Race from a dig: We didn't bother, we all know what the outcome would have been.

Race from 30 mph: Got a nice hard downshift into first, yanked him, shifted into second, and he didn't gain anything. Got him by a little more than half a car.



Thruway race: I knew I was in trouble. The Cobalt SS's put close to 220 to the wheels, trap at around 97 mph, and make power all the way to 6500 rpm.

Race from 40 mph: Crappy low downshift into second, he yanked me right away. Race ended with me at his door.

Race from 45 mph: Same result, but I did a little better.

Race from 55 mph: Got a nice downshift into my powerband, yanked him by about a foot, and it stood that way all the way to 90 mph.



Over all I'm very pleased. TPI + Thruway racing = no no. But my car held its own. Hearing the comment "Holy sh*t, your car sounds mean as f*ck" was a nice ending to the night.

Now am I happy I have 2.77's when it comes to thruway racing? Or would it still be better to have 3.27's?

 

You'd still be happier with the 3.27's. Second gear would benefit greatly from more axle gear. Launching might take some getting use to.

I had a go with a SC'd Cobalt SS a couple weeks back. From a dig, I raped him. From a roll, several cars. He said his best time at our tractionless local track was a 14.8 @ 98.

 

those things are not to be messed wiht, many upgrades available including intense stage5 which is rought 275hp and trq.

congrats on the win against a rare seen stock one.

 

Stage 5 is only 50 more hp? LOL, that's pathetic.

 

i used to have a 2.73 gears on my roc and now with 3.42 gears got a lot better in response to 1/4 and street racing

obviously it dnt run as it use to on hwy

 

I've only read about the GM kits. A GM stage 2 will take the Cobalt into the 13's.

 

intense stage 5 will take it from 14's to 12's and thats 75hp

 

On a factory boosted car, 75 hp increase should be stage 1.

 

i have 3.73's and i could rape most stock N/A cars from a dig but from like 55 i doubt it. lol. good race though

 

For a turbo car I would agree but that would be a lot to ask for a supercharged 4 cylinder. The new turbo ecotecs come out soon in place of the SC ones and you should see monster numbers from those.

 

Agreed. Without a huge intercooler like the turbo cars get, boost is limited. The turbo Ecotec Solstice and Sky should be interesting.

 

To answer the original question, lower gears (numerically higher) help EVERYWHERE in the powerband. It's a total myth that "they'll slow you down on the highway" and "they're only good for the 1/4." You would have pulled him better on the highway with better gears. If you're upgrading, I'd recommend at least 3.42s, they'll give you decent MPG still and it won't take the TPI out of it's powerband.

The only thing that limits a lower geared car on the highway is that the top speed becomes RPM limited.

 

"Stage HSR" your IROC and you won't need to worry about that 4800 RPM wall that keeps your from pulling top end

 

You know, I've actually read a few times a stock L98 is not really going to see a big benefit with a HSR. Modded of course it will though.

 

You'd definitely need lower gears (numerically higher) with a HSR.

 

2.77's are not too bad cause the L98 makes a lotta torque, and plus you got a crazy 3.06 first gear ratio to get you out of the hole. Id get 3.4x gears, with some traction though...wait i already did.

 

opps

 

They show absolutely no benefit on stock tune in fact it will lose hp if installed. But if installed with a good tune on a stock L98 there has been reported over 30hp gains.
On my 327 it reacted like a ray of sunshine with a stock 305 tune put in by my 950 commander. My iroc just leaves my 95 Firebird formula LT1 in the dust, they both have stock gears.

 

Read from who? I had one it made a world of difference. TPI isn't good for crap, on any engine. It provides support for larger upgrades which I did later. Don't listen to the other guy ^, if you're putting an HSR on anything smaller than a 350 you are an idiot.

 

why? 305's would benifit from having more air throughout the powerband just as much as a 350. Keeping its proportion because of the smaller displacement of course.

 

the stock heads and cam are more of a restriction than the TPI intake. the completed TPI assembly actually flows more air than the stock intake ports on the heads do. then theres that wimpy cam...

all in all the HSR is a better intake that a TPI setup, but youre not going to gain anything just from swapping intakes as long as the stock heads/cam are in place