Whats a good gear ratio for my 72 Chevy C/10 with a 2001 LS1 Corvette engine?

Question

4L60E stocker, im not a racer, i live in the flat lands of alberta, i want to give a corvette a run for its money and loose, i want to tear away from honda civic with a spoiler and stupid exhaust. I want to spin my tires leaving a light, and get good fuel mileage... hows that for a laundry list

Answer 1

It really depends on what you plan on driving/ using it for, but I'll assume a TH350/400 with a 12 bolt posi rear.. or even a Ford 9 inch.. a 3.55/3.73/ 3.92:1 should be fine for street use..with a built 700R4, and the ultra low 1st gear, the 3.73/ 3.92.. even a 4.11:1 will give you a fast 1/4 mile, but even in overdrive will suck up the gas....you want to choose a ratio that will keep the engine in it's powerband, which for an LS1, is from 3,500 rpm and up..

Answer 2

What tranny???

If your tallest gear is a 1:1 ratio (SM465, TH350 or TH400) then a 3.08 ratio would give you about 75mph at 3000rpm (depending on tire size).

If you have an overdrive tranny (NV4500, 700R4, 4L60E, ect) then 3.55 or 3.73 you give you the extra town-driving grunt, but still lope along on at freeway speeds. I figure the 3.73 in a common OD ratio you drop you to ~2000rpm at 75mph.

Your driving habits and locations should determine ratio choice!

Answer 3

I have to agree with boogie...

The transmission would be the determining factor, not the motor.

Answer 4

all good answers for sure... think of this too.. if you have overdrive, go with the 3.73 and a 28" tall tire or bigger.. this will give you a bit more  "roll-out" for the highway and still leave you with plenty for light to light shoot-outs.. and this way if the tires are too tall for the drag strip, you can stuff on a set of 26" et's or slicks.. still enough bottom end to go well and jerk your head out of socket and still be streetabl witout killing the drivability with lower 4.10 gears.  3.73's will accomodate your everyday driving and not kill your mileage with a tall tire. tires are much easier and cheaper to swap out if needed than a rear gear set...  your o/d will save you from going into the race type rearend, unless thats what you're going to do with it.. if you're only going to the drags with it , go with a 4.88 and 28"slicks..  works great ! good luck with it..  

Answer 5

I would say a 3.73 would be good if you are going to stay on the street.

4.11 for the strip....