350 ci v8
i dont have a nova but im going to get one and i dont know much about final gear ratios and i want to have more perception on them? if i ran a 4.11 would that give me faster acceleration and lower top speed?
You need to choose a gear ratio that will put the rpm’s at or around the engines peak horsepower through the traps, whether that’s 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile. It’s a fine line, you don’t want to over-rev the motor, but you also don’t want to leave horsepower on the table by not turning it enough rpm. There are several variables that go into choosing the right ratio but the main factors that you need to look at are peak engine rpm, transmission gearing, and especially tire size. For example if you had a 4.10 gear with a 28" diameter tire and switched to 32" diameter tires, the gear ratio would drop all the way down to 3.55, or visa versa. Your best bet is to figure out what size tire you’re going to run, transmission, approx. peak rpm, etc. and call the Richmond Gear tech guys.