Thanks for chiming in. I really had no idea how the gearing worked out on the AP2's.

 

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words (or more).

Gears multiply torque, and the higher the gear ratio, the greater the multiplication. I was looking at some of Wisconsin's time slips the other day, and with just a CAI and gears his car is as quick to reach 80 MPH as my supercharged car. After that it seems that the additional power I have gives me an advantage, but up to about 80 the gears improve performance as much as mild forced induction.

The reason my gear ratios were questioned is becuase (as far as I'm aware) I'm the only person here who is running 4.30's.

Now, if everything I just said made sense to you, then you can reasonably conclude that you understand all the other stuff we were talking about.

 

mostly... so you have an s2000 with 4.30 gears?

i have an ap2, and if i got a new set of gears and a light weight flywheel etc, would that make my torque higher?

I will have a CAI on there in less than 20 days.

What is your recomendations? and what are the downsides of gears?

 

Yea, I have 4.30 gears in my car, which is a little odd, because higher numerical ratios are more popular.

Lower gearing (higher numerical gearing) means that the engine is turning faster at any given road speed. That means a little more wear (but not much), and a little higher fuel consumption. With lower gears the car will pull harder in each gear, but you'll have to shift into a higher gear sooner.

Gears are a fun mod, but it will reduce the cars top speed, and you'll row the shifter a little more.

If you like induction noise you're going to love the CAI.

As for recommendations, I think the best advice I can give you is to suggest that you proceded with caution. If you can hitch a ride in or drive a car that already has aftermarket gears it will help you decide if it's the kind of mod that's right for you. They're NOT for everyone; Honda picked 4.10 gears for the car because they're a good compromise for most people and driving situations. If you want more pep from the car gears will do it, but there is no free lunch, so make sure you'll like the mod before spending your money. If at all possible, try before you buy.

 

cool, thanks MX, you have been UBER helpful. Ill try to hitch a ride with someone with gears...

what would a higher gear do? like if i went to a 4.25?

 

You can't get 4.25 gears for the car. Gear sets that will fit our car come in a limited number of ratios. 4.30's like I have make only a small difference (but work out perfectly in concert with the supercharger and the autocrosses I compete in). Remember, the stock gears are 4.10, so 4.25 or 4.30 gears are numerically higher, so the multiply torque more, and the expense of top speed in each gear. Lower numerical gears (like 3.88:1) will produce less torque multiplication while letting you stay in each gear longer. Overall acceleration would be slower, and top speed would not increase, because it is already limited by aerodynamics rather than gearing. Lower numerical gearing wouldn't make much sense unless you have modified the motor to make a lot more torque at lower revs (or perhaps in special racing situations).

My car is always available for rides, but since I have the SC it wouldn't tell you much about gears.

 

I want more torque... faster acceleration. I dont care too much about top end speed... i dont feel safe at 150+... i can do 130 and be ok. But, i'd rather get there a little faster lol.

 

4.57 gears are quick to 80. Ask Wisconsin.

 

so, how do i go about buying and installing 4.57 gears?

 

The most important thing is to have the gears installed by someone who knows what they're doing. I wouldn't trust my car to anyone who had not had previous experience and success in installing gears in S2000's. As far as I am concerned, experience with other cars doesn't count for much (it does, but I discount it).

The easiest route is to get an exchange pumpkin that has all the mods you want pre-installed. That way all you have to worry about is getting the pumpkins swapped out and returning your old unit to get your core charge back. Alan Cox Automotive in Atlanta did my diff, but there are lots of options. If there are other S2000 owners in your area that have gears find out who they used and what their experience has been. If the diff isn't done properly it will be a sorce of irritation, and possibly a source of grief, so pick your installer carefully. Sound out the guys here who have the gears you are considering. The 4.57:1 gears are extremely popular, so you have lots of options.

Check out Ricks.