Thread: 57 Chevy Cruizer

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Ok, back to the plans for the car itself... I was going to run a T-56, but after Pro Z's warning on the poor shifting characteristics and a salesman buddy of mine letting me take one out and test hammer (err, test drive!) a car with a T-56 in it I've decided to go a different route on the drive train. After some conversation's and emails with Richmond Gear and Gear Vendor's Overdrive, I'm considering using the Richmond 5 speed with the road racing synchro's and other parts along with a Gear Vendor's overdrive unit bolted on the back of it where the tailshaft housing usually goes. Talking with guys who run or have run on the salt I know it's slippery, so it would seem that some very close ratio's in the transmission along with a very close eye on the tachometer one should be able to get through the gears smoothly and keep the engine in a torque range that will accelerate smoothly without a lot of "peakiness" in the torque curve. So, with the Gear Vendors unit adding an in-between gear to each of the 5 gears the Richmond has I think I've come up with some satisfactory ratio's... For clarity, I'll show the gear ratio in the tranny, then what the gear ratio becomes when you hit the button and go to overdrive;

1st- 2.89:1
od- 2.26:1
2nd-1.85:1
od- 1.45:1
3rd-1.31:1
od- 1.03:1
4th- 1.00:1
od- .81:1
5th- .77:1

I can't imagine where you would use every gear while upshifting, but some practice with which gear or overdrive version of it to use would give some very smooth and constant acceleration!!! This set up I believe would also allow for a lot of choices in rear end ratio based on what kind of driving you're planning on doing!! Heck, if 5 gears are fun then 9 has to be almost twice as much fun, right??????

PS---Just for grins, some Saturday night around town I'd have to dig out my old set of 6.00:1 on a spool gears and see just how many times I can shift getting across the intersection!!!!!!!!

Dave-I would think by the time you bolt everything together,you would have spent the same amount of money as buying a ST1200 Lenco. The Gear Vendor stuff is $$$ expensive.I did look in that direction for my RV and decided by the time I got back the gas I saved,I would have sold the RV long before that.

LENCO ST1200 Street/Strip transmission

Here is a interesting post on Yellow Bullet compering both the Liberty and Lenco. Seems the nice point about the Lenco is you can adjust the shift pressures so you if you have a slippery track,you can soften it up some.

Lenco ST1200 vs Liberty Transmissions - Yellow Bullet Forums

Well that and a number of gear ratio's you have to choose from:

http://www.lencoracing.com/HowaLENCO...IOSmaster.html