My 68 SS396 has 357 gears - they seem too low for street - Muncie 4speed. Shifting to second @ 15-20MPH - want that longer duration between shifts. Surely not a HP problem but don't seem to be able to use it before it's time to shift. 3:08's better???

With 3.50 gears and a wide ratio muncie, at 6000 rpm, shifts would happen arround 55 mph. With 4.56 gears, shifts should be at about 45 mph. How did you find your rear gear ratio? 3.55's or 3.73's are all I remember in those years.

Build sheet says 3:55s - my error. 6000 rpm's on my 396 are way too high. original 1968 sales literature says a 396 4speed would have a 3:07 ratio. I would be more comfortable shifting out of 1st much later than 20mph @ 3500 - 3800 rpm. Would't the lower ratio rather than the higher be the way to go? This is a street car not a strip one.

A 3.55 is a pretty good gear. It gives you a good launch when you want it and doesn't hurt fuel economy that bad. I wouldn't change a thing myself. Besides, think of how nice you are to the clutch now, with taller gears, you need to slip it a little more to get going than you do now.

i cant imagine your gears being to short if i remember correctly the muncie has a 1st gear of about 2.40:1 that makes for some long gears but if you want them longer you can experiment with a taller tire, changing your tire hight has the same effect as a gear swap taller tire = longer gear this will alow you to fine tune your gear length close to where you want to be. there is a formula which i will post for you (as soon as i find it) which will help you to guesstamate what tire hight to try ,if your interested, otherwise 3.08's would probably do it for you

Don't worry about when you shift. What matters is if you do highway driving and if the rpms are too high then. I also think 3.55 is a very good compromise. 3.08 can be a dog off the line.
This also depends if you have a M20 or a M21 /22 trans. M20 has a 2.52 first gear. M21 /22 has 2.20. The gaps between gears are the same for the 1-2 and 2-3. 3-4 is a bigger ratio jump in the M20. Both have a 1:1 4th gear.

thanks for your input on my gear ratio dilema, I don't have a strip machine but rather a performance streeter. I drive it daily (weather permitting) and travel quite a bit to shows etc. I want a performance/street combination that will give me the best of both worlds. Right now, I'm not comfortable-too high rpm's at highway speeds and too short a time between shifts. I can start off in third gear and hardly notice!!!!
I coould easily trade second for first anyday.

I just changed my 69 SS's camaro's rear end back to a 3.36 from a 2.73.It was just to doggy off the line for me, but i don't drive mine every day. This gear is great for me as I just go to shows and cruise's. So I now have a 10 bolt to get rid of. The 2.73 was going to be for road trips, but I'm going to use the orginal 12 bolt regardless of the trip length . I think you have the best of both worlds right now !!! But to each his own, do what makes you happy with your car !!!!! just don't get rid of the one you have in case you ever want to go back !!!

Gear ratios are always a hot topic... Check out this tool - http://camarotech1.com/refarticles/ref-spd-rpm.html
Input your gearing, transmission, and tire size and it will graph your speed through an rpm range for each gear.

Good Luck!

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Matt
http://camarotech1.com
Camaro Tech 1st Generation

Just take off in second gear!
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Homepage (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
67 RS 327
69 Camaro Vintage Racer
65 Lola T-70 Can Am Vintage Racer

put some 2.73's in it and let it eat

i have a 3.08 open rear,willing to trade if not too far ? (hey, worth a shot.)

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My68Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.

Unless you have a really small tire on the back, I'd bet those are 4:11's or lower! Are you the original owner? Gear swaps happened all the time in the 70's. I don't know it off hand, but there is a formula for manual rear wheel rotation while counting drive shaft rotations that will determine the gear ratio. Post a note, I'm sure sombody will give it to you. Here's my story, had 4:11's and had the same complaint, went down to 3:42's and now they're to high! You get alot more chatter (vibration) when you release the clutch. I wish I went with 3:73's or 3:55's (latter not being sold right now by strange and others) My rear tire height is 27". Make sure you know what you have in there, I doubt very much that you'd like a 3:08

John

Yeah, something seems incorect here. I run 3.55 and they are just enough gear. Actually with 25" slicks real nice, and 28" BFG T/A nice for cruising. Like the last post, I suspect you DO NOT have 3.55's in there, but it simply might be a matter of perception. FWIW my 67 325HP came from the factory with an M20 ( 2.54 1st gear) and 3.08 posi. Sounds like you want your 3.08s back! Start lokking around for good used gears. #.08s are a dime a dozen and your 3.55's worth more.

With a 28" tire your 3.55s should be pulling around 3100 rpm at 65-70.


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Gene C.
67 Chevelle SS 427/L88 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaas00.jpg)