The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Only 3.55s for 53 3100?

Hello all,
I am doing pre-get it home planning on the stone stock '53 (216/three on the tree) I plan on getting this coming weekend.
Plans are to mod it little as possible to keep it old and stodgy..
As they come stock with 4.11s and I don't want to max out at 50mph, I have been looking for higher gears.
All I can find are 3.55s.
Does anyone make a 3.08 (+/-) set?

Even if you could find a set of 3.08’s, I’m not sure you would want them. On paper, it sounds good. If a 3.55 will give you 60-65 MPH a 3.08 should give you 70-75 right.

A 216 does not make enough HP to drive a set of 3.08’s efficiently. Changing to a higher gear ratio is at a cost of low speed power. Taking off you would have to slip the clutch so much it would burn out early. You wouldn’t be able to haul anything more that a cooler full of beer, nor climb any hill. Starting on a hill would be a real challenge.

A set of 3.55’s are ideal for the 215. They will give you 60-65 MPH, without sacrificing too much low end power, thus the reason that is all you find.

Our trucks were built for the roads and highways that were around in the early fifty’s. You didn’t see 70 MPH speed limits. They handle and stop great at those intended lower speeds. If you want to go 70-75 you will have to update at a minimum your braking system and ideally suspension systems for better handling..

What Phil said. My '51 is running 4.11 gears with a T5 transmission that has a .72 5th gear. When in 5th the overall ratio is 2.96 which is pretty close to the mentioned 3.08 ratio. With my bone stock 56,000 mile 216, I can cruise at a very nice comfortable 60 to 65.....on flat ground when there is NO headwind. Change either on of those two parameters and it's back to 4th gear (1 to 1) with a comfortable 55 to 60 mph.

My vote would be for the 3.55s if I were running a non-overdrive tranny.

Good Luck,

RonR

I put quite a few trouble free miles on my '50 with a 216, 3spd, and 4.11s, highway cruising at around 60.

It now has a T5 (.76 5th?) and a 3.90 rear behind the 216, and it cruises comfortably at 65.

I agree with Phil and RonR above. A few times with a slight downhill run on the highway, I've tickled some upper 70s just enough to register on the GPS speedo on my phone before I backed off to a comfortable cruising speed. One hot day coming home from work last summer, floored in 5th on a flat stretch of I45, it topped out at 72 for about 3/4 mile. The RPMs were just fine, it just didn't have the beans to climb any higher.

Good stuff here to know. So when I get my '54 235 3 speed with ASSumed 3.90 gears running down the road (after paint, put together, and hopefully get title cuz there ain't no title), I should have a decent cruze at 55-60.

I'm just looking to not cause a back up on the side roads.
Good thing I live in the country.
Folks on the highways around here are none too friendly.
I plan some upgrades to the brakes, tapered bearings, etc...for more modern streetability.
Totally agree on the lack of power issue.
Thanks for the inputs.

My '50 came with a 308 rear end and a 235 engine. It could not get out of its own way in first gear. I did burn up the clutch in short order as well.