassau has lots of stop lights so you will feel the 4:10's, problem is in the next light is 100 yards ahead. The parkways are usually too crowded (you did not say when and in what direction you travel) for any kind of sporty driving and when not crowded, you are noticeably high in the rpms which equals more noise and lower mileage.

On the other hand, if a significant amount of your driving is , and you are willing to put up with ^ ^ ^, then 4:10's are the way to go.

Thanks again to everybody for the advice. I try to drive when traffic is minimal (rip up Sunrise Hwy. at 6 AM on occasion). Park/highways are sometimes to South Hampton or East from Merrick in general. I always try to avoid rush hour. I'm going to talk to some dudes at the Captree or Bellmore gatherings, but I don't see a lot of new edge models there.

Mileage is irrelevant and I'm leaning towards 4:10's. My tires are pretty new, but if I have to update the rears so be it. 1st gear is weak with my stock gears, but I actually feel it pulls pretty nice after that. I explored just trading up to an S197, but can't sell that to my wife right now :nono: