3.73 OR 3.90?
 

For my daily driver '04 GT with 5 speed am thinking of a final gear change.
95% of my driving is in slow and heavy traffic but when the opportunity
arises I would like to be a little quicker away from a green light with an
easy 1-2 and 2-3 chirp without being otherwise obnoxious. I'm not a racer but would like it for some entertainment value.
I'm box stock except for MagnaFlows and Steeda CAI.
It seems 4.10 would be too much.
Any advice?
Thanks.

City driving steeper gear will be fine so 3.90 even 4.10 would work if you only do city driving you lose nothing in gas mileage.

On the highway the mpg wont change much but engine drone is a bigger problem for me i like a strong exhaust but i also like to be able to hear the person next to me without having to speak up bc my engine is turning another 500 rpm.

there are sooooooooo many threads about gears. just go to the search option...it will answer every question you desire about gears

My car has a 3.73 and it's a lot of fun to drive. That being said it had the gear in it when I bought it and if it hadn't the first thing I would have done is at least a 4.10 if not a 4.30, and when I eventually get a Cobra with a 6 speed i'll prolly go ahead and do a 4.56. Go with the 4.10 you won't regret it.

4.10's here...fear no gear

Well most every one here will tell you to go with 4.10. I think 3.73 would be the right gear for you. 4.10 is to much gear for a DD. 3.73 will get you off the line quicker than the stock gears and your top speed wont suffer.

Top speed is really a non issue imo unless your trying to break land speed records...

3.73 at 120 miles an hour turn about 4200 rpm.... Chances are with 4.10 even 4.56 you will never see your top end red line 6 grand.
I live outside city so 3.73 is good im on highway quite a bit. Go 4.10 if you dont do much on highway. I do highway probably 20%

Issues i see with gears is

1:traction
2:engine noise/drone
3: gas mileage
4: useful 1st gear

I do see 3.73 yes more as a daily driver gear and 4.10 as race gear.

With 3.73 i still have traction problems at track with mickey thompson drag radials.
But still run 12.5 @110 stage 3 steeda suspension so not so much made for drag traction either.

418 rwhp 408 tq Stock stock stock with the exception of v2sq h/o kit and exhaust.
Custom tuned by Davenport Motorsports
I still run Cats:P

5 speed= I'd go 3.73, with my auto I wish I'd gone go 4.10 and not the 3.73 and I do mostly highway.

Go with 4:10's.

anything less and yer gonna kick yerself in the butt.

the loss of feul economy is barely noticeable, you still sit at 2,700 rpm at 70mph with an auto, i think standard should be similar.

Psh... hell no it isnt.

4:56 is too much for DD, 4:10's is what mustangs SHOULD have had in the first place.

Really what it boils down to is your own preferance....There is no magic gear that will be "the best" gear for everyone. How extreme do you want to go?

If they had 4.10 stock or even 3.73 they wouldnt sell as many cars bc gas mileage on the sticker on the window is part of the equation for people that arnt hard core wrench heads like you and i.. thats why they sell far more 6 cyls then v8s price,mileage and insurance.

I have thought about moving up to 4.10s when i change to 31 spline axles...but i probably wont unless i get my highway engine drone under control (borla pro xs incomming)i might push my gear a lil bit more. ANd gas mileage already sucks as it is (gas isnt going to get any cheaper any time soon) i really want to TRY and keep it a daily driver.
If i lived in the city 3.90 or 4.10s would prolly be a give in bc it doesnt effect gas mileage in the city.


Official gear thread says 4.10 most people recommend for 2v V8's there yah go.

yup! i think it is 2700 rpms at 75mph for a stick.

I drive my car 95% city, and will be doing 4.10's come May. The only real longer distance highway driving I do is to and from the track about 3 times a year, which is 130 mi round trip.

yah, i'm kinda in the same boat. have a 5-speed '02 GT. i'm a college student in tampa. ALL of my driving is around the city (never more than about 20 miles at a time). but i do make the5-6 time per year trip home (atlanta). it's about an 8 hours trip...

i want 4.10s for the kick, and thrill....and since most of my driving is in city that makes since. but what about those random long hauls? would gas and noise be a killer those? even if it is bad, it's only 8 hours prob about 6 times a year....right?!

8 hour round trip right? Since you only have the flowmasters and no midpipe (from what i can tell in your sig) you should be able to handle the noise without a problem. The music will probably take care of it. If it is 4 hours one way then that is not bad, if you're ok with getting like 23 mpg.