I'm not having any luck searching for the thread from a while back talking about all the Mazda/Kia ring and pinion options that are available. But I've been toying with the idea of putting in a final drive that's around a 3.6 ratio, because that'll bring the '04-'05 gearing up to the same max speeds per gear as the '00-'03 cars. (Except for the subsequently taller 5th and 6th gears of course...)

Thoughts?

 

There is a 4.57 if that is close enough for you?!

 

would that not make your acceleration a little bit slower?

 

im thinking he is more concerned with top end. going to 3.60 would kill ur acceleration but it would raise his top speed...opposite of going with the usual 4.57 or 4.77

 

Hehe. 4.57 is the exact opposite of what I'm looking for - I already have a 4.10.

An '04 car with 3.60 gears will hit 44mph at redline (8200rpm) in 1st gear, the exact same speed an '03 car will hit at redline (8900rpm) in 1st gear. Considering that they both make 240hp, they both should have the exact same acceleration. (Or the '04 will be faster, if it's true it has more hp.)

Despite the fact that it kill slow down the acceleration for each individual gear, the added speed range for each gear will help tremendously in autocrosses. And I simply dislike such sort gearing when driving around town.