gear ratios in z31 compared to z32

[vgVQ]

what are the gear ratios in z31 compared to z32's. Any info or links would be great. Thanks

[evildky]

the Z31 used a long snout R200 diff, the Z32 n/a uses a shoprt snout R200 and the Z32TT uses an R230 Diff, the long snout is not interchangable without a lot of custom work

[mtcookson]

Z32:

90-96 NA - 4.08 viscous R20090-96 TT - 3.69 viscous R230

90-96 FS5R30A (all models):1st - 3.2142nd - 1.9253rd - 1.3024th - 1.0005th - .752Reverse - 3.369

90-96 NA RE4R01A (auto)1st - 2.7852nd - 1.5453rd - 1.004th - .694Reverse - 2.272

90-96 TT RE4R03A (auto)1st - 2.8742nd - 1.5443rd - 1.004th - .694Reverse - 2.275

Z31:

All R200:84-86 NA - 3.7 open84-86 Turbo - 3.54 open87-89 NA - 3.9 open87-89 Turbo - 3.7 - 4/87+ had clutch type LSD, 1988 SS had viscous LSD.

84-89 NA FS5W71C:1st - 3.3212nd - 1.9023rd - 1.3084th - 1.0005th - .759Reverse - 3.636

84-86 Turbo FS5R90A (Borg Warner T5)1st - 3.3502nd - 2.0563rd - 1.3764th - 1.0005th - .752Reverse - 3.153

1987 Turbo FS5R30A (different case design than Z32 FS5R30A)1st - 3.3242nd - 2.0773rd - 1.3604th - 1.0005th - .751Reverse - 3.382

88-89 Turbo FS5R30A (different case design than Z32 FS5R30A)1st - 3.3242nd - 2.0773rd - 1.3604th - 1.0005th - .711Reverse - 3.382

84-89 4N71B (auto, all models)1st - 2.4582nd - 1.4583rd - 1.0004th - .686Reverse - 2.400

[Zwicked]

Good info! Isn't the R230 a tougher built unit as well than the 200?

[mtcookson]

I have seen a few broken units but I think they were mis-treated. If you have a manual transmission, you can definitely break them. With an auto it is much more difficult and if you drive the manual transmission correctly, you won't break them. The R200 is said to withstand just as much abuse though. Axles would probably be the first to go and the R230's and 90-96 Q45 R200 are the largest compared to the rest that I've seen.

There is one larger set though and that comes in the Armada. The flange axle's bolt pattern is quite a bit larger than the TTZ's and I'm sure the shaft is larger as well, but am not sure about that yet.

As an idea of the size, they R230 is slightly larger than the coveted Ford 9" rear end.

[Zwicked]

That's a good comparison as the Ford 9" is a pretty proven street dif. I was considering the NA rear dif/subframe/axles swap to get the lower gear ratio, but held back because of the build, especially since it's alower gear ratio and apt to get tortured more.The Leader gear setup seems to be a good one, but it is a little pricey with installation.

[mtcookson]

since it's a lower gear ratio

Higher ratio

I would actually reconsider going with a higher ratio differential. The lower ratio puts a higher load on the engine allowing quicker spool and also has the benefit of reducing traction issues among other benefits.

I highly recommend finding a Mazdaspeed Miata (turbo 6-speed) and test driving it. That is one of the worst gearing setups I've ever seen... the gearing is so short that the torque the engine is able to make, due to the turbo, isn't given its full potential. Basically you're constantly shifting because the engine accelerates very fast in each gear. Go with longer gearing and the engine will accelerate slower but will be able to put the torque down longer making the actual acceleration difference quite minimal. Some boosted Hybrid Z members have actually noticed quicker times by going with a lower ratio differential. I have noticed TT guys having quicker times with the 4.08 setup but I have a feeling there is something not setup quite right or their power band is just way too narrow (maybe turbo spooling or sizing issues... I'm not sure).

Personally, I'm doing a twin turbo setup and will be going with the 90-96 Q45 3.538 R200. Wide gearing for minimal shifting, quick spool, better traction, and better cruising fuel economy to boot among other benefits I'm sure. I'll definitely post results once I have them.

High ratio differentials are really best for engines with a narrow power band and typical boosted engines rarely have a narrow power band. Normally you'll see normally aspirated engines with narrow power bands and possibly centrifugal s/c setups. Some turbo setups have narrow bands but generally that would be due to improper turbo sizing.

[evildky]

the R200 is dagn near boullet proof, the only ones I've heard of braking were under extreme drag race abuse conditions, power isn't what breaks them it's traction, unless you are a hardcore drag racer makign north of 600 whp the R2900 should do you fine, the R230 in theory would be a bit stronger should you actually need it

[Zwicked]

Woops! Yeah, I said that backwards a higher "ratio", not to be confused with the slang of "low gears".

I've driven a 300tt with the Leader 4:10 setup and it's pretty impressive, just a little costly. I would have thought it would make the 1st gear a lot worse for how soon you have to shift, but it's doesn't feel all that much different. 2nd is a rocket, and 4th feels like 3rd. The difference feels like 50 HP or more.For normal driving it's much more usable on the street and it's not even bad on the highway as far as rev's go
Modified by Zwicked at 3:32 PM 2/7/2008

[mtcookson]

That's actually one of the things some of the Hybrid guys pointed out when swapping to a lower ratio. They said it surprisingly feels slower but they actually ended up going faster.

I'd actually be interested to see what kind of time difference there would be with the 3.69 R230 vs. the 4.10 Leader gears and not the R200 swap. Traction issues aside, there really shouldn't be much of a difference if both spooled at the same time and neither had to shift before the end of the race or were in a bad spot of the power band near the end.

[Zwicked]

No idea on times, but the seat-of-the-pants dyno sure feels a lot different between the 2.

[mtcookson]

Basically all that is really happening when you put in a high ratio diff. is there is more torque output but for a shorter period of time.

There are always going to be times where a high ratio diff. would be way better than a low ratio and vise versa. When it comes to an auto cross, I'd prefer a high ratio diff. as you're generally on a low speed track with tight corners (sometimes wider gearing would be slightly better but only if you have a very wide power band). On a road course you'd generally want relatively close gearing but setup for a higher top end speed due to the larger track.

For drag racing you need gearing for top end speed but want to shift as little as possible. As an idea, most of the fastest drag cars run only 2 or 3 speed autos. The top fuel cars run no transmission at all... its simply a straight drive with a clutch.

All depends on what you want to do. Personally, mine is a daily driver and sees a lot of highway time so that means I want to start off with a low ratio diff. for good highway economy. I know I'll drag race it every now and then so the wider gearing will be good for let the turbo V6 sing through each gear, and finally with a different-than-normal turbo setup I'll be doing I should have a very, very wide power band which means the wider gearing will work good for me on the track as well auto cross or road course. The car won't be really optimized for any one race of course but should have a happy medium for all and that is what you really need to figure out for your car.

[Zwicked]

The one I drove really was much peppier in town with that setup and on the highway at 70 - 80 mph wasn't really even revving badly that you would worry at sustained speeds.I likely won't do it as it's pretty costly for the Leader gears and installation, and I'm not a serious track guy and really only use my car on the street as a hobby car so I'll probably put the money into some other upgrades.

[mtcookson]

Actually on the highway you'd be surprised the difference a slight drop in RPM would make on fuel economy. In my MR2 Spyder, 1.8 liter 4 cylinder, it would would sit right under 4,000 rpm @ 70 mph and I'd get maybe 30-32 mpg. At 65 mph I got 35 mpg.

Another thing to consider is the EPA fuel economy ratings between the TTZ and NA Z. They both were rated at 24 mpg highway. The TTZ not only has the restrictive turbochargers on it lowering efficiency but also has lower compression lower efficiency but the lower gearing apparently helped out enough that it got the same fuel economy rating as the more efficient NA.

[Zwicked]

Surprisingly, that car (my brother's actually) at 60 mph on a long trip now gets better gas mileage than it did before! It's probably operating in a more efficient portion of the power band.

[mtcookson]

Yeah, different mods will definitely change the efficiency point of the engine. Generally... your peak torque will be your peak efficiency. If your peak torque is low in the RPM that will generally peak your peak fuel economy. You just really have to test different speeds to find your car's particular peak efficiency.

[vgVQ]

Wow thanks guys that is a lot of good info! This must be why my friends love this site.

[DunnJH4]

...... Another thing to consider is the EPA fuel economy ratings between the TTZ and NA Z. They both were rated at 24 mpg highway. The TTZ not only has the restrictive turbochargers on it lowering efficiency but also has lower compression lower efficiency but the lower gearing apparently helped out enough that it got the same fuel economy rating as the more efficient NA.

1. I thought the whole idea of a turbo was to not only add power but improve efficiency? Maybe you are just saying stock turbos suck? My buddies turbo'd S2000 makes crazy high mileage cruising on the highway, I'm guessing because of his turbos and a healthy dose of carbon fiber! Teach me more Nissan Guru's!

2. So for making a "street legal" track car would anybody recommend the 4.10 gears? I have 5 auto's so I'm not worried about it being my econo car. I wanna get my car into the... 11's? Yeah, sounds good. I'm slowly amassing funds to do whatever it takes and still have a bit of a looker!

[mtcookson]

Technically putting on the turbo makes both the intake and exhaust system more restrictive than having just straight pipes... but I think generally the extra efficiency comes from everything else you do to the engine. You put a turbo in the way but you're also, usually, putting a more efficient intake/filter on with a free flowing exhaust. You'll usually get the car tuned, which means the fuel and ignition is optimized further increasing efficiency, etc. etc.

You can hit 11's with either differential really. Since the differential gear ratio is easier to change the the transmission gear ratio you're basically tuning your final times with the differential so to speak. I don't know a whole lot in this area but I'll give you a couple scenarios below that kind of reflect my thinking.

Lets say for instance you cross the lines at 120 MPH and you have the choice of a 3.538, 3.692, and 4.10 differential. With the 5-speed and stock tire sizes you RPM in the final gear would be like so:4.10 in 4th @ 120 - 6,701 RPM3.692 in 4th @ 120 - 6,034 RPM3.538 in 4th @ 120 - 5,782 RPM

You can tell that in 4th gear @ 120 MPH the 4.10 differential gets you closest to redline. I believe power production will play a big role here though so that will be something else you would have to calculate in. With the DETT this shouldn't be the case... but, if for instance your engine doesn't make a whole lot of power in the upper range, basically falling on it face near redline, it would seem one of the lower ratios would make the car faster since your would have more power to the ground at that particular RPM (this I'm not positive on). That all just goes into the total tuning of the car.

With that said... due to the nature of the DETT, being that it flows well at high RPM, I'd say the 4.10 setup would probably be the quickest to 120 in this scenario.

This next scenario shows you where the differentials can make a large difference in the end of the run. Same scenario above but say you hit 140 mph by the end of the track...4.10 in 5th @ 140 - 5,879 RPM3.692 in 5th @ 140 - 5,294 RPM3.538 in 4th @ 140 - 6,746 RPM

Notice how the 3.538 is still in 4th gear at this speed while the other two had to shift... this is where I believe the lower ratio differential would become superior. You have one less shift and since we know the DETT has great high end power it should still be making plenty of power at that RPM.

That's my take on it. I'm planning on doing testing between the 4.08 and the 3.538 so it'll be interesting to see the outcome.

[FalloutTDI]

I was searching through google and came upon NICO with this topic. Hopefully someone can help me!

I'm doing a swap with a TDI to produce a high MPG GT cruiser. Already have the componets, I'm just trying to do some of the fine tuning. Current 5th gear on the R154 (Mk3 Supra) trans mounted to the TDI is .75 and the stock NA R200 is a 4.09, which will put me way over peak torque at 75MPH (my interstate cruise speed). I would like to use the 3.36 (preferrable) out of the 350Z auto or the 3.545 out of the Q45 (fall-back), but I don't know if they will transplant into the Z32 NA carrier, or whatelse may be involved.

Anyone familiar?

[mtcookson]

I definitely need to see some pictures of this project... TDI = badass.

I'm working on putting the 3.538 gears out of the Q45 into a Z32 NA diff. but haven't had a chance to do it yet. From what I've seen, I would think either of the pinions and ring gears would swap into the Z32 case but it seems like shimming is the most important part of doing so. That's my understanding of it but I'll find out for sure when I try the swap.

[coupe240sxguy]

Hey, thanx for the info guru's... I plan on putting a z32 dett into an 89' 240 and was wondering which setup would be best for my car since it is a lite weight car, about 2600lbs, compared to the z32, 3287lbs - 3502lbs. These weight measures are from here say.

My plans are to drift, and do some time trials on road courses, also this will be my everyday car. Not going to invest much into it. I am not wealthy so dont expect me to make a track car. Wish I could... wanting a manual trans that I can put on with an adapter or direct fit to the powerplant just want to hear my options on this.

I have done some research but when it came to the transmission and diff it left me stumpped.

[mtcookson]

Transmission wise I'd just use the stock TTZ 5-speed. Very strong, great gear ratios for the VG, and, of course, it bolts right up to the engine so no need to screw with any adapters or anything.

Since it will be a sort of dual purpose car you'll need to decide which one holds more importance to you... street driving or track driving. For the drifting a higher ratio differential will probably be the most beneficial as it will allow you to put a lot of torque to the wheels making them easier to spin. I'd say the higher ratio diff. will also work fine for the road course as well since you won't likely be topping it out speed wise (though acceleration wise you won't likely see much of a difference between the two, depending on your power and power curve I believe the lower ratio diff. can be faster in cases like mentioned above posts). If you happen to have enough power or the track is big enough that you actually reach the peak speed then I would definitely go to a lower ratio diff.... but I don't think that will be very likely.

For the street, it depends on what type of driving you do. If you do a lot of highway driving I would recommend the lower ratio differential as that should give you better fuel economy. If you do a lot of in town driving you probably won't notice much of a fuel economy difference going either route.

[coupe240sxguy]

thanx