3.25 gears in a deuce

[Fatboy Tim]

My T5 question has been well answered and I dont think cutting up the original K member is the way to go.
Now thinking about 3.25 final drive from 3.54 at the moment, engine is warmed over 284 with Ross pistons etc.
Anyone running 3.25 in a Deuce that can give an opinion?
Thanks for looking.
Neighbour Dave

[Cheaterpete]

I have a 32 roadster with 255 french flathead, full ported, literio l100 cam, milodon valves, lightweight flywheel, T5 and winters quick change, my car weight 980kg, my final gear is equivalent to 3.07 and that is fine as long as you cruise on highway, in 4th gear the rear axle will then be equivalent of 3.30, and it is really nice to drive.

IMO, 3.25 with 3 speed will be less fun because you will stick with 2 gears only to play with, but if it s a cruiser, it should be just fine

[Andy]

I have a 3 5/16" by 4" in my 32 5W. It also has 19 tooth Zepher gears. The rear is a 3.25. I love it. I have a very steep driveway and it goes up in second with ease. A high winding first and second gear is a pleasure.

[Fatboy Tim]

Thanks Andy, sounds perfect, I'm sold!

Thanks for replying.

[JM 35 Sedan]

I have a friend who was running 3.25 rear gears in a light weight track T roadster, powered by a mildly built 8ba engine, and had a stock '40 side shift transmission. This combo ran well for him, however, he is now running a T5 transmission and a Winters QC that he bought from the Dick Spadaro. He didn't make this change because he was unhappy with 3.25 gears, he just thought he would rather have the QC with T5 instead.

[Fatboy Tim]

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Thanks John, yes he is no doubt right but I'm keen to keep the chassis original.

Big fear is that i wont be able to launch at the drags as got a good time at the Vintage Nationals in the UK here two weeks ago but i reckon the torque will get me off the line.

[HotRodmicky]

I had a 276 with 3.25 in a 32 , and it drove great!

[TJ]

Bear in mind that the size of your rear tires also has an effect on the gearing.

[Bruce Lancaster]

Another available no-mod way would be the Mitchell overdrive...it is built into a replacement torque tube. I think there are two ratios available. This would allow a good town/acceleration gear like 4.11 and a high cruising ratio with no need fro frame mods. I have no personal experience, but a LOT of people like the things. Old Fords need more gears to have happy gearing like a Lincoln, and this seems to be about the cleanest way.

[Jason in TX]

Bruce is right. an OD in the torque tube is excellent. Lots of options.

Listening to you say you want to Launch at the Drags, why not go with a quickchange. Then you get to continue to play with gear sets, and swap at the drags, and it looks cool.

[Fatboy Tim]

All good comments and appreciated - looked at the Mitchell but somehow seems not right, quickchange is the way to go but I'm Scottish so tight with money!

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated, ps got in to the 16's at the drags so not bad for a boat anchor engine.

[Bruce Lancaster]

Quickchange...max cool points, but requires as much hacking as a fat transmission. Gives planning flexibility, but no right now while driving flexibility.

[tubman]

Aren't there a couple of guys who have the T5 to torque tube deal all figured out? (I think one of them was "Heard".) I'm a shoebox guy so don't pay a lot of attention to the earlier stuff, but I seem to remember seeing something a couple of months ago.

[Bruce Lancaster]

T5 to torque tube has been solved...but I think concern here is frame.
OD options known to me:
V12 Lincoln trans...LZ gear ratios plus 4.44 rear give a very nice spread of ratios, but the OD requires frame hacking galore. Would be a nice rig with right K member.
Columbia...same possibilities and benefits, expensive, not real strong.
Mitchell...apparently bolt-in with no original parts modified. Original tube goes into storage.

[Fatboy Tim]

Yes neighbour next door (hence my name) has a 35 cabriolet with the Columbia, "driving on tenterhooks" is what he calls it.

Thanks for the advice though, all appreciated.

[Andy]

I think Columbias must be fine but I had one for a while. I did not like that it was spinning the differential all the time. It works by speeding up one axle and the differential evens it out. I thought it looked weak. This was 30 years ago and I wanted to hammer it so I put in a 3.00 Maverick. Never a problem.

[Fatboy Tim]

Yip that seems to be the case with the Columbia.

[Mart]

Originally Posted by Andy

I think Columbias must be fine but I had one for a while. I did not like that it was spinning the differential all the time. It works by speeding up one axle and the differential evens it out. I thought it looked weak. ..

Hi Andy, i don't know where you got that idea. (well, I can guess, it does look like an overdrive on one side of the axle).

It doesn't work like that. The drive from the crown wheel is taken off to one side, through the planetary gearset, and back to the conventional diff. The axle shafts work as normal. It's quite clever. Think of it as an overdrive between the ring gear and the diff carrier.

Hope this is useful.

Hi Dave. I think if you were going from 4.11s to 3.25 you would really feel the benefit, going from 3.54s to 3.25 is not a massive change, I reckon about 8% difference.

So if you were doing 3500 rpm you would be doing 3213 rpm.

The t5 with a torque tube is still going to require K member mods.

I did mock up a volvo overdrive box in a 32 frame and it stood a chance of being usable with no or very minimal k member mods. Downside is that it would need an open driveline conversion.

The other option would be a volvo type overdrive in the torque tube. I have been interested in this for a while but have never got beyond the looking at pictures stage.

The 3.25s are looking better all the time.

Mart.

[Jason in TX]

Electric Volvo overdrive in my 1934.

27% OD with the flip of a switch in any forward gear.

This is basically the same unit as a GearVendors and GearVendors supplies these ODs for Rock crawlers, race cars, big trucks. I think they hold up.

[Mart]

^^ neat job, Jason. Any more pics, or details of the mods to the shafts? How is the unit oiled?

Mart.