What Ratio Should I Change the Chevelle to?

[Dwn4BassAlan]

what ever you decide, don't go back to who installed your clutch. your clutch should last much, much longer than a year.

No, it wasn't installer error, it was a combo of things. It's my daily driver, (about 30 miles a day average) all through the hills, city, neighborhoods. Nothing but stop and go on a 2.73 gear ratio with a heavy system in the back............ I used that clutch as much as it would be if it was in there for 5 years.

If anything the steeper ratio is going to make your clutch wear faster. I'm guessing your premature failure has to do with your driving habits more than anything else. How many miles did you put on the clutch?

Do you ride the clutch a lot while driving? Stand on it while at a light? Use it to slow you down? Also do you downshift while slowing and use the trans to help you stop? Use it told hold you in place at a hill stop? These are all things that can wear a clutch out fast. If you haven't upgraded the clutch now would be a wise time to do so since you plan on changing the gear.

I also think you should do these things yourself. you are smart enough to design and build a bad ass sub you should be able handle these 2 jobs yourself. you would be surprised how easy a rearend and clutch job is. should take you no more than a day or 2 if your inexperienced.

How does that make sense? It would require less RPM's to get moving, so less wear on the clutch trying to take off. And I don't do any of those things with the clutch. I only stand on it for a few seconds at most between lights, but not much more than that.

[Jessica]

Standing on the clutch at a light would just wear out the throw out bearing if im not mistaken.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

what ever you decide, don't go back to who installed your clutch. your clutch should last much, much longer than a year.

No, it wasn't installer error, it was a combo of things. It's my daily driver, (about 30 miles a day average) all through the hills, city, neighborhoods. Nothing but stop and go on a 2.73 gear ratio with a heavy system in the back............ I used that clutch as much as it would be if it was in there for 5 years.

If anything the steeper ratio is going to make your clutch wear faster. I'm guessing your premature failure has to do with your driving habits more than anything else. How many miles did you put on the clutch?

Do you ride the clutch a lot while driving? Stand on it while at a light? Use it to slow you down? Also do you downshift while slowing and use the trans to help you stop? Use it told hold you in place at a hill stop? These are all things that can wear a clutch out fast. If you haven't upgraded the clutch now would be a wise time to do so since you plan on changing the gear.

I also think you should do these things yourself. you are smart enough to design and build a bad ass sub you should be able handle these 2 jobs yourself. you would be surprised how easy a rearend and clutch job is. should take you no more than a day or 2 if your inexperienced.

How does that make sense? It would require less RPM's to get moving, so less wear on the clutch trying to take off. And I don't do any of those things with the clutch. I only stand on it for a few seconds at most between lights, but not much more than that.

Just trying to offer you some advice you don't want to take it that's totally up to you. With the steeper gear ratio your going to be higher in the power band at all times equals more stress on entire drivetrain. How many miles did you put on the clutch? I understand that your using more rpm's to get moving with the gear you have now than you would be if you switched. I am also telling you for sure that changing that ratio is going to make you drive the car a lot harder than you do now so you will be working the clutch harder at all times not just launch. It's also going to be harder on your axles, driveshaft, Motor mounts and trans. Faster acceleration equals more drivetrain stress plain and simple unless your spinning the tires then your allowing all the energy to escape the drivetrain.

Also I'm not trying to say you drive wrong or anything like that but trust me your driving habits are what wore your clutch prematurely not your rear end. Do you drive with your foot on the clutch pedal? if you do every time you move it even a little bit your wearing down the clutch. Trust me just pay attention when you drive I guarantee your doing some of the things I asked you about without even realizing it. Again I'm not trying to say you don't know what your doing but most people do these things without even noticing they do it especially people who are new to a manual.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

Standing on the clutch at a light would just wear out the throw out bearing if im not mistaken.

You are correct. It also puts pressure on the pressure plate causing stress to it as well which really shouldn't matter they should outlast the friction material by a long shot. But if they are both old and worn already it can start to cause issues.

[Jessica]

I have to disagree on more stress from a lower gear. Should be less stress. But more stress on everything after the pinion gear. But before that it would be less because it would take less energy to do the same work. But it could cause more wear on the transmission and engine from higher rpm.

That being said running that v8 at 3000rpm all day should not hurt it one bit if it is put together right.

Just my two cents.

Just to clarify, we are talking about two different things here. Wear and stress.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

I have to disagree on more stress from a lower gear. Should be less stress. But more stress on everything after the pinion gear. But before that it would be less because it would take less energy to do the same work. But it could cause more wear on the transmission and engine from higher rpm.

That being said running that v8 at 3000rpm all day should not hurt it one bit if it is put together right.

Just my two cents.

Just to clarify, we are talking about two different things here. Wear and stress.

True wear and stress are two totally different things. Most people that install bigger gear ratio tend to drive the car a lot harder than they did before. Especially when they get that rush from the takeoff and get addicted to it. Now I'm not saying he will I don't know how he drives he could baby the car and not launch it hard or race it at all but if he chooses to it's for sure going to be stressful the car. Not that he's more likely to break things than he would be now I can't say for sure because I don't know how he is going to drive it. Plus many other factors come into play when your talking about drivetrain stress such as traction. Just trying to give him some helpful advice. If have been through all of this with my own cars so just trying to help.

[Dwn4BassAlan]

what ever you decide, don't go back to who installed your clutch. your clutch should last much, much longer than a year.

No, it wasn't installer error, it was a combo of things. It's my daily driver, (about 30 miles a day average) all through the hills, city, neighborhoods. Nothing but stop and go on a 2.73 gear ratio with a heavy system in the back............ I used that clutch as much as it would be if it was in there for 5 years.

If anything the steeper ratio is going to make your clutch wear faster. I'm guessing your premature failure has to do with your driving habits more than anything else. How many miles did you put on the clutch?

Do you ride the clutch a lot while driving? Stand on it while at a light? Use it to slow you down? Also do you downshift while slowing and use the trans to help you stop? Use it told hold you in place at a hill stop? These are all things that can wear a clutch out fast. If you haven't upgraded the clutch now would be a wise time to do so since you plan on changing the gear.

I also think you should do these things yourself. you are smart enough to design and build a bad ass sub you should be able handle these 2 jobs yourself. you would be surprised how easy a rearend and clutch job is. should take you no more than a day or 2 if your inexperienced.

How does that make sense? It would require less RPM's to get moving, so less wear on the clutch trying to take off. And I don't do any of those things with the clutch. I only stand on it for a few seconds at most between lights, but not much more than that.

Just trying to offer you some advice you don't want to take it that's totally up to you. With the steeper gear ratio your going to be higher in the power band at all times equals more stress on entire drivetrain. How many miles did you put on the clutch? I understand that your using more rpm's to get moving with the gear you have now than you would be if you switched. I am also telling you for sure that changing that ratio is going to make you drive the car a lot harder than you do now so you will be working the clutch harder at all times not just launch. It's also going to be harder on your axles, driveshaft, Motor mounts and trans. Faster acceleration equals more drivetrain stress plain and simple unless your spinning the tires then your allowing all the energy to escape the drivetrain.

Also I'm not trying to say you drive wrong or anything like that but trust me your driving habits are what wore your clutch prematurely not your rear end. Do you drive with your foot on the clutch pedal? if you do every time you move it even a little bit your wearing down the clutch. Trust me just pay attention when you drive I guarantee your doing some of the things I asked you about without even realizing it. Again I'm not trying to say you don't know what your doing but most people do these things without even noticing they do it especially people who are new to a manual.

No, sorry man I didn't mean it like, "Your advice is dumb" kinda way, I was literally asking about why it would be more clutch wear by switching, I didn't understand that's all. I appreciate all advice here. And while I know my driving habits are not the best, they are definitely not bad enough to wear the clutch that fast. I'm especially sure because this was what I took as the full reason last time it happened so I changed it completely, I must have it in neutral as much as possible now, and I used to let my foot rest on the clutch (not depressed, but just while driving, instead of resting it on the floor panel, it leaned against the pedal a little) But I'm a very very very aware driver, I'm constantly thinking about the way I'm driving, so I know that I've stopped all those habits almost completely.

What they're telling me and what I figured when he initially told me the issue, is that it's almost like starting in too high of a gear already, but because the engine has a lot of torque it doesn't seem too bad, but if I, say for instance; drive through a grid style neighborhood (square blocks, lots of stopsigns) for a fair distance in 1st gear, sometimes when I get out of the car if I lean down I can smell the slightest bit of burning clutch. Not every time, but if I check right after I get out sometimes it's there. But you can't ever smell it in the car so it's not a bad burn.

Maybe you can answer the only thing I'm not sure about; driving in too high a gear? I thought it was more wear/stress on the engine than anything else, maybe even the transmision? But can it also effect the clutch? That's also the problem with using the 2.73 in this, the switch point from 3rd/4th is around 38-40mph, so a lot of times in traffic it hovers just above and below, switching all the time, so I usually leave it in 4th because I hate downshifting just to speed up to 45 in like 3 seconds and have to shift again anyway. (unfortunately the way it works out between the engine, transmission, and axle ratios, it's at the most annoying shift spot) But the engine really makes it power just above the RPM range that 4th is at when using it at 35, so you can really tell when it tries to pick up to catch up to normal. I USED to think this was better because it "saved me gas", which it doesn't since the engine works so much harder to make the power at those RPM's. So I have definitely stopped having it in 4th allllll the time, but unless I hit 35mph or less I'll leave it. So can this affect the clutch in any way even if it's engaged?

Edit: ALSO what kind of effect does it have if I don't fully disengage the clutch when shifting? Someone said that was "short shifting" but I thought that was shifting before you were supposed to? If it's not then I don't know what to call it lol. Maybe, half-ass shifting?

[boom50cal]

Not using the clutch is called floating gears. not entirely bad on the clutch but its hard on synchros... Not a good idea to float gears at high rpm, but you're fine doing it when lightly driving it. As a reference, my dad drove an 88 f150 with a 300-6 and an np235 4 speed for almost 10 years on the factory clutch, only using the clutch to start from stop signs and when towing. I did the same with our 95 5 speed 300-6 F150. Floating gears is easy after you get used to it...

[bdog]

i would go 3:73 i had a camaro with a 2:70 0r 2:72 and it hit 55 in first gear/ 3 speed power glide

[CaPRiCEx383]

Well with my 240, with it's 4.08 gearing I'm doing 3.5k going 55mph in fourth and going into 5th will drop it down to 2500 or so and at 75 I'm back at 3.5k, I mean it's different, something to get used to for sure. I would rather be at 2k going 65 but the bitch can jump of a line. Lol