I'm looking into gears for a rear end (ideally the ford 8.8) and don't really know how many of you guys are going into 5th in the quarter. I would like to be around 400-500whp.

I imagine all the stock trans/rear are easily going into 5th. I'm used to the civic/integra world and going into 5th was something I usually tried to avoid....but the s2000 have a 6th gear helps keep the 5th shorter (compared to a civic)and keeps a redlined speed in 5th around 125mph(AP2).

Is 5th durable enough (at least for a s2000)? From what I've been reading, first and second are the gears that fail the most.

I am looking to either run a long final gear (3.55) to keep me in 4th, or stay short and end the quarter in 5th, revving to ~8400.

Before everyone says a 3.55 is much too long....consider that at the stock 04-09 redline of 8000, the shift points are almost identical to a 00-03 at 9000 (I realize the powerbands will be a little different). If I had an ap1 I would just go 3.90 and call it a day.

AP2(4.10) - AP1(4.10) - AP2(3.55)

38 - 44 - 44
58 - 68 - 67
80 - 94 - 93
102 - 120 - 118
126 - 144 - 145
155 - 172 - 180

Anyone running a "long" rear end setup and/or have any issues with 5th gear?

 

Well AP2s 5th and 6th gears are actually a little longer than AP1s. Obviously for 1/4 mile racing purposes, you would want to finish the quarter at the top of whatever gear your in and shift as little as possible. I've never heard of anyone running 3.55s in an s2k, or even where to get them. I know some of our higher hp people (like Joeyballs) traps around 135 in an AP2 and really doesn't like the 4.10s. Personally, I would probably swap to 3.9s as soon as I broke 400whp. With 400-500whp you'd probably be trapping around 125 (total guess on my part), so if you were revving to 8500 you could probably get away with finishing the quarter at the top of 4th with those 3.55s.

 

I have a 3.9 in my 8.8. I am hoping to stay in 4th as well. At 9000 rpm with a 26" tire I should be able to go 132mph at 9000 with an ap1 trans. With tire expansion on the slick I would assume I can get a little more. If I extend the redline to 9500 I can get 140mph.

My dad's ap2 with stock gearing and 650+ whp feels like the gears are way way too short with the redline at 8500. Too much shifting.

 

I would plan for the future need be. Are you ever going to go beyond 500whp? How high are you going to spin the motor. Assuming stock motor and 500whp, with the stock ap2 transmission a 3.55 isn't THAT tall. It's actually the shortest I would go personally. The 3.9 wouldn't be tall enough to keep you in fourth. Even at 9500 you would be at or below 130mph which is feasable on a ~500whp setup so you would be cutting it close.


We ran the r200 in the S because the 8.8 wasn't available at the time, and they have no options for taller gearing. We had to shift into 5th at the track on the stock trans and it sucked. Even the V160 has similar gearing to the stock S2000 6 speed so the rear end is the only option for taller gearing.

 

If I had 3.90 gears I'd finally have a 10 second car, taller is better, 4.10s are not ideal, except for 5th and 6th gear highway pulls

 

I'm sure down the road I'd like to make more power. I've been entertaining the idea of 3.27 gears as well. More than likely going to go 3.55 and use a 255/50 16 drag radial or similar sized slick.

 

3.27 would be way to high u would be so laggy man have u looked at the gear to speed calculator

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

8000 rpm and 3.27 would top out at
46
71
98
125
153
188

Stock tire size......but still doesn't seem too extreme.

 

Keep in mind many of the 450+ exotics and vets run 1st gear out to 60mph, when the S tops out in second gear at factory. But We also don’t have the bottom end grunt of almost of these cars with 4+ more cylinders, so the right compromise has to be considered. I think for you 500whp+ guys, running a 355-373 rear is probably where you want to be. Of course the ap1/ap2 trans has some differences so this will have to be considered as mentioned. Ideally you want what ever gear to hit peak rpm at the finish, with the least amount of shifts that your power can effectively pull, for some it may be ending in 4 and some may be faster ...or a wash with ending in 5th. How much gear can your motor pull effectively for max acceleration? That’s what it comes down to, and of course making it hook.

 

It really just depends on the setup, unless they have very unusual gearing aka not a stock trans or V160 then I agree. As far as quarter mile is concerned any setup that needs a 3.27 in it to trap in 4th gear would have a V160 in it. With this combination and 10500rpm redline ~190mph is achievable. 3.27 would be even too tall for most 1000whp setups. At a 10500rpm redline with a 3.55 the car could tap 170+ and stay in 4th gear.