3:23 vs. 3:55? Need opinions

[dspaulding70]

I have the option to choose either the 3:23 or the 3:5 gears for my 8 3/4 (489 casing) sure grip rebuild.  I will have a rebuilt 440 pushing close to 475 hp when it is finished.  I am looking for a street cruiser but with enough quickness to not get embarrassed but do not want to have the engine whinning to cruise 70mph.

I have to make the decision by Tuesday so I appreciate your feedback.

Darrell

[68 CHARGER R/T]

i'd go with the 3:55, and put in a nice stall convertor 

[firefighter3931]

  The 3.55 axle works nice especially if you plan to use a 28in tall tire because the increased tire height will knock some rpm's out of it on the highway. If i was buying new the 3.55 would be my choice out of those two ratios....but not my first  choice. 



Ron

[Nacho-RT74]

diff is, around 10%  more revs to get same speed, but will mean also arond 10% more torque at same speed... also 10% less top speed. also more less 10% less gas mileage


maybe also around 10% more fun ? . I'm changing from 3.23 open to 3.55 suregrip and will know personally the change

[resq302]

I changed out my ring and pinion last year from the original 3.23 to 3.55 and found it to be exactly as Nacho said.  The 3.55 gives it a little more pep and a little more fun off the line.  Around 70 mph I think the RPMs are around 3000 or close to it.

[Ghoste]

I'm 100% with Ron, not my first choice but of the two offered, the 3:55 will be a lot more suitable for you.

[General_01]

Go with the 3.55's. I have 3.55's in the Bee. When I got the General I thought it wouldn't be that big of a deal having 3.23's. I swapped the 440 from the Bee to the General and you can tell the difference. Same motor, but it feels more sluggish off the line in the General.

[70charginglizard]

I have to agree with the others if what your doing with the motor and how your using the car is true.

I myself am going to 3:23's but again, My aim is more towards cruisability a little more decent gas mileage on long trips and not as much high performance.

I myself have heard from others that 3:55 can be a bit noisy on long trips so you'll have to take that in consideration.

You have to make the choce though. It's untimately your call.

[Ghoste]

One man's noise is another's highway song. 

[70charginglizard]

One man's noise is another's highway song. 

Point well taken

[john108]

I have a 2004 Dodge Big Horn Hemi Quadcab pick-up with 3.92 gears.  At 70 mph, it is at 1900 rpm but it has trouble getting out of its own way!

[resq302]

I have a 2004 Dodge Big Horn Hemi Quadcab pick-up with 3.92 gears.  At 70 mph, it is at 1900 rpm but it has trouble getting out of its own way!

And that probably has a 5th gear overdrive in it if it is manual.

[Ghoste]

I know my 4:10's are turning a lot more than that at 70mph... and mine can't get out of it's own way either.   

[mikesbbody]

another vote for 3.55's i have them and drove a charger similar to mine with 3.23's..man, did that feel slow off the line.

[Charger Steve]

I recently changed my rearend gears in my 68 Charger 383 4bbl. from 3:23 to 3:55 and am very pleased with the results. More responsive on the low end but more rpm's at highway speed, but worth the tradeoff. The difference in miles per gallon is insignificant in my opinion.

[doctorpimp]

3.55 would be the best choice for you IMO.

Depends on transmission, tires etc.
That was too little gear for my wife's Barracuda with Keisler.  Had to go to 3.91 - even that is high with the overdrive.

[Mike DC]

     

Any musclecar I ever build with "cruiser" in its job description needs to have an overdrive of some sort.  Either that or a 2.94 rearend. 


Cruising on most interstates these days, it calls for a good 75-80 mph just to hold even with the rest of traffic. 

 

[70charginglizard]

Talkin about third members....

the one I just bought on e-bay just showed up today.

Cleaned all the dirt off of it and it looks pretty dang nice now-




By kels70charger


Little exterior paint and a few bolts and we should have two wheels spinning. 
Now all I gotta do it put it in.   

[71charger_fan]

I've got a rebuilt 400 in my '71 that runs 14.4s in the quarter. That's about what 440 cars ran in the road tests back in '71. I've got 275/60-15s and a 3.23:1 gear. It's awesome on the highway. I got the gears for free, so I used them. They were an incredible step up from the 2.45 equipped 8 1/4 I took out of the car. However, if I was doing it again today, I'd go with 3.55s or 3.73s.

[70charginglizard]

Well for me its a freebee
I'll always have the one I'm dropping (the 2:76 non suregrip) as a backup or rebuld for a 3:55.
For now I'm gonna try the 3:23's/

[dspaulding70]

So what would the rpm's be to run about 70mph with each of these?

[Ghoste]

What size tires?

[Nacho-RT74]

http://www.moparts.com/Tech/tech/img/AUTOMATICchart.xls
http://www.moparts.com/Tech/tech/img/4SPEEDchart.xls

and:

http://vexer.com/68rt/speed.html

some missmatch between them but at least an aprox

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I went from 3.23's to the 3.55's & won't look back!

[694spdRT]

I went from 2.72's to 3.55's in the '68 and talk about a difference. I swear 2nd gear seemed higher with the 2.72's than drive with the 3.55's.