ALot depends on tire size..cam selection etc..4:10's are good for drag racing but 3:73 are better for the street..4:88 will really buzz the motor in the traps

 

So what your saying is I will need the 4.10 for the best in 1/4. I will be going up against my cousin's 440 this fall.
I am still debating auto or manual etc..

 

Im running a 4.88 in my 427 chevelle.I cross the line around 7000-7200 with 29 inch tires.I am running a 3 speed auto in mine.IN my 69 chevelle I have a 4.56 and figure I will be shifting it at 6200 with same size tire.From what I have seen on here most people seem to recommend a 3.73 or 4.10 for the big block cars.I personally like to gear my cars alittle.But I never go out of town with mine so I dont have to have a middle of the road gear so that it fits cruising and strip also.IN my first 69 I ran a 427 4 speed with a 4.88 gear.I had a 3.73 in it first and the 4.88 was faster in the 1/4.YOu have to decide what you want to do with the car.A 4.10 gear is a good all around gear with a 28 inch tire you could drive it on the highway if you had to.I have no idea what your rpm range is so if you are at your redline with the 4.10 going with a 4.56 or lower probably isnt going to do you any good.I cant imagine you would run faster with a 3.73 gear in your car though.There are alot of guys on these forums that probably have a combo close to yours.See what they are running with their cars. good luck with the mopar

 

We really need a lot more info to make an informed guess. I ran 4.33's behind a 427 with 500HP and a 30.5 tall tire. That means nothing to your setup without knowing your combination or your cousins!

 

In my 1969 Chevelle SS396 we had a 454 450 h.p in it with 4.88 gears 12 bolt posi, and we would get up to 60mph really quick about 0-60 in 3-4 seconds we have a M21 close ratio in it. Hey if you get Lakewood ladder bars it helps with the amount of wheelhop and it hooks up better thats what we have on the 69. I would go with a manual trans or if you want to go fast get a automatic powerglide 2 speed tranny.

 

dale, you'd have to tell us your engine specs. if you don't have enough lower end strength or horsepower, lower gears might actually be a bad thing for you. if you have a bullet proof motor producing 550-600 horses, you'd probably want 4.56:1 or even 4.88. if your motor is a cast crank, stock rods, 2 bolt main with 400 horsepower, you'd probably get better 1/4 times with something like a 3.55 or 3.73; 4.88's would leave you 'out of motor' before you were at the line with only 400HP. likewise, a bone stock lower end is not the best thing if you want to turn 7000 rpms.

 

If your running out of RPM's before the end of the 1/4, You need to drop the gears a little. If your close to the end when your RPM's peak, Go with a 3.90 gear.
Another option would be a set of 3.73's and a 100 shot plate system. If he starts to catch you on the big end. Pull the trigger in high gear.

 

Here check this out. It is part of the Team Chevelle site....http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/bbcombo/ugb445.cgi Hope that helps!

 

Why all the steep gear? My mild 454 runs mid/low 12's with 3.31 gears on DOT tires thru the exhaust.
3.31's also make it real easy to pass someone on the highway when they have 4.10's
But,with that mind, a 427 has a shorter stroke and will like more gear than a 454,but you want to be able to drive the car and not sacrifice any real performance...too bad the M22 gear ratios suck..something like a 2.88 first coupled with 3.73's would be a terror.
With that in mind,3.73's (even w/o the steep first gear I mentioned) would be the best compromise.

 

I run a 3.73 gear behind my 427. For my application (doug nash 5-speed), it is about right, but could be a little deeper. A 3.90 or 4.10 would be a good gear for me in the 1/4 mile (with a 30" tall tire).
I feel that 3.73-4.10 range would be good for you. Frankly, you may be traction limited and a 4.10 would only make you slower. How does your car hook now?
I have been beaten by cars with much less power than mine because my competition spent their money on chassis set-up. What good is 500hp if your chassis can only handle 300hp?
Spend your money making that car of yours HOOK and go straight.
You may do better than you think against that 440....especially if he is spinning and you are not.

 

I have a 66 chevelle with a 425HP 396 and a tremec TKO 5speed. Its the 500 model so it has a 3:27 first gear ratio. I had a set of 4:10s out back in a 12 bolt posi and ran a very small 25.5" tall tire. I ran it down the 1/4 mile and never ran out of power and hit about 5600 rpm at the end. Now I put on a set of 28" tall DRs and change out the gears to 4:56 and according to some RPM calculators I should be at about 5900 RPM @ the same MPH which is fine as my 396 still makes good power up top. Next year Im building a 500+HP 427 for my 66. It will be a forged rotating assembly and I think the 4:56 will be perfect for this combo with a 7000rpm motor.I will let you know how it goes. Only thing is
1st gear will be interesting.

There is a guy on the NW forum with a 69 chevelle with a 427 and a muncie that ran 10.6 @127 with 4:56 gears.

 

Thanks Guy's for all of your input. It helps out a whole bunch I'll let you know how the big match up turns out

 

Find out your peak HP RPM. Leave the 4.10s in and go to the track. Note RPM through the traps. Gear accordingly. :yes:

Oh yeah..M22! :thumbsup: