Juice5.0

Ok. I've seen some info on the gear ratios for a 3.31 and 3.73 but does anyone have the numbers on the 3.55? Has anyone driven all three and can comment on their experience? I have driven a 3.31 and a 3.73 and I am against buying a 3.73 as the gears are to low for what I want. However, I havent been able to find a 3.55 to drive and am hoping to get some info on that performance. Im hoping to get a bit more acceleration/torque while maintaining top speed, good mpg, and civil driving while stop and go driving. I'm thinking a 3.55 would be a happy medium? Any thoughts?

wolfwarrior5.0

OK I have a 2013 GT Premium, auto, currently stock. I am going to change the tires and wheels to Steeda Spyder 20x11 with 315/35/20 Nitto Motivo tires which is about an inch and half taller than stock. I was thinking 3.73 gears but now thinking 3.55's with the automatic for all round D/D with some track time 1/8th mile local track.

VistaBlueFrank68

Don't forget the engine powers the wheels and there're many components in-between.
4.10 with slicks on a hard launch could snap something.

3.55 for auto, 3.73 for manual. AM has 3.55 for $10 more then the other two.

I believe Ford designed the 5.0 with marketing input - i.e... the customer will most likely be 50, male and not race (track, strip, drift, outlaw) it's a 0-60 on-ramp monster thrill machine. The Coyote is actually quicker to 60 then the Boss.

And gears are like a 10 speed bike, 1st is easy and 10th is a bitch to start in. So 3.73 is easier to start then 3.31 (Quicker) and 4.10 even quicker but 1st gear is slow ever peddle down hill in first, you'll spin your legs off. Also you are robbing your top end to do this 4.10 will steal your top speed. A Shelby will run a 3.08 to 200 mph, confused? If I had 662 hp or legs of steel I could start out in 10th speed and be blinding fast. So lots of hp gives you the option of top speed, quickness and better milage for $65K. Privilege of the rich and famous.

Cruzinaround

I am new here, but not new to this topic. The final ratio for the rear is not the end all answer for a proper setup. And if you are like me and looking for a car that you use as a spirited daily driver and will occasionally track it or want to not be embarrassed on the light to light romps with a scrappy young kid in a nice ride or head to head with another fast ride on the open roads. Yet you aren't about to dump a ton of money into a crate engine prepped with a supercharger or the mods required for a turbo setup , then you're going to go the route of bolt ons and power tune tweaks like the majority of the rides out there and leave that 5.0 Coyote normally aspirated.

Horsepower and the final drive ratio derived from a combination of the Rear Axle ratio, Transmission gear ratios and the diameter of your tires will determine if your setup is better than the other guy's.

If you go with a 3:55 rear axle mated to a 3:66 1st gear on the Manual Tran ...since the GT manual tranny ratios are what "they are", unless you modded your tranny. Then launching around 4000RPM you can go with a track setup of 17/18 inch slicks and whip those wheels at the same rate as a GT with 20 inch street tires and 4:10 rear axle. Considering most young guns go for looks over setup... you'll likely come out on top every time on track day. Just keeping in mind your car is setup for more than just track. With this setup you can stomp most 3:73 setups on 19's all day long. Depends on what they swap their tire to ... if they in fact do so. A lot of guys just run on street tires.

Then with some bolt on power additions when you're back on the street you can run with 20 inch diameter tires and find your self in still in a close run with a Stock GT Brembo running on 19 inch diameter tires. BUT, the difference is from a roll.. since you're gonna always be a bit faster with your setup. You can Whine the tranny in 5th gear and have more top end and just roll on by the other other guy. Its fun too, because you can actually creep on em coming up the side and reeling them in. From a 60mph Hgwy roll from 4th gear to 5th you're always going to beat down a 3:73 setup on 19 inch tires even similar to yours in HP. Tap that sweet spot on the power band from 5500 to 6500 RPM and you'll flyby easy. Don't hit 6th unless you want to bog down and see taillights.

From light to light its a drivers game...depends on hitting the shifts "spot on" and of course the final HP/torque you have pushing that gearing in the sweet spot RPM range. So a nice fat Exhaust with a FAT "H" pipe or Crossover, premium gas timing tune and a bigger wider cold air intake on wide fat sticky street summer tires usually does the trick for HP and torque gains through the lower RPM range.

For more oomph behind this on top end you can do other bolt ons like wider throttle body or a Boss 302 intake...but then you can expect your low RPM to take a bit of a hit. Again its about finding your sweet spot.

The bonus with the 3:55 setup is a good pocket for performance and economy. Its easier to swap tires and apply a tune than it is to swap ring and pinion. So for a dual purpose car... there's a reason a GT/CS or a PENSKE Special Edition is setup with them.

I have three sets of wheels and tires. Track, Summer and Winter.

17" track, 20 inch summer, and 19 inch Winters.

Adjusting to the slightly smaller diameter in the winter helps with traction starting from 2nd gear during inclement weather. I'm considering 18 inch tires. But the 19's served me well.

Shane780

nice write up.

I know little of the standard setups as I drive an automatic, which has a nice steep first gear.

Lots of folks have been running the stock 3.15s in the auto 3.31s or 4.10s.

I am lost on which set i should use for gas mileage. The 3.15s at 60 mph have me at less then 1500rpms, I think I might gain some gas mileage if my cruising engine speed is closer to 1800-1900.

On the subject of the popular 3.73s. On the Old School fox body 5.0s, 5 speed, long tubes, and 3.73s = awesome time and everyone knew it. When guys hear of the 3.73s they remember those days.

Cruzinaround

I ran an 84' Mustang L. Yep an "L" hatchback. I removed the 2.3 liter. And dropped in a 351 Windsor. Added in the MSD, 3 stage Nitrous and a water injection kit to squirt in Methanol over the top of a Carter 850 AFB edelbrok high flow intake, underdrive pullys, alternator kill, electric fans only and custom headers -w-no cats. And mated that to a Ford AOD and 3:55 rear traction lock on 18 inch wheels with MT comp TA radials.... Then put the GT 5.0 body kit on it. The car was SWEET. And the Comp TA's with that rear ratio and Tranny... Was a beast. normally aspirated and could pull high 9's and low 10's. I was a lot younger and a lot crazier back then. But, nowadays with these new Coyote's pushing all that torque and HP right out the showroom.... It's a good time to own a muscle car.

Ditty

Just sayin, on almost 100% highway driving tonight, after filling up and driving about 30 miles, I averaged 26mpgs, with 3.73s and a manual trans! 100% stock.

wheelspin

30 miles is nothing. Not even close to a sample. I've gotten 29.5 over 58 miles in my '14 Track Pack car. All highway. I still had 28 mpg over 120 miles on that tank. But over the next 200 miles of mixed driving it ended up about 24.
We are on 10% ethanol though, so that takes some off. Over the 5000 miles I have had the car the average is 22.5.

Does that mean it gets 29 mpg since I got that on one 60 mile drive drive?
Nah.

The lifetime average is the deal. And that will vary based on your gas locally, climate, and traffic and driving patterns.

Shane780

Try and use straight gasoline, its what the engine calls for. Where im from all 87 is 10% ethanol, 89 is 5% and 91 is mostly gasoline, usually contains an additive. I buy 91 and use a bottle of lucas octane booster, and have no issues with my FRPP 93 tune.

wheelspin

Here in MN it's legally mandated. All gas is 10% ethanol. Has been for about 20 years now.
So that's the only option.