LightningQuick, I live in West Virginia and it was in the 50's last night when I raced a Formula Trans Am. My only mods thus far are Superchip & Flowmasters. I was at a dead stop, launched from idle and got very little wheelspin. My tires do spin slightly but not very much at all. It's just a small bark when the truck first gets moving. I am hoping that if I feather into the throttle during the first 10 feet or so that I should not have much more wheel spin than I have now. What da think??? HANKFAN

 

This could go on and on all night.Im done for now,Im tired.I really wish someone who has compare traction loss times to reg times besides me would step in.Im not making this stuff up.Your first 100 ft is basically the whole race in an automatic.Ive seen traction loss be the culprit of losing serious times.Im also not talking about the whole 1/4 mile.Im talking just about the first50ft or so.Just because you 60ft times are only off by a couple of tenths doesnt mean thats all you lost from spinning.Im not going to be talked into this being true.Ive been there and seen it too many times.

 

Since I am also considering the change over, I would like to hear from others that have changed to 4.10's.

Your thoughts, a waste of $$$$? Or well worth the bucks?

------------------
Jim
jim@jimshaw.cc

Black 00, Swanson Chip (Superchip re-burn is on the way)
super whites, Airaid w/10" Big Mouth filter, chrome wheels
AIM 2" drop shackles, Mobile1 w/FilterMag, clear corners
2000 E320, 1993 Cobra R, 1959 Corvette, 1949 Plymouth Coupe

Looking for a better paying job to support my L

 

Videoman, I am wondering what kind of warrenty problems I might have after I install the 4.10 gears? I know that they will not warrenty the 4.10 gears but I wonder if I will run into probelms with them warrenting other parts of the truck? The main reason why I wanted Ford gears was because I doubt that most Ford technicians would be able to tell that I had the gears replaced since the only difference would be the teeth on the ring gear. Any thoughts??

HANKFAN

 

LightningQuick, I respect you opinion. I just would like to know how the 94L had the same 60 ft times as me, when he had 100 less hp than me?? Several friends watched the race and I did not spin at all and the 94L spun slightly at the launch. It only makes since (to me at least) that it was the gears. I respect your opinion but would like to know what else would make the above true?

HANKFAN

 

HANKFAN-The warranty issue, at least with my dealer is-"If I had put in 3.73's they would cover it as a added option (which it was)
for 12 moths or 12,000 miles. Since I had them install my 4.10's too many people at the dealership and track know my mods to date, know I race regularely at the track to lie.
They said FMS gears or al parts have 0 warranty. Because they have to return broken or damaged parts under warranty they
couldn't warranty the gear set but would everything else.
Remember you still have a set of 3.55 (dread the thought of putting them back in!!!) They have NO PROBLEMS with my other mods but will take chip, filter out in case factory rep has to look at it. Worde case scenerio you may have to buy another set of gears(rather unlkely, though. Have fms 4.10's in my 94 Cobra 3 years raced all the time until I stated playing with the L-no problems. Stick is harder on gears then an automatic, also.
The gears DO HELP ON THE STREET. Like I told Lightningquick" You have to learn to LAUNCH DIFFERENT!! (from one who has gears and others will back me up),
'YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN YOUR LIMITATIONS !!!!!

Can I Get an AMEM!!!brothers
LOL
Dan

 

Videoman, Whats the best way that you have found to launch your L on the street??

HANKFAN

 

Well, hell's bells, I installed my 4.10s so I wouldn't have to suffer the embarrassment of sucking C5 or L1 exhaust away from a light. Traction is not a problem now, but if it becomes so after I get my chip I will head over to Lancaster and get some Cal-tracs. I didn't get this truck to eat bow-tie dust. Oh, btw, another reason for the 4.10s is that once chipped top speed should go way up, 10 - 15mph.

------------------
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

'84 Alan Record Carbonio, Aerospoke wheels, Campy brakes.
'00 SVT Lightning, silver, G-tech Pro, JBA headers, cam bolts, 4.10 gears
(soon, Swanson's chip and MAF, Cal-tracs)
2001 Kevlacat 2400, twin 115 Evinrude FICHT, Raytheon VHF, Radar, and Sounder/DGPS chartplotter

gmvye@pacbell.net

 

You can always attack the traction problem (once you have it) with traction bars, sand bags, weight redistribution (ie. move battery to back), etc. I'm trying to locate a set of reasonably priced Ford Motorsport 4.10 gears(no Thank You Downs's Ford). Please let me know if anyone knows of an available set.

Thanks,

Lightning Bob

[This message has been edited by Lightning Bob (edited 07-24-2000).]

 

LightningBob, I called virtually every Ford dealership in the country and only found one set of 4.10 Motorsport gears. I hope you have better luck finding a set than I did. I guess you could always buy a set at Downs Ford for $550.00. Yeah Right!!

HANKFAN

 

Anybody know who made/makes Ford Motorsport gears?
I don't care whos' name is on the box. I just don't want to have a problem during or after installtion.
I talked to people at Superior Gear and Genuine Gear today. Both have 410's for the Lightning 9-3/4" rear. About $350 list. Anybody have any experience with either companies gears?

Lightning Bob

 

I have to weigh in on the side of traction control. My L is stock, I live 1 mile from the ocean, a hot day is 78 degrees. I am traction chalenged at all times. The other day a ricer wanted to make a go of it, I gave it a lttle too much gas and spun the tires about 60 feet. The guy ran with me door to door, finally hooked up and left him like he was standing still. All the gears and all the horsepower in the world won't do a thing for you unless it can be applied to the pavement. We already have huge tires and it sounds like the new L's are coming out with bigger rims to help out with the 20 extra hp. If you can get the 4.10 rear end to hook up you will go faster but like someone else said the tires can only provide so much friction. What we need is 18" MT radials 300/45/18 all rubber, 1 groove down the middle. Just my 2 cents. Group buy??? I'm in.

 

L Bob,

The ford motorsports gear was made at the Sterling<sp> plant. this is the same spot where the all ford gears where made(9.75-10.25) The nice thing about a factory gear is, 99.9% of the time it's a simple bolt in. You don't have to worry about a new set-up on the gear pattern. Still have to check it but thats the easy part

I have the US Gear made 4.10's. At the time I did this thier was no shim kit for the 9.75. My rear still has just a little coast humm

I think someone ask for input from someone who has 4.10's? If it was worth it?
Hell Yeah I would do it again, just by now I hope someone is making a shim kit for it.

 

On the subject of loss of traction...
I have a few slips running mid-high 7's in the 1/8. This is PSP chipped and filtered. I had little problems with traction, even though on the street I can spin thru first gear... (I usually let up after 1st, don't want to hurt my baby!) During those 1/8 runs, I and a few other L racers at the track noticed some slight pinging.

This week I added some octane booster to reduce the pinging. Well, the added power from slowing down the ignition rate to prevent the pinging was more than I could handle. I spun the tires a lot on EVERY run. I ran consistent low-mid 8's. I finally put the chip in the STOCK position, and ran consistent low 8's, still with noderate spin. I'm sure the track conditions changed, but so did the weather. Hotter and more humid than the previous runs.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that tire spin is, and should be, considered a DRIVER variable. The stock tires give a set friction constant... the power of the vehicle can already overwhelm that constant... 4.10's would still help if the DRIVER can control the tire spin until the truck is moving fast enough to handle the additional LEVERAGE provided by the 4.10's... In theory anyway.... Can someone verify this?

 

Jigawatt

I asked the question. Mine are going in tomorrow. I'll let you know.

------------------
Jim
jim@jimshaw.cc

Black 00, Swanson Chip (Superchip re-burn is on the way)
super whites, Airaid w/10" Big Mouth filter, chrome wheels
AIM 2" drop shackles, Mobile1 w/FilterMag, clear corners
2000 E320, 1993 Cobra R, 1959 Corvette, 1949 Plymouth Coupe

Looking for a better paying job to support my L