Anyone that has a 305 TBI and 3:42 gears with minimal mods like exhaust and air filter..etc.. please respond!! ok how do these gears work in your car?? do they pull hard in the 1/4?? spin much? anything else good or bad you have to say about them would be very helpful thanks TBI guys ..
Corey

Ps- moderators please be kind on this post I've tried the transmition board about 2 weeks ago but didn't get a responce.. i just want to know if they are good for my 305 TBI..please let some TBI guys respond before you lock me..

 

I've got 3.73s in mine and I love 'em. I know they're not 3.42s, but they're pretty close. They made quite a seat of the pants difference and put me in the low-15 second range (with headers being the most significant other modification and several non-significant ones).

 

there we go... ok so the 3:73s got you to the low 15s... thats cool i am either going 3:42 or 3:73s people kept on telling me that 3:73s were to big for the engines RPM range so thats the only reason I was shying out on them... how is your launches with them?? and how long will it pull before it dies out??

 

I added an Auburn positraction differential at the same time that I swapped the gears. My launches are infinitely better with 3.73 & posi than 2.73 & open.
It pulls through first gear real quick. Second gear is tall enough that it takes some time to pull through. I don't think that the 3.73s put me out of my powerband. I don't remember what RPMs I was turning at the end of a 1/4 mile, but I don't remember it being at/above the redline.

 

so now i got anouther option 3:73 or 3:42!! ohh well anyone with 3:42's wanna give some imput

 

ttt

 

either one will be fine. it would be better to go with 3.42's if your not going to put in a very large cam or staying with the stock cam. but if you plan on doing alot of mods, then head for the 3.73's.

 

i just got done puting in my 3.73 gears,WOW what a difference.havent got it to the track yet but ill be there 3/6/02 and i cant wait to see th difference in the 1/4.my best last year was a 16.0.an old T/A racer i know said i should get about a full sec out of them.(i dont know but well see)



89 RS w/305 TBI,stock motor,14x6 air cleaner,MSD box,wires,coil,GM rapidfire plugs,timing advanced 8*,BORLA cat back exhaust,3.73 gears w/factory posi,1LE front brakes and sway bars(pretty cheap from GM),oh yeah -1 cat

 

ok thats it i've decided i am going to go with 3:73's and posi they will be pretty good now and i plan on doing more mods to my engine this summer... thanks a lot for the replys everyone and feel free to keep this thred going if anyone else has anything else to add..

 

i'm buying my 3.73s of camaroracer1992, and i cant wait to get the posi and those gears on. I plan on getting a new manifold and cam by summer so that wil be fun. I just want my car to make it feel like your gonna go through the seat when i gun it .. .

The man thing im worried about is gas milege but i think ill be fine with that

 

your mileage will not be dramatically effected by your gear choice. when i stepped from 2.73's to 3.54's i had literally no change in my high way mileage. around town mileage will suffer if you have a heavy foot, but if you are gentle n you car it will stay about the same too.

later
tim

 

I'll solve the dilemma for you:

T5= 3.42
Th700r4= 3.73

There

 

anyone got a gear set or posi they want to sell??? Just wondering...............

 

I was in your shoes man, I didnt know where to go. I did some lookin around and talkin to some people and I am gonna go with the 3:42s I got a 305 with Headers, Cat, 3 inch pipe and muffler, Open Air, and Ultimate TBI. One main problem I heard about the 3:73s from another 305er (even though he doesnt say it is a problem) he rolls on the high way at about 2600 rpms at 70 with his 373s. I Travel from Jersey to Rochester NY about 8 times a year and i go about 80 85 I dotn need no high RPMs killin me. Another person I talked to with 342s said he loves them and it is a huge diff from his 2:73. So all in all I dont have this mod done yet I will though shortly if NJSpeeder tells me when :0) But from whut I have heard and read i am gonna be happy with the 3:42s

 

plain and simple whether you have an auto or stick, 3.73's are too much for the stock cam. It will make it run like a diesel, and you can pull a trailor full of bulls if you want to, but you will have no 1st gear, and what little you have will be wheel spin. The right gears for the stock cam and no posi are either 3.23's or 3.27's. NOW HOWEVER, you can make the sacrafice now and go with low ranged gears(3.42 and up), but this is only if you are going to follow them with a posi, headers, and MOST important, a higher reving cam. Then you will be matched better. A friend of mine has 3.42's w/ no posi in his 305 5 speed with the stock cam. It pulls hard as heck for a sec after it stops spinning, then it runs outta steam. This is something to think about, so choose wisely. I'm not trying to discourage 3.73's but I think 3.42's are all you will ever need even with a hot cam. 3.73's will yield around 3 grand at 70mph on the highway in the automatic.

 

3.42's it is .. camaroracer1992 isn't selling the gears now so ill buy 3.42's. ill make due witht eh 3.08s i got in already till tax returns. Thanx guyz
~Tim

 

I'm happy with my 3.42 gears.

 

86-89 S10 2wd blazers have 3.73s that fit our rearends

Andrew

 

my rear end is at the shop being setup monday morning. 3.73s in there along with a SLP takeoff posi

 

3.73's are a great gear for a stock or modified LO3. yes, you will have to contend with a little wheel spin if you do anything to add any power, but that can be over coem very easily. our cars have very good suspension stock, so with only a little massaging you can hook with the gears too.
the thing to remeber about what actually causes the wheels spin issue is that the stock peak torque in our cars is at a very low rpm, 2400, with a stock convertor that only revs to about 1600 before it grabs, you are looking at a car that that is leaving on a very beefy part of the power band.

later
tim

 

i have 3.73s with basically a stock rear suspesion(eibach drop springs and teneko shocks)the only thng i did for traction was a poly torque arm mount.with 245/45-17 i have no problem wit traction right now.just thought id throw that in there

 

i have that kinda setup....i'll tell ya what i got.

89 camaro rs with a 305 tbi, 700R4, 3.42 rear out of a 69 firebird (limited .) all i got on there is the rear and the exhaust. it beat the hell out of my friend's 93 probe and another friend's 240sx. and i mean i beat the 240 bad too. (5 cars in 1/8 mile.) you will notice a difference and get decent highway milage. the 3.73 would be a good choice if your more serious than i am.

 

u guys keep talking about reduced high mileage and all that... what kinda mileage are u guys getting? what should i expect with 3.42 vs. 3.73's?

 

I thought the '69 had the bigger 10 bolt like the one full size trucks have?????? my friends ring gear was 8.2" or so in his '68. Stock 3rgen is 7.5" If I remember. There is a third 10 bolt style that is bigger than ours too.

 

Thats correct ours is 7.5 while one from 69 would probably be a 8.2. I think the other larger 10 bolt was like 8" or so.