Rear ends, how do they work? Options

[SlowCelica94]

Since I've been looking into ls1 FC's, a lot of talk has been about the streagth of rear ends. So how does a rear end work? What's it consist of? Thanks guys

[Ale_lock]

REAR END UPGRADES

Brought to you by: SONOMA96

By changing your stock taller rear end gears (numerically lower) with shorter gears (numerically higher), you can significantly improve the acceleration of your vehicle. When selecting the right gear ratio for your particular application, you must take into consideration many factors like your current and future modifications, as well as what type of driving you do most, along with rpm findings showing where in the rpm range it went from one gear at max shift to power range of the motor in the next gear. Typically vehicle equipped with taller gears, i.e. 2.73, 3.08, etc. trade slower acceleration for better high-speed performance. On the other hand, cars equipped with shorter gears, i.e. 3.73, 4.10, etc. will accelerate much quicker in the 1/4 mile but have a lower top speed. Gear ratios of 4.10 and higher should be reserved for the normally aspirated vehicles strictly set up for drag racing. Enthusiasts running high horsepower turbos, blowers, and or nitrous applications do not need as much gearing. These drivers generally limit the rear gear ratio of their vehicles to 3.73 and lower.

Since automatic-equipped vehicles are at a disadvantage to begin with, they seem to benefit much more by gear changes. This will in many cases bring the automatic cars up to par with the stock stick cars. In addition, the automatic enthusiasts will have the added comfort of not missing shifts and easier "hook up".

When upgrading the rear gear ratios on a stick-equipped vehicle, some drivers may initially have a harder time "hooking up" during racing or spirited driving. These drivers may have to adjust their driving technique and or purchase stickier tires/slicks to obtain proper traction.

The bottom line is that upgrading your rear gear ratio by two steps you can decrease your 1/4 of a mile times by approximately 3 tenths of a second. This is equivalent to finding 30 horsepower hidden under your hood. I think you would agree that hidden horsepower is always a good thing!!!