VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 gear ratio

Can anyone tell me if the rear end gear ratio can be changed to get some extra speed? My 32 seems be able to get to about 43 mph only. It runs best at about 35 mph. This is not very acceptable on any of our back roads let alone a highway. I remember being in a 31 years ago and the fellow drove it up to around 55-60, it took some time to get up there but was able to. Thanks to all for the help on this.

3.50 gears have been available for the 1930-32 models for years, and there have been many discussions about them here in "Chevy Chatter" as well. The gears have been advertised in the G&D, and they sell for around $750 per set as I remember. With the 3.50 gears you can drive your car at 60 to 65 MPH with ease.

If you can not get above 43 mph you have a serious problem with the engine or a brake dragging or ??? A 1931 should run 55 mph all day long. A '32 will run 55 -60 mph all day long. I would check timing, condition of spark plugs and other ignition parts. If that is ok then I would do a compression check. If that is ok I would get the carburetor checked out. Of cource you might also check the calibration on the speedometer to be sure that it is really 43 mph and not 63 mph.

Hey a '31 Chevrolet is a modern automobile with the "New powerful Overhead valve Six cylinder engine" and a '32 even has a modern one barrel downdraft carb!
If a stock 1928 National Sedan with a big old fat man driving can hit 55 MPH on the flat, after fixing the badly dragging rear brakes. I would suppose a '31 or '32 six should hit at least 70 MPH!

What the heck is the hurry. It is an antique auto, relax, enjoy the scenery. I've been in Startford and there are hundreds of pretty roads around there. Jerry, are you a member of the VCCA and the regional group? If you are interested contact me. Regards, Gary

Thanks JYD I did see the discussion forum. The car has the original engine (#'s matching)with only some minor work done on it about 30 yrs ago. It's still all original internal except for new piston rings and bearings. At 40 your would thinks the rpm was max'd out. I did replace the carb with a rebuilt one and it's not any better than the one I built myself from 2 others. I do get backfiring if I don't run a little choke. Still a Carter No 1. Timing was checked, plugs OK. Temperature is normal. No indications why. And JYD it will do 8-12 in high gear all day long. Idle set to around 700 rpm. Distributer rebuilt also. Can anyone add anything else and I will try before gears at about 1000.00 CDN? I will join local VCCA shortly Gary. Is there anyone in the Stratford area? Thanks again for all your help and interest in helping me.

Exactly! Take your time, enjoy the scenery and check out the bugs crawling along side of the road. There are a lot of interesting things to see out there when you take your time. :cool2: :p

i have been looking for a set of 3.50 gears for my 31 talked to larry jackson and he has none possible he will make some in 5 years . i am going to make some dont know the price yet . will keep you posted . my 31 will run 50 -55 but you know its running . may be running 70 because i can pass mack with no problem on the flat lands of texas i dont think the speedometer is that far off. maybe some one knows of a set for sale and i wont have to make them oldpush

There is a man in my local VCCA club who has a set of Larry Jackson`s 3:50 gears still in the box that he has had for years and has not installed them yet in his 32, When I see him I will ask him if he wants to get rid of them. I bought mine from Larry about 3 years ago and installed them this past summer in my 31 and it certainly makes it more user friendly on todays roads, Runs very comfortably at 55-60 without winding it up like a banjo string. I just checked my records and I paid $879.00 for the ring and pinion and a speedometer adapter. :)

Ya, those Larry Jackson gears are sweet and they are the only way to go for highway speeds. :cool2:

hoppy if you could give me his number or check with him soon i would be thankful . i need to make a move soon geting the billets made and machine work takes a little time and i want to drive in a few months . toms big tour in utah. put the test on that puppy . thanks

Old Push, It is good to hear you didn't turn into "Frosty The Snowman' on Christmass. I don't always drive 55 but it is good to know it will go that fast just in case I do get in a hurry, God forbid!
You better send in your reservation for the SST if you haven't already, you never know when it will sell out! You probably already took care of that before the big snow!
I need for you to come up here and help me again, I have another flat on Klinkerbelle.

I have to agree with Chipper and Mr. Mack. If you can only pull a little over 2000 RPM (43 MPH) you haven't reached the max power of the engine and adding a numerically smaller ratio could actually slow you down. In 1957 my stock 32 coach (split manifold)had no trouble reaching 80 MPH, but you certainly wouldn't want to hold it there. It cruised easily at 60. If you are holding it at 43 due to noise rather than power, that's a different story.

Try spraying carb cleaner around the intake manifold and carburetor base to see if engine RPM increases as a check for vacuum leaks. Get the engine running well before deciding on ratio changes.

george a 31 is a different engine sofar as balance and engine mounts they run a little smoother . my 34 and 35 run very smooth at 55 cant hardley tell the enging is running but diff in 31 . larry jackson has sold atleast 25 3.50 diff sets and been on tour with 3 of them and they dont seem to have a problem pulling at 55 the owners say they would do it again. if a person has a engine problem it may be going backward .

C.I. said it was a 32 and I compared it to a 32, not my 33. 43 MPH with a 4.11 would be 50 mph with a 3.50 at the same RPM, not a significant enough change to warrant the expense IMO. If he could improve his engine performance to get 51 mph, he could reach 60 mph and cruise at 55 with no problem after installing the 3.50 set. I am not denigrating 3.50 gears.

I wonder if others who have had both 32s and 33s have found the 32 to have better acceleration, maybe the shorter stroke?

Maybe its a flatlander car you want-Then go for the 350 gear ratio-However you decide the mathematics for the 411 will not change your engine performance-Engine RPM is the only variable assuming nothing else has been changed-After driving 750 miles in the hills of Vt. in my 32 sedan I find there are benefits to the 411 gears.And yes it will do 60 on the pike, but I would hardly call it a "highway cruiser".

Hey PUSHROD!! Larry Jackson is now taking orders for his 3:50 Ring & Pinion gears, give him a call at 805-441-2627. I will send you a private e-mail with phone # of the man in our local club who has a set of those 3:50 gears.

I missed the early part of this thread, but I chuckled when read what CI can push his car up to. My '32 maxes out at about 45 mph, which is fine when I consider I have no seat belts or air bags and I'm riding on tube tires. I think I'd like to get the 3:50 gears only because it sounds easier to cruise around, but I'm in no hurry to get on a highway.

I'll agree with Skipper about taking my time, and plus I don't have to feel guilty when someone gets on my tail. Like Sammy Hager says: I can't drive 55!

Hey Ed, I have a set of larry jacksons 3.50 gears In my 32 coupe. I can cruise all day long at 70 to 75 MPH with a problem. It makes no difference If I go up hills or down hills. I can cruise without even hardly holding onto the steering wheel. Oh, I should really take the car out of the trailer when I go cruising Actually I can cruise at 70 MPH without any problem and the chevy handles like a new car. Just ask young Bruce DeFord JR.

Don,

Do you have any mods other than 3.50 gears? I find the disparity of speeds attainable (43-75 MPH) with these cars a little strange. Any tuning tips?

Heavy, there Chevy, The A/C feels better when you are about 20 feet ahead of the 32 doing 75 down the Interstate, and you know it is snug as a bug in a rug back there in the trailer, and you have it AND Lubbock in your rear view mirror!
After all it only takes another bale of them frogskins!

Hey Mackie Wackie, Happy New year to you and the boss. No kidding, I can drive my 32 at 70 with those gears and the engine purrs, And the rpms are not turning that high for the speed the car Is going. George 33 Eagle, I have original 32 spark plugs and original 32 coil Im running and my engine timing Is perfect. One thing that made a great big difference was when Skip Geear told me to set the spark plugs wider then what they originally were set to and to change the timing from where It was originally set to. With the steering being all redone and new tires, The car drives as good as Mackies Model T cars.

Yeah, Donald but your old Chevy don't go putt! Putt! putt! Knock! Knock! grind! Putt!Putt!

Oh, I have no doubts about the value of putting those gears in to reach those kinds of speeds. I just consider the kinds of front-end or deer accidents we can have around here in upstate NY. In a modern car I have the protection of seat belts, air bags, modern tires, modern brakes, and so forth - so the extra time it takes me to get somewhere is an easy tradeoff.

Yeah Ed I hear ya;
We here in the Northeast don't have those wide open roads and big sky to do 70 mph. Most of our traveling is done in the shade of those rolling Ramapo mountains and along side the steep Allegany cliffs. Add in confused bears and crazy squarrels, along with headbeam shocked deer it's a distaster waiting to happen.
Besides, I'd have to shift to a lower gear every 300 feet around here.
Yeah, my rearend is just fine the way it is.