is a 3.90 gear too much?

[99redburb]

My Tahoe has 3.42 ration, and is pretty good with that, but I want more zip out of it. I was tossing around the 3.73 or the 3.90...I think the 4.10 would be a bit much, as I do drive it on the highway, and don't want to kill the mileage too bad.

I would love to get some thoughts from you guys on which one to get. The truck in question is a 2wd Tahoe limited, year 2000. I think it has the 8.5 ring gear, but I am not too sure.

Shawn

[sbc2008]

I think 3.90s will do fine with your tire size and your vehicle size and weight. I have 3.73 on mine and it's outstanding.

[Fast305]

My Tahoe has 3.42 ration, and is pretty good with that, but I want more zip out of it. I was tossing around the 3.73 or the 3.90...I think the 4.10 would be a bit much, as I do drive it on the highway, and don't want to kill the mileage too bad.

I would love to get some thoughts from you guys on which one to get. The truck in question is a 2wd Tahoe limited, year 2000. I think it has the 8.5 ring gear, but I am not too sure.

Shawn

More ZIP, put a L35 4.3 S10 Torque Converter (will stall around 2,600 rpm behind your L31) in it and leave the 3.42s in it. More torque off the line and through the gears, without sacrificing fuel mileage or raising the cruise RPM. I did exactly that in my Express and get the same fuel mileage as stock but holeshots are GREATLY improved. It will light-up BOTH tires on a WOT throttle stomp.

EDIT- Plugged the stock truck vs. converter into CarTest and here is what I got, the performance over a 1/4 mile is actually better with the converter than with 3.90s, if you really want to MOVE do BOTH.

For consistency, all of these models were setup to launch at warm idle (525 rpm) with stock shift points (5,000 rpm) and assume the throttle is feathered (NO wheelspin).

Stock
0-60 = 9.0sec
60ft = 2.48s
1320 = 16.8 @ 84.7

Converter
0-60 = 8.7sec
60ft = 2.34
1320 = 16.6 @ 86.5

Stock Converter/3.90s
0-60 = 8.6sec
60ft = 2.35 sec
1320 = 16.7 @ 86.3

2,600 Converter/3.90s
0-60 = 8.5s
60ft = 2.24s
1320 = 16.4 @ 87.1

[Faze2183]

i run 3.73s in mine and id be nice if it was better... ive thought about 3.90s as well for when my g80 decides to evently blow up...

my current tire is a 275/55/20 but i plan on going to a 285/50/20...

[Polecat]

add cost of good tranny cooler if you go converter.

3.90's sounds good....I need 4.10's for mine :(