If you're looking to totally transform your '86 to '09 V8-powered Mustang but without adding anymore
horsepower, well then switching to a 4.10 gear ratio might just be the best way to do so. Now,
the kit that we have here will fit the 8.8 solid rear axle and will include the brand
new ring and pinion, along with everything you need to get them in place. Price point
for the 5-star rated kit will be in the mid to high $200 range while the install will not be
for the novice mechanics out there so let's call this one a full 3 out of 3 wrenches on
the difficulty meter with a little bit more detail on that later in the video.
So I guess you could say it's really no secret that the factory gear ratios for
most earlier Mustangs like the Fox Bodies and the SN95s, and even some
of the early S197s weren't exactly ideal for scorching acceleration off the line. In fact,
it was quite the opposite. Now most of these earlier cars were either working with a 2.73,
a 3.08, or in some cases, a 3.27 and that was pretty much it until the later S197s ushered
in the optional 3.55 gear ratio. Now, with all that said, a great way to increase your
off-the-line acceleration and performance but without even touching the engine is
to install a numerically-higher gear ratio or a "shorter gear" as it's sometimes described. Now,
shorter gear ratios will help get you up to speed a little bit faster and through those
gears much quicker, with the only drawback being a hit to your fuel economy but with the days of
overdrive transmissions, it's not nearly as bad as it used to be with the old four-speed stuff.
But getting into the kit that we do have here on the table today, and again, the 4.10 ratio and
in my opinion the most popular option we have on the site in regards to ratios because it's going
to give you the most performance or bang for your buck compared to your factory ratio. But,
at the same time, it's not gonna be completely ridiculous for the street like a 4.56, a 4.88,
or something even higher. But as far as the physical construction of the gears are concerned,
well, really nice stuff from the gang over at Ford Performance as you might expect, including
the strong forged construction, CNC cut along with the lapped teeth, all finished off in this
black oxide finish. Now, the gears have been made in the USA and Ford Performance claims they're
gonna be the quietest gear set available for the 8.8 rear end. But, on the subject of noise,
a lot of times with a gear change, any noise that you might encounter might not always be from the
actual gears themselves but rather the install or the setup of the gears in your rear end.
So that leads us to our next part of this product and that is the installation kit.
This thing is also from Ford Performance and while we don't have every single part
on the table with me here for this video, it does include everything you guys need to get the new
ring and pinion set up and installed in your 8.8 properly. This does include brand new bearings,
brand new seals, shims, crush sleeves, pinion nuts, gear marking compound,
and brush to check your pattern and depth, your diff cover gasket, and even 2 quarts
here of the Royal Purple 75-90 gear oil in addition to the 4 ounce or 3.8 ounce bottle
of the required friction modifier. So basically, guys, a very complete kit and one that will be
very beneficial to either you or your mechanic when it comes time to get everything in place.
But, speaking of getting everything in place, and listen, gear installs and setups can be
a bit of an art form to get them in place but also to have them operate quietly so therefore,
we're gonna knock this one up to a three out of three wrenches on the old difficulty meter here.
It's a fair amount of work and it's going to involve some specialty tools. So again,
if you're not really comfortable with this one, guys, you might wanna get it knocked
out by your local shop instead. On the other hand, if you've done a few of these before,
you know what to expect, you know what kind of specialty tools you'll need,
and you're certainly gonna save yourself some labor and some money when it comes to the install.
As always, gang, whenever you knock out a gear change like this, your calibration
or your speedometer calibration will need to be addressed, otherwise it will be off,
more so if you make a drastic change to your rear end gears, like in this case, switching from a
2.73 to a 4.10. Now if you have a '79 to '98 V8 Mustang, you can simply replace the speedometer
gear. It's gonna be the most cost effective and probably easiest way to do this. '99 and newer
owners out there with the vehicle speed sensors, you can either change this through a handheld
tuning device or you can even look into a speedo recalibration box from Ford Performance. You can
find one of those here on the site for your ride for around a couple hundred bucks.
But wrapping things up, if you're looking to really kick things up off the line and
improve your acceleration and lower some ETs, a set of 4.10s from Ford Performance would
be an excellent choice and you can grab yours right here at americanmuscle.com.