Gear size

[Feral peasant]

I have a 98 k2500hd 5.7 4l80e with 3.73 gears I was wondering if upgrading the gears would help with take off a little bit and if they were better at higher speeds any input on this?

 

[KansasOBS]

I have a 98 k2500hd 5.7 4l80e with 3.73 gears I was wondering if upgrading the gears would help with take off a little bit and if they were better at higher speeds any input on this?

There's math and stuff...but the higher the number, the lower your gearing.

If youve ever rode a 10 speed bicycle, you know that clicking it one way makes it easier to take off, but you pedal a lot more to go fast. And the reverse being the same, hard to take off, less pedaling.

Same goes for axle gearing. If you put lower (higher number) gears in, you will have better off the line performance, but will be turning more RPM's to reach the same speed you did before the swap.

So to answer your question, you cant have the best of both. Help take off, or better at higher speeds. Pick one. Usually people shoot for the happy medium, outside of racing.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

A 4.10 gear is a good idea yes!

 

[Feral peasant]

There's math and stuff...but the higher the number, the lower your gearing.

If youve ever rode a 10 speed bicycle, you know that clicking it one way makes it easier to take off, but you pedal a lot more to go fast. And the reverse being the same, hard to take off, less pedaling.

Same goes for axle gearing. If you put lower (higher number) gears in, you will have better off the line performance, but will be turning more RPM's to reach the same speed you did before the swap.

So to answer your question, you cant have the best of both. Help take off, or better at higher speeds. Pick one. Usually people shoot for the happy medium, outside of racing.

What would you do for a happy medium? The weight is 8.6k iirc and I'm running 265 75 r16s. Or is there like a chart I can go off of if it's been made already

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Use a calculator like this one:

Online RPM Calculator from RANDYS Worldwide

Online tool to find your vehicle’s RPM by entering your Ring and Pinion Gear Ratio, Tire Height and Speed.

www.yukongear.com

And yes you can’t go wrong with 4.10 gears in a heavy assed truck without much power.