I know things are not supposed to break...but if you have a really torquey motor and they both hook equally hard/well, are you 'more likely' to break something (some gears, burn out the tranny, etc) with say 4.10 gears than 3.31s because more power is being put to the ground so soon/suddenly? Just curious.

Good question, i was thinking about this before. My guess would be the opposite, i would think the smaller the rear axle ratio (longer), the higher the stress on the drivetrain. With higher gears there's less power needed to get the slug moving.
On the other hand you are right by saying that with higher gears you are getting more power to the wheels.
It's tough. graemlins/clonk.gif
Maybe it's like that:
Lower gears (3.31)= more stress on tranny and driveshaft
Higher gears (4.11)= more stress on rear axle

I'm sure there will be some smart guys to enlighten us. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Olli

well trannies and reareends with less numerically gears tend to be stronger due to the teeth count. if you have less teetht the individual teeth become stonger, so your gears would be more prone to break, can't say much about the axles or driveshaft though?

Buddy of mine is captain of a competitive pro mod team ( crew cheif maybe?). Lower rear gearing helps ease the torque stresses on all else, as he claims, and I beleive it.

Oh, Yes you are likely to break more things, especially with a heavy car.

This along with a couple other influential factors is why I run the combo I do and stick with a footbrake. I trans brake really can wreak havoc as well.

Since it is easier to get a car moving with lower (higher number) gears, it stands to reason that the lower gears are easier on parts. As stated, the issue is the smaller, weaker pinion. I have used an 8.2 with 4.56 gears since 1999. It finally gave up last summer (caps moved, taking out the pinion). I'm positive it would not have lasted that long with taller gears. This is with slicks and running in the 11's.

I broke tooth of my 4.11s getting on the onramp. I had just finished adjusting my rollers, set my timing with my gun, instead of my ear...and figured I'd test it on the onramp. Well I took off, and as soon as 2nd kicked, it kicks pretty damn hard, all I heard was a loud bang/clacking sound and it was all over. Luckily I was able to get off the freeway and down to a gas station. I was told that I'd be better off with a 12 bolt, and that I wouldn't have that problem after that. They gearman, that's his name, said to take it easy and let everything break in right. So far so good! graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/beers.gif

Pat Kelly said it right. The lower the number the higher the gear is. The higher the number the lower the gear. Higher number(lower gear)is stronger and less harsh on everything. Just have to beef up componets as needed for the type of driving you do. (Running high or low gears)
If you are runing 331s and leave the line at 5,000 rpms. I would think in a manual shift Chevelle. The clutch would slip or maybe the drive shaft joint would fail.
With 456s at 5,ooorpm launch. The tires should brake loose and or move much quicker than the 331s. If you switch from 331s to 456s. In a 4 speed Chevelle with over 300 + hp. The rpms will come up much faster. You might forget to shift. Very easy to over rev. If you raise kane BEEF UP
Ron

Wow, very interesting, I would have completely thought otherwise.

that's why I love this site, learn something new every day.

if your going to go to 4.10s or 4.11s do a search. the tooth count on the 4.10s is 37-9 and the tooth count on the 4.11s is 41-10. if memory serves the 4.10s are the stronger set up as the teeth are larger. Dave

I'd have to agree with Olli. There is no way that 4.10's are easier on the axles than 3.31's would be.

Peter

I have always heard that if you have good traction, higher gears (lower numerically) are harder on the tranny and u-joints, and lower gears are harder on axles.

I guess my 2.73's are pretty stressful :D
Unless I'm cruising on the highway smile.gif

Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
I guess my 2.73's are pretty stressful :D
Unless I'm cruising on the highway smile.gif Tell me about it! :D

2.73 12 Bolt, but "only" a 400CUI.

Sheetmetal, You got it backwards. 41-10 is exactly 4.10 and 37-9 is 4.11. The 37-9 ratio is more common to Fords and 4.10 is a factory 12 Bolt Chevy gear set. Anyhow there are almost the same numerically. The're may be some aftermarket gearsets of the 37-9 for the 12 bolt and i don't which are stronger in the chevy type. The Ford rear end gear set is supported on both ends of the pinion gear which makes it less prone to spreading under load but the standard axles are weaker and only have 28 splines.

Think of it as a time event, load over time. Would the numerically higher ratio still give less torque loads on the axles? The horsepower ( which is a constant force in this discussion)moves the car more easily.

Naw, I think the axles, which are succumbing to rotational forces as well, are worked harder the faster the axles accerlerate. Maybe big gear head or someone can chime in.

IMO more stress is placed on driveline components when SHOCKING it such as with a manual trans, with a higher (lower numerically) gear ratio. To prove it, put sticky slicks on a 4 speed trans car and rev it to 6000 and dump the clutch in first gear from a standing start. The car will probably launch like crazy (if nothing breaks). There will probably be at least a small amount of tire slippage too (and possibly a little clutch). Then try it in 4th gear again from a standing start. I'd be willing to bet either the clutch will slip badly or something will break. Something has to give. In the 1st gear launch, it's the car moving. In the 4th gear launch the car won't move quickly so something else has to give. I don't think the same thing would hold true with an automatic because of convertor slippage and the fact the engine rpm is held down.

Originally posted by Harold Sutton:
Sheetmetal, You got it backwards. 41-10 is exactly 4.10 and 37-9 is 4.11. The 37-9 ratio is more common to Fords and 4.10 is a factory 12 Bolt Chevy gear set. Not tryin to challenge your knowledge or anything, but I think that sounds kinda weird to me. I've got a buddy who is a die hard Ford guy, who knows his stuff really good. He's always talked about 4.10s being in Fords and is what he's going to put in his Cobra....unless different rear end sizes cause the difference between 4.10 and 4.11s...not that there's a huge difference or anything. Also, my 91 Camaro, whom I bought off a friend of mine, had 4.11s installed in it, just like my Chevelle, which has a 10 bolt, has 4.11s. Just curious, unless I've somehow screwed everything up and got my info mixed, that's what I knew about them. :confused:

I thought about this all the time when I used to race with the 4-speed. I think a numerically higher gear would be harder on your spider gears, axles & wheel studs. Numerically lower would be harder on everthing else(clutch, ujoints, trans ect).

Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
I guess my 2.73's are pretty stressful :D
Unless I'm cruising on the highway smile.gif It's pretty fun when it comes to the open freeway and somebody thinks they can out run you. That speedo just keeeeeeps climbing! graemlins/waving.gif :D

my mistake. yes the 41-10 is the 4.10. the point i was trying to make was the tooth count being differnent (so ive heard) makes for a little stronger gears set on one or the other set of gears. like i said do a search and see if theres any truth to it. Dave

Originally posted by Jason_67_Beaumont:
I thought about this all the time when I used to race with the 4-speed. I think a numerically higher gear would be harder on your spider gears, axles & wheel studs. Numerically lower would be harder on everthing else(clutch, ujoints, trans ect). Thats right. graemlins/thumbsup.gif everything after the ring and pinion (spiders, axles, wheel studs, carrier, tires) is seeing the engine torque multiplied by the gear ratio. (this is assuming that the car hooks). So with a numerically higher gear, you are putting more torque to those items.

Its the shocking force of the higher (numerical )gears vs the lower (numerical)gears that does the damage. All you have to do is foot brake a automatic with a 3.31 gear and then transbrake it. With the same rear gear you have a greater chance of breaking with a transbrake.

Regardless of the rear gear the driveshaft is only going to see what the engine torque and trans puts thru it. The only components that see the rear gear multiplication are those after the rear gear.

The higher numerical gear applies the force to the wheels quicker causing shock waves thru everything more violently than the lower ones assuming everything else is the same.

Todd