meh, I don't really get all the hype w/ gears

i swapped to 4.10s in my old mustang and there was a difference, but not a super huge one. But for $400 I couldn't go wrong. But here, for a ratio under 4.X and $2500+, not really worth it *shrug*

 

Exactly, coming from a mustang, the best bang for the buck was swapping in 3.73 or 4.10s. But yah spending 2500 is not at all cost effective.

 

It makes a huge difference on my 5AT, & it didn't cost me $2500.00. Gears: $850.00, used 6MT diff assembly: $500.00, Labor: $500.00. Now if I already had a 6MT it would have been only $1,350.00. When you look at the big picture I know people go out there & spend that much on a HKS or Ijen exhuast. IMO the gears made a bigger difference than my exhaust.

 

Exactly. An exhaust wont do as much as gears. Unless you are talking full headers back, tuned, and matched with an intake. There is more to exhaust and intake than just swapping in some new pipes and new intake. If you want it to work how it really should, things should be matched up accordingly.
Not every exhaust will work best with every intake.

With gears you can choose what you want, more top end, middle, or down low, and gear accordingly. Gears make a huge difference when you go with bigger wheels as well.

 

Btw, how is the speedo/odo controlled in these cars? (i.e., do you reprogram the ecu/swap speedo gears/etc... to re-calibrate it after the gearing)

 

It's read off of the ABS speed sensors that are on the half shafts, no re-programming needed.