Hi Todd,
There are 2 common S10 OD ratios in the NWC T5's, the .72 and .86. I found the easiest way to differentiate was to put the transmission in 5th gear, mark both the input and output shaft at the 12:00 position. Rotate the OUTPUT shaft (rear) 360 degrees and observe the position of the mark on the input (front) shaft. If the input shaft has rotated less than 270 degrees your ratio is more than likely .72, if it's rotated more than 270 degrees it's more than likely .86. Not an exact science by any means, but able to be done at the j-yard before you pay for the box.
Based on what I'm running....the .72 OD, 3.42 R&P, and a 28.5" tall rear tire. Most of my driving is either around town or on the 4 lane...not much 55 mph stuff. First through fourth are great in town...you don't stay in 1st gear long even with the 3.76 ratio and you can putz around at 35 mph in 4th with no lugging. OD for my 70 mph cruise has me spinning a conservative 2000 rpm's and have no problem dropping down to 45-50 and accelerating with traffic. Fourth gear at 70 mph is well under 3000 rpms.
I'm very happy with my Camaro 3.42....tried the 3.08 but it was way too tall for the .72. You'll just have to run the numbers, keeping in mind that the 235 sweet spot is between 1700 and 2400 rpms for a basically stock engine. I think I mentioned before that a 3.73 might be a viable alternative with a .72 if you lived in the hills/mountains or were wanting to pull a trailer.
As for axle tube warpage, I used a stick welder, ran short beads and used a wet towel to control the heat. I've noted no problems.
I used 255/70/15's on 5 lug 4-3/4" pattern 15X8 with 4" backspacing (62" wide Camaro diff) and 235/70/15's on 15X7 with 4" BS on the front. I have no clearance issues but would recommend 235/70/15's on 15X7 with 4" BS all the way around. This would allow you to rotate your tires and give you a more level stance. BTW...the 15" rims clear the front 5 lug disc conversion and tie rod ends with room to spare.
As for the steering, I am still running the stock steering box, 18" steering wheel, and 32 psi tire pressure. Power steering (Toyota) is down the road. I also lube every 1000 miles.
Hope this helps.
Dave
