Need Gear Ratio Recomendations

Hi everyone, I'd like some opinions from those more experienced with swapping gears as to what ratio you would recommend for my van. It's a '64 with mild performance 250 and an AOD, or that's the plan at least. The 9" I picked up has 3:1 gears, I'm thinking of going to at least 3.5:1. My thought is with the overdrive I can bump the ratio up for faster acceleration and still not wind it to much on the freeway. What do you guys think I should do?

personally=i like 3:73 or close. with an od trans

I 2nd that motion Im running a 3.50 with a AOD now with a 302. Only running around 1500 RPM's and doing about 65mph on the highway with 235/70 15 inch tires. Great on highways with no hills but when getting into hilly sections I have to start giving it more gas to keep speed up, sometimes I'll shift down into D mode to keep the RPM's up and keep it from shifting in and out of passing gear if it was in O/D. I have a 2nd 9 inch in the garage i want to install at some time with a 3.70 gear that will give great off the line plus keep the RPM's up a little higher while driving on the highway in O/D

Thanks guys, I was leaning towards more than 3.5 but not sure where to draw the line.

Seth, If you are going with the AOD i would not go 3.5,I have AOD with 3.73 that does alright but has issues like Buzzard was talking about. After doing some research on a hard core AOD site they lean toward the 4.10 gear with the AOD.

I agree, 3.73 with OD and 3.50 with 3 speed standard or AT. Dump the 3.00.

How is a 3 speed with 3.50 gears, thats what I will be running for my drive train. Will I be able to cruise 65 on the highway?

What benefit would a 9" rear give me?

Twinpilot001 wrote:personally=i like 3:73 or close. with an od trans

yeah, what he said. I love my 373's