600hp, 4th gear?

JakeBrakeIH

JakeBrakeIH

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Dec 24, 2010
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Yaphank, NY
At what point do most of you guys start using 4th gear while pulling? I know most of the tracks in the midwest are super tight power tracks, meanwhile up here in the Northeast that is hardly the case, with just a few exceptions. With that being said, is 600-650hp enough John Wayne to spin 4 sts with stock 3.73s in 4th gear? Also when coming down down to the last 20' or so, do you guys just unlock the converter or shoot down to 3rd? Just looking for some different opinions and thoughts.
 
E.carter

E.carter

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Feb 16, 2008
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Princeton, Iowa
Thats a very tough call, I have said oh shucks a few times when reaching for fourth. I usually have good luck hitting fourth in the 8000lb class even on tight tracks but when your in the 8500lb class fourth I have found to be a very bad idea. I hit lock right out of the hole and unlock towards the end when the pan drops our I feel my speed dropping. I love the way my truck takes off when unlocked in fourth gear. I also have no idea where I am power wise but I just know it runs very well.
 
ecc_33

ecc_33

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Aug 10, 2006
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Amanda, Ohio
I experamented with this a bunch. I live in ohio so tracks are tight. 4 sts's and you will not be able to hang with that power in 4th gear. stay in 3rd. I was running the same and went to my drag tires which is toyo at's and tryed 4th gear and could hang it on loose tracks 285/75/16. I would still have to unlock the tc at the end and that was at 8000 pounds with 1000 on the nose. All in all i still went with 456 gears and still had to unlock the torque converter but that was with 35 inch dc at's only on tight tracks though. If you run alittle smaller tire and a good not so biteing at tire like the toyo or something similair you can run 4th but make sure you got a unlock switch for the end of the track.
 
Schwinn68

Schwinn68

little gearhead
Jan 9, 2008
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Minooka IL
I agree with ecc. the unlock switch is key for trying fourth. I had those sts on my truck for two hooks. first one was in third gear on a tight track and it pulled the truck down so bad at the end, it almost snuffed the truck. I'm running about the same horse level as you are.
 
JakeBrakeIH

JakeBrakeIH

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Dec 24, 2010
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Yaphank, NY
I have an unlock box so that would be good. I guess I will just have to bump up my pressures and try it on a looser track? I also have a set of 305/65/17 ATZ's I could try on the super hard tracks? Its almost like this HP level you either need to regear to get some RPMs back in 4th or stay in 3rd with 35" tires or something?...
 
WisconsinHick1

WisconsinHick1

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Mar 11, 2009
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Minnesota
This next year I am looking at trying 4th gear. I have some where in the range of 600 - 700hp. I am running 305/65/17 KM2's. They seem to hook hard but I feel I am running to high of RPM's and I am thinking of trying to get some more boost out of it also.
 
B

bubba2400

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Jul 19, 2009
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Union Grove, WI
Six of the STS's should help too. Remember if the motor makes power at 3k rpm and you can run 4th at 2700-3000rpm it will most likely be faster than third. Just have to look at some gear charts and try it when it doesn't matter to see if it will hang.
 
RichLMM

RichLMM

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Sep 5, 2010
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North Kingstown RI
bubba2400 said:
Six of the STS's should help too. Remember if the motor makes power at 3k rpm and you can run 4th at 2700-3000rpm it will most likely be faster than third. Just have to look at some gear charts and try it when it doesn't matter to see if it will hang.
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on stock internals we're not gonna want to lug the motor that much i ran 4th with 35's at the last hook and it dragged the motor down to 3K while the truck hooked and took off it was cringing listening to it
 
WisconsinHick1

WisconsinHick1

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Mar 11, 2009
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Minnesota
RichLMM said:
on stock internals we're not gonna want to lug the motor that much i ran 4th with 35's at the last hook and it dragged the motor down to 3K while the truck hooked and took off it was cringing listening to it
Click to expand...

Maybe my 33's will run a little higher RPM range in 4th. If the motor goes then its time to upgrade. :thumb:
 
JakeBrakeIH

JakeBrakeIH

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Dec 24, 2010
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Yaphank, NY
WisconsinHick1 said:
Maybe my 33's will run a little higher RPM range in 4th. If the motor goes then its time to upgrade. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Haha I wish it was that easy to build lol.

So I could do a few different way I guess...

A.) 4 33" sts 4th gear

B.) 4 35" duratracs 3rd gear

C.) 6 33" sts 3rd gear

It really sucks, like mentioned earlier the tracks around here are marginal at best. I know of maybe 3 tracks in the area that are power tracks.
 
WisconsinHick1

WisconsinHick1

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Mar 11, 2009
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Minnesota
JakeBrakeIH said:
It really sucks, like mentioned earlier the tracks around here are marginal at best. I know of maybe 3 tracks in the area that are power tracks.
Click to expand...

Im in the same track condition position. Maybe 2 or 3 around here are ok. The rest are all over the board. I will try 4th gear next year and see what happens.
 
SmokeShow

SmokeShow

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2006
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Lawrenceburg, KY
For the 600-700ish level I like the stock gears with 35s winding out 3rd gear! Start making 700+ & it's going to really wrap the rpm up in 3rd & you'll be able to hang 4th.

But then it's time to re-gear so you can get into 4th sooner (<100') and be wrapping up the RPMs hard by the last 1/3 of the track before unlocking or spinning out if it's as loose as you say.
 
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