Possible 4.10 Gears for 6-Speed Manual ZL1's

[trainman]

I know "no" gears are available other than the factory 3.23 & 3.73 for the ZL1 and the 2009-2014 Cadillac CTS V's. I have a 2012 CTS V (manual) and I have been asking everyone about optional gears. We have a 9.9" ring gear. I would like some 4.10's, so I have been in contact with John Hale (Nostalgia funny car owner and driver) from Texas on his recent trip out west at the Bakersfield March Meet. He said he had sources that made custom parts. He just called me back the other day and said NO ONE makes anything for our cars. He was in contact with US Gear (one of only 3 manufacturers of gears in the USA or World) and they said the minimum order would be 100 sets. I will be posting this on the CTS V sites also and I am asking if there is any interest in these 4.10's , I assume mainly for the 6-speed manual guys. The 4.10's would help the manuals with the disadvantage they now have against the automatic equipped CTS V's and ZL1's. Our manual cars have a 2.66 1st gear and a 3.73 rear for a total overall ratio in 1st of 9.92. The automatics have a 4.03 1st and a 3.23 rear for an overall ratio of 13.02, so you can see the huge advantage they have off the line. If interested please PM me or post up here. We are guessing the ring and pinion set would run about $300.00, so if there is sufficient interest I would be willing to front the $30,000 needed to build 100 sets. We would run the entire ordering process through John Hale's Muscle Car business in Dallas. Thanks for your time guys.

[Dega Man]

Have you just considered getting an auto? Even with different rear end gear ratio, you are still going to have a hard time beating the auto tranny, I do not care how well you can shift, you're not going to shift faster than an auto especially one that has been recalibrated. Why do you think basically everything at the drag strip is auto that's running low numbers consistent? It's not because they can't have a manual tranny if they wanted one!

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Dega Man

Have you just considered getting an auto? Even with different rear end gear ratio, you are still going to have a hard time beating the auto tranny, I do not care how well you can shift, you're not going to shift faster than an auto especially one that has been recalibrated. Why do you think basically everything at the drag strip is auto that's running low numbers consistent? It's not because they can't have a manual tranny if they wanted one!

No automatic for me....far too boring. I'm old school, back in the 60's (I was a senior in 1964) the stick shifts were far superior to the automatics. I just like driving my manual transmission. I have a 64 GTO, 73 SD455 Formula, 2000 Firehawk, 2004 SRT-10 Ram, and the 2012 CTS V Coupe......all manual transmissions....I'm not going to change now. I only do an occasional test and tune at my local strip, usually only 3 passes a night. The SRT-10 Ram still has a pure stock engine (internally) and runs consistent 11.60's (one night I made 5 passes:11.66, 11.64, 11.64, 11.63 & 11.65), also last November I ran my buddy who has an automatic CTS V sedan with the exact same mods as my Coupe (AIRAID and a tune, plus drag radials) , his time 11.87 @116, mine was 11.85 @118.85. Since then I have added a ported LSA TB and went 11.70 @ 121.4. I'm having fun. You can enjoy your automatics, everybody is different, they're just not for me.
If we can make these 4.10 gears happen (and even if we can't) I will be getting my 6-speed rebuilt and changing the ratios (already spoke to RPM Transmissions). My current ratio's are 2.66, 1.78, 1.30, 1.00, .80 & .63. I will be going to: 3.02, 2.10, 1.46, 1.00, .74 & .50. First , Second and Third will make a huge difference in acceleration and feel of the car. I will surprise lots of automatics, even those with more mods ( I know how much difference it made when I switched the Firehawk from 3.42 to 4.10's). I will still have stock pulleys , stock exhaust, better gas mileage (with the .50 6th gear) and be in the LOW 11's. I know what I want and I know what I'm doing.

Oh, and to answer you, most guys do not shift as well as I do.

Here's a video of the Ram vs an LS7 Z06 with Drag radials (he choose me off, and was real slow on the tree) , turn up the sound and you can hear the shifts real well.
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...%20-%20YouTube

Here's a video of me (on street tires, pure stock) cutting a .002 light and beating a 2014 Shelby (662 hp, also stock on street tires) by 3 car-lengths. (I also beat him by .06 in ET)

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...%20-%20YouTube

[Kevlar382]

Before they ever built the first ZL1, I was hoping they would offer better gears. There is a reason the 1LE and Z/28 have 3;91s. I totally agree with your thinking.

[davidcroft]

what about the 3.91s out of the Z/28 and 1LE? That's close.

[CanadianZL1#992]

Originally Posted by davidcroft

what about the 3.91s out of the Z/28 and 1LE? That's close.

The ZL1 has a bigger diff so the 1LE ring gear is to small. I think the 3.91 ratio would also be a good choice for the ZL1.

[gen=5]

Well the other option is to swap out the whole rear ,but off course it's weaker !!!!!!!!!!!

[Skylane765]

Originally Posted by davidcroft

what about the 3.91s out of the Z/28 and 1LE? That's close.

Not the same rear end. The ZL1 is bulletproof The Z28 much less robust
I was told the 3.73 was used to get top speed up.

[BHamm]

I am interested.

[closs2sx]

I would like 3.91

[CamaroTom]

Originally Posted by trainman

No automatic for me....far too boring. I'm old school, back in the 60's (I was a senior in 1964) the stick shifts were far superior to the automatics. I just like driving my manual transmission. I have a 64 GTO, 73 SD455 Formula, 2000 Firehawk, 2004 SRT-10 Ram, and the 2012 CTS V Coupe......all manual transmissions....I'm not going to change now. I only do an occasional test and tune at my local strip, usually only 3 passes a night. The SRT-10 Ram still has a pure stock engine (internally) and runs consistent 11.60's (one night I made 5 passes:11.66, 11.64, 11.64, 11.63 & 11.65), also last November I ran my buddy who has an automatic CTS V sedan with the exact same mods as my Coupe (AIRAID and a tune, plus drag radials) , his time 11.87 @116, mine was 11.85 @118.85. Since then I have added a ported LSA TB and went 11.70 @ 121.4. I'm having fun. You can enjoy your automatics, everybody is different, they're just not for me.
If we can make these 4.10 gears happen (and even if we can't) I will be getting my 6-speed rebuilt and changing the ratios (already spoke to RPM Transmissions). My current ratio's are 2.66, 1.78, 1.30, 1.00, .80 & .63. I will be going to: 3.02, 2.10, 1.46, 1.00, .74 & .50. First , Second and Third will make a huge difference in acceleration and feel of the car. I will surprise lots of automatics, even those with more mods ( I know how much difference it made when I switched the Firehawk from 3.42 to 4.10's). I will still have stock pulleys , stock exhaust, better gas mileage (with the .50 6th gear) and be in the LOW 11's. I know what I want and I know what I'm doing.

Oh, and to answer you, most guys do not shift as well as I do.

Here's a video of the Ram vs an LS7 Z06 with Drag radials (he choose me off, and was real slow on the tree) , turn up the sound and you can hear the shifts real well.
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...%20-%20YouTube

Here's a video of me (on street tires, pure stock) cutting a .002 light and beating a 2014 Shelby (662 hp, also stock on street tires) by 3 car-lengths. (I also beat him by .06 in ET)

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...%20-%20YouTube

All my cars have been manuals since I got my license in 2001 at 15 years old. Wouldnt have it any other way.

That's awesome you are beating automatic cars with same mods!

They may shift quicker but automatics soak up more horsepower. Accounting for greater
drivetrain loss.

[Scarrzz]

Mayhem, that vid with the Shelby was a joy to watch.

[hognutz]

Originally Posted by Dega Man

Have you just considered getting an auto? Even with different rear end gear ratio, you are still going to have a hard time beating the auto tranny, I do not care how well you can shift, you're not going to shift faster than an auto especially one that has been recalibrated. Why do you think basically everything at the drag strip is auto that's running low numbers consistent? It's not because they can't have a manual tranny if they wanted one!

ha ha you know how much more a 6l90E costs than a ring and pinion???

4.10's on tire would most likley beat an auto. it not about shifting speed the auto box has very lower fist gear in the tranny itself and 4th is not 1:1.

if you were on slicks and hooked once you level the gearing you will win. An auto will launch easier on tires that don't hook well though.

on a stock car the auto shifts out fo first at ~40mph and since 4th is not 1:1 it still has the same gear ratio overall than the 3.73 car manual does.

it is more a wide ratio box which tend to drag race well.

[trainman]

Here's another video for Dega Man. My friend set up his camera inside my SRT-10 Ram. His video shoots at 30 frames per second, and he slowed down the video and said my shifts were @ .130 seconds. He also said that most stock automatics shift somewhere between .200-.400 seconds (Stock, not modified to shift faster). If you blow up the video to full screen you can see that my tach only drops about 1,000 rpm with each shift (a little more on the 2-3 shift), and I have a McLeod twin disc so it's not slipping. All in all I hold my own with the automatics. Besides this Ram shifter is a lot longer throw than my CTS V. I'll stay with my manual trans....it's so much fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ZxeMhlfiTPg