Third gear

[killerken53]

Well, spring is coming and it is finally warm enough to work in the garage without freezing my @** off. One of the major projects I want to get in to before racing season is changing the third gear in my transmission from stock to something a little closer ratio. I am running 22.5 X 7.2 X 13 hoosiers on the rear, a stock 1600 dual port engine, and a 4.375 ring and pinion. My major problem is the "jump" between second and third makes third unuseable on all but our fastest courses.

The three common ratios I find are 1.48:1, 1:58:1 and 1.70:1. Has anyone else changed their gearset, and would like to offer an opinion? I would like third to be a little more useable, but not so "short" that I have to concider 4th gear.

Thanks!
Kenny

[DanRemmers]

I thought there was an old post that listed the typical solo gear set, but I didn't find anything.

As I recall, the shortest 3rd gear and shortest 4th gear that VW made are the ones best for solo--including 20 inch tires. That lets us start in 2nd, and use 3rd and 4th for all courses.

The good solo vee drivers will post the actual numbers here shortly. (Lynn?)

I occasionally take my vee to an 1/8 mile drag strip, and my top speed is around 75 mph, and that's in 4th gear somehwere between 5000 and 6000 rpm.

[FM4SOLO]

I run a 1.48 third and 1.04 fourth. Haven't had to go back to second, haven't hit the rev limiter in 4th. Very easy to drive. Run either 20X9, or 22X10 Hoosiers, depending on the take-offs available.

Charles
72 Lynx B

[Lynn]

I really have no idea how any of my three transaxles are geared. The only thing I know for sure is that the one which cam with the "Beach" has a 4.25:1 final drive. The notes that came with the car have speed in gear calculations for 1.70, 1.65, 1.56, and 1.48 third gears and 1.48, 1.32, 1.22 and 1.04 fourth gears. The 1.65 third and 1.22 fourth are circled.. However, the speeds in gear which is circled does not seem to correspond to the circled ratios.

Every other car I have info on seems to have the lower final drive ratio, so maybe a 1.65 third and 1.22 fourth makes sense. I also know that the transaxle from the Lynx which is now in the "Beach" is geared higher.

[77fmod]

Lynn,
If the Zink has the same tranny in it that I had built, then it is has a 1.56 and a 1.22. I currently run a 1.48 as I beleve that Scott N. does, also. I really wonder what how the new 1915 motor is going to be with this gearing..

I have found that with the 1.48 I never had to go to 4th on a national course. I use 4th on any course that is too long for 3rd and re-geared it so that if I do go to 4th I shouldn't have to go back to 3rd... However, I can only recall one course where I had to use 4th... Theoretically, it should top out some where around 80 mph.

Hope this helps,
JGB