I have only posted twice on this forum but I do read a lot. Many of you guys really surprise me with the amount of knowledge you have.

I bought an '03 s2000 about 6 months ago. I have read here a lot about many of your guys installing 4.77, 4.44 gears in your car... Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference and can this mod damage the car?? And what kind of performance boost does one expect out of this mod...I am sort of afraid of changing anything in my car because I dont want to mess with it.

 

First this should be in S2k talk. When you want to know how to install it, come back here.

Second, to answer your question.

If installed correctly, the gears are perfectly safe will not hurt anything in your car. Performance wise, I think its estimated you can drop .5 seconds off your quarter mile with the 4.57 gears. Doesn't sound like much, but believe me its a big difference.

4.44's are a good choice as well, a little cheaper, a little quieter. 4.77's I wouldn't do unless it was a dedicated track car. 4.57's are probably the best option around though. Strong and liveable for for daily driving. If you do it, you should consider getting a Comptech Reinforced diff as well, its just a little added insurance. Its not usually the gears that break, but the diff housing (which is the part that Comptech reinforces).

So, to end it off. Gears are a harmless (though can be expensive) way to get better performance... AS LONG AS ITS INSTALLED CORRECTLY. If they screw up the install "BOOM". Otherwise all is good

BTW, you won't see a HP gain with gears. HP stays the same, what gears do is give you a mechanical advantage... It changes how the power is used. You excellerate faster with the same HP basically.

 

^thats pretty much it.

 

I personally just got a 4.57 pumpking from Hardtopguy.com (shameless plug for Jeff!) and everything worked out as planned.

The 2 gears I would opt for are either the 4.44 or the 4.57s.

I chose the 4.57s b/c of it's availability and slight performance over the 4.3/4.44s. They will make a little bit of noise, but honestly, even w/ the top up, radio off, AC fan off, you'll barely hear the whine at about 3500RPMs-4000RPMs in 6th gear. And it's not noticeable unless someone pointed it out to you. And trust me, I am anal as hell about this stuff -- but i have NO regrets getting the 4.57s. They will make a bit of noise during break-in though.

IF you're worried about the noise however, get the 4.44s -- unforunatley they are much harder to find and they don't offer the slight performance advantage of the 4.57s.

I would never get the 4.77s. It's only good for the 'feel' of speed. But on the track, you'll find yourself limited in top speed, as well as some of the shorter tracks out there, you may find yourself against redline earlier then you want to be at the end of a straightaway. And hwy crusiing w/ the 4.77s will be horrible too.

 

Gears, one of the best mod I ever did for my car.....

 

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Well, I had 4.44's and switched to 4.77s and its night and day difference. I cruise on the higway at 80 mph at 5k rpm roughly.

They aren't just for feel and they really don't take much away from achieveble top end. Figure a stock geared car can maybe hit 145-150 on a flat road, top up, and the acceleration from 135-150 will be forever. With 4.77, your top speed is still 144 vs 150 for 4.57, but acceleration in every gear is improved, and you will hit your top speed with little resistance.

Regarding tracking the car, I dont' believe this poster said anything about that. What you say may prove correct on the track, I'll take your word for it.

But, if the poster is driving around town, mild highway use I really can't see why the 4.77 wouldn't be the best option. I've never talked to anyone who was disappointed with the 4.77's, certainly can't say that about the 4.44's and several have been only mildly impressed with the 4.57s.

Do yourself a favor and go to a meet, drive in cars with 4.77s vs 4.57 vs 4.44 and decide for yourself what's best, don't let me or others scew your decision. People will typically point you in the direction of what they have done, not necessarily from actual experience.

Good luck, get some gears but do some test drives first.

 

To see the difference "gears" make, find a post by "Wisconsin". He has a vid tagged into his signature. He's a mod in UTH.

 

I just saw the video that Wisconsin has on in signiture and that was a hell of a difference!!!! That makes me want to get those gears tommorrow.

What is the cost to have them installed?

 

I have 4.77's from Hardtopguy as well and I like them. As for my 'lower' top speed, I have never been over 130 and don't plan to be that high again, so a lower top speed is irrelevant. Yes, I cruise at a higher RPM, but when I put my foot down to pass, shifting is now an option, not a requirement. Ultimately, it's up to you.