4:56 gear on the street

How does a 4:56 gear handle on the street? Mainly around turns and curves. I have had several "expert" hotrod guys tell me that since I am using a Powerglide with a 1:76 ratio gear I need a higher rear end gear to get me off the line quicker. Can someone give an idea on how it would handle? Thanks, Rob.

It will probley plant you in the seat pretty good and be a bear streetlight to streetlight amd on top end the motor better be right cause she will be cranking some serious rpm!

I found a RPM calculator on the internet and from what it said im only going to be at 2800 RPM at 55 MPH. 55 MPH is the usual speed around here. I have rode in box trucks along our road and they didn't seem too bad.

I found a RPM calculator on the internet and from what it said im only going to be at 2800 RPM at 55 MPH. 55 MPH is the usual speed around here. I have rode in box trucks along our roads and they didn't seem too bad.

it should handel like any other camaro that gear should not make that much difference other than when you let off it it should slow down easyer

Gas...................$$$$

no long distance cruises

Better have overdrive if you want to go out of the city limits.

I'm not too worried about gas mileage. I had never planned on driving it every day. Just building something to have a bunch-o-fun in. The reason I asked was because I have to travel a bunch of cow trails to go anywhere. Thanks for the help.

Like Jeff and Joe said you will be stuck around the house. You won't be able to run down AA. I have 456 in the Firebird and it is not cool. My top cruising speed on AA is 45 to 50.And that is with very tall slicks. You won't be able to put that tall of a tire like I have so it will be worse on you. Will it go faster. YES IT WILL. but the problem is you are taxing your engine. Keeping it at 3k or above for a long time will put alot of wear and tear on your engine. The 34 had 411 in it when I got it and I blew the engine driving out the highway to the Pioneer Park grillout when I first got it.
You ask about handling? It will handle and feel the same in the corners. If you are refering to the Chevelle when it skipped and chirped into a corner that was becase of the spool. A posi with clutches doesn't do that. That spool is why it drug the tire in sharp turns..I could take you for a ride in the Firebird but you would have to sit in the floor to see what 456's feel like. I'm going to change mine to 373's this spring if I keep the big block in it..

What would be a better gear than the 4:56 to keep the motor alive longer? I'm willing to lose some power to keep the motor alive longer. The thing I'm having trouble with is the Powerglide needs a high rear gear to get it to move along. I was thinking about putting that Turbo 400 in the car with 3.73's but I already have too much money in the Glide. Thinking about it now I might do that. Put the Glide back together and save it for the next car.

That may be a good way to go. with where you live and you having to get to town I would go 355 or 373. You could go 411's but you would still have to take it easy. It would get really old really quick. I get ticked off just driving from Newport to the property right past I-275. When I use to drive to Ronnies house I wouldn't drive the highway I would go through Covington and hit Dixie and drive all the way to his house. It took 3 times as long but at least I wasn't beating the eyeballs out of it.

What would be a good converter to use with the 400? I know that with the Glide I was going to have to go with a fairly big converter, 3600-4200.

Figure out what cam you gonna run in that 350 first......you dont what to over gear or go too big on the converter.......

I think he's using the famous 515 515 . I may be wrong. Did you get the cam already?

Yeah I got the .515"/.515" Cam specs says it needs gearing, a big stall converter and headers from what I remember.

Rob if your going to drive this car on the open road the 400 turbo is the better choice its built strong enough to hold up to a high horse motor and still cruize the hwy. If its straight line draggen or streetlight to streetlight you want the by all means the glide with a stiff set of gears the thing about the 400 is you can still run a fairelly large gear set probley up to a 391 and still cruze the hwy. and not over rev the motor and stay in your power band as well with that cam setup either will work it just up to you to decide what you want to do with the camaro tow it to the track or drive it and hope nothing breaks the powerglide can be fun but it needs to be used more for the track and a little street use if you got someting to prove to a ford owner LOL if you think you can.

I just can't remeber who told me to get a Powerglide?

How does the Glide with a 3:90 gear sound? I'm putting the 8.5 rear end in the car. I could always if I wanted to change the ring and pinion when I go out to the track.

After a little number crunching, here is what I have come up with. As far as takeoff goes, a 4.56 with a power glide would take off like a turbo 400 with a 3.23 gear. Nothing to write home about in my opinion. Then on the top end, it would be revving out the wazoo. I have had the 3000 rpm at 55 mph thing and I don't recommend it. On the other hand, with a 3.90 gear the top end would be fine but on takeoff it would be like a turbo 400 with a 2.73 gear. Need i say more about that? I think that I would put the 'glide aside for another project. You might want to consider something like a 700r4 (I think that is what it is). They seem to hold up and they have an overdrive. I don't know if they are expensive or how hard they are to come by but it is just an idea.

The reason I wasn't wanting to put a 700r4 in it was because that is what came factory. Even on all the Camaro rebuilds everyone puts a 700r back in the car. I was wanting something different. On another site I frequent, it seems like the majority of transmission problems come from the 700r4. Next in the Chevy line would be the Turbo 350. I rarely see problems with Turbo 400's though.

With the 400 in second gear and a 3.90 rear gear and 26 inch tall tires I will be at 2000 RPM at 52 MPH.

With a 3:90 gear on the powerglide at 2000 RPM I would be at 51.59 MPH. Hey, how did you calculate that stuff up?

You told me that this car wasen't going to be a every day driver and you wanted to run it at the track when you started and i said use a powerglide there was less to go wrong with them and the drag racers all seem to use them now are you going to drive it everyday or just to thrash on on weekends everyday the 400 . if what you want is to beat the eyeballs out of it on the weekend the glide we have two different applacations here . which is it?

I have told ya' several times that it is not going to be a drag car. I have said countless times it is not going to be a everyday driver. WEEKEND CAR. I am trying to build it STRONG above anything to take a beating! I don't really care what it runs at the track, I'm not about the numbers. I am about the fun. Now with that said, I am still trying to figure out which to use. Im probably going to go with the Turbo 400 and 3:42/3:73/3:90 for the street, then when we go up to the track put the Glide in with a real big gear like a 4:88/5:13.

Just put the 400 turbo in it. It is strong enough to handle what ever you put in it. Build a decent small block and just beat on it some and down the road you coulkd change the stuff around. With you living an hour out in the boonies you need something that you can drive 55 or 60 MPH at least without taching the engine. If it was me I'd stick with a mild 28oo stall and 355 gear for now. You can always move up later if it's not fast enough for ya. Think of it this way. Joe ran in the 10's in the 1/4 with a 330 gear. It's a 10 second street car that can cruise to your house and baclk without over doing the engine. Other things you have to understand besides the engine is with that hi RMP of a 456, 411 ect you have stuff like over heating. The more rpms the engine turns the hotter the engine will be. Oil break down and other stuff. With a Hi stall speed you are still taching the engine hi even without a gear. A car with a 308 gear and a 4000 stall will still be taching almost 4K going up a steep hill. Same effect with the engine you run a hi stall the trans will be under more preasure. I'm not trying to slow ya down but with where you are at and it being your first car on the streets you would be better off with less to start out with. Not stock just not full race. When you speak of 456, power glides with 4k stalls that is pretty racey stuff. Like I said if it was me I'd stick with a mild 2800 to 3K stall and 355 gear for now. I know it is very confusing but look at everyone that has a fast car and ask about gearing, cams ect. Not everyone will agree but you will get a more clear pic.