lowering gear ratios for faster acceration!

[Ciaran 4]

i have had a problem recently with a crunching synchro into second it is gradually getting worse so decided at some point to drop the box of and replace the synchro.

thought that while im their id be aswell killing 2 birds with one stone.

wondering what i would need to replace in order to increase the speed of acceleration?

is it a matter of just swapping cogs for slightly lager ones or changing the diff aswell?

[VRmonster 1]

get a 3.94 final drive and new pinion. i think corrado boxes had them fitted, and maybe other vw models. this will drop the ratios by quite a bit enabling to accelerate quicker, but at the expense of your top end being dropped to around 110/120ish. if you wanted to gain the top end back fit a 5th gear from a mk3 tdi box (i think) and this should bring you up to the 150 mark again, but 5th is then a veeeeeeery long gear, lol. worth it in most vrs with na mods.

also just a note, gearbox off means engine out in VR6 language, so unless its a self project expect big costs.

[dubloke 4]

i have a 'rado box in mine along with a quaife atb, and have no prob going over 110/120 on private roads! the acceleration is slightly better as well due to both whells gripping like a bitch instead of spinning all the power away thru one of the wheels!

[Ciaran 4]

would be a home project how much roughly for the diff and pinion?

[andy 0]

Home project would mean no need to take the engine out, just the box. Quaife LSDs are 5 or 6 hundred.

[FishWick 21]

The Rado box is exactly the same as the Golf one. Only the yank VR6 SLC got different gearing.

Don't use a 3.94 (passat), it's too short and you'll be forever rowing the gearbox. What you want is a G60 3.68 (corrado) final drive. I got Vince to chuck out my standard 3.39 diff (too tall) and replace it with the 3.68 crown wheel when he did my Quaife. The difference is amazing, it's like adding 30hp to the engine. 5th gear punch from 3500rpm is superb as is accelerating through the lower gears.

I would say if you're planning on a chain job, get the box rebuilt with a 3.68 and stick a quaife in whilst the box is off. You'll not regret it. Low gear hot hatches will bother you off the lights no more.