CR or WR Toploader?

[427SnakeSC]

Did any of the original Cobras come equipped with a WR toploader? Is there anyone running a WR toploader with a 3.54 final drive? How do you like it? Would it be a better setup to run a WR with that final drive, instead of the CR, on the street?

[ssnake]

I believe the originals came with both CR and WR..And that was one of the reasons why 427 Cobras were so quick..The CR's with 3.31's didn't have to shift out of 1st until after 60mph. I'm running a Kees WR toploader with a 3.54 and 295/50/15 rear tires..

In my opinion, it's perfect for the street..I'm able to use all the gears and not just first.
I'm able to putt around in the other gears very well. 60mph in 4th is about 2650 rpm..It's perfect, the cam comes on at 3k.

Don

[cdnus]

This winter I replaced my cast iron W/R with a David Kee aluminium W/R with the 2.90 1st. gear.
I am running a 3.27 -295/50/15
For the street it is SSSSWWWEEEEEETTTT!!!!!!

[427SnakeSC]

cdnus, with your combo, how do you find your hole shots? Any quarter mile times?

[Anthony]

I had thought that all of the small block cobra's with statrdard trannys had BW T-10's. I had thought that all the big block cars, except the two with auto's, came with CR toploaders, and none had WR toploaders.


If you have 3.54 rears, then I'd get a CR toploader. I ran 3.07 rears with the WR toploader, and it was fine, and maybe better with 2.88 rears. 3.31 rears may be better with CR toploader, but alot of people with WR toploaders run this rear as well.

If you consider the CR toploader ( 2.32 1st) with 3.54 rears, as the standard to be compared to, comparing overall gearing in 1st gear, with the WR toploader (2.78 1st) you'd have to run 2.95 rears to be equivalent, for hole shot purposes.

The WR tranny with 3.07/2.88 rear gears is a great combo for the street, still good holeshot, and lower rear gearing for better cruising, but the disadvantage is the gear spread is wider, about 250 rpm greater between shifts, which doesn't sound like much, but I think it does make a difference, at least in racing.

[Tom Kirkham]

3.31 and a CR Top Loader are only good for big long tracks. And MMP is not long enough. For street use this combination is very hard on the clutch. I know, because that is what is in my car and as soon as I have some spare time I am going to change either the trans and make it more of a street car, or change the diff gearing and make it more of a race car. Basically, the CR top loader transmissions are best for racing and WR are best for the street. Note that the TKO600 CR gear ratios are almost the same as the top loader WR box with the addition of an OD gear. All of our customers who have WR TKO600 have not been very happy with the gear split from 4 to 5.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Tom Kirkham

3.31 and a CR Top Loader are only good for big long tracks. And MMP is not long enough. For street use this combination is very hard on the clutch. I know, because that is what is in my car and as soon as I have some spare time I am going to change either the trans and make it more of a street car, or change the diff gearing and make it more of a race car. Basically, the CR top loader transmissions are best for racing and WR are best for the street. Note that the TKO600 CR gear ratios are almost the same as the top loader WR box with the addition of an OD gear. All of our customers who have WR TKO600 have not been very happy with the gear split from 4 to 5.

I think the 3.31 rear doesn't really fit either the CR toploader, or the WR toploader, or shgould I say take advantage of the gear ratio's of the tranny. It's not steep enough for the CR toploader, like you eluded to, and with the 2.78 1st of the WR toploader, it's maybe too steep, and really doesn't give that much advantage in street cruising. I think the 3.54 is fine for a CR toploader, and for the limited highway cruising, it's fine for that as well. The 3.07 rear takes advantage of the WR 2.78 1st, and also allows you to cruise with the 3.07's on the highway.

I would guess the perfect rear gears to use for a CR toploader would be 3.54's or 3.77's, and with a WR toploader, 3.07's, and 2.88's.

On paper, I could tell that the TKO600 with the 0.68 OD would be way too much of a jump from 4th.

My stang runs a CR toploader with factory 3.91 rears, and it's fine for highway driving. My Olds has a M-21, with 2.20 1st, and I run 3.36 rears, and its fine as well, starts out fine and cruises fine

You can make about any combination work for the street, the question is what's optimal for what you want to do? Everything is a compromise, unless you get a custom CR T-56, or a Richmond 5-speed. Then you have the true close ratio gears, and can gear the rear for cruising as well.

[427SnakeSC]

Thanks for all the great advice guys! I'm thinking that I'll go with the WR toploader for my set up. I really don't like the idea of riding the clutch going through plazas or parking lots. Thanks for the insight!

[cdnus]

I don't believe there is any combination of trans,gears & tires that you can run that would allow you not to ride the clutch in plazas & paking lots unless you run a automatic.
The fact we mostly run engines that were never built for that purpose would seem to make your goals somewhat optimistic, especially when you ask about hole shots & 1/4 mile times it would appear you are leaning more to the performance side than the grocery getter.
All I know is that my combo ( the 3rd I have tried ) seems to be close to perfect for me & my use.

[decooney]

I've run both in my car, same size tires as noted above. Tried a CR/3.08 and custom bull nose WR/3.31. For the street with a torquey FE powerplant I prefer the WR 3.31 setup, but in both case I found my 428CJ could pull through the gears easily on both. If I were on a track with 3.54s or 3.70s, I'd be more apt to consider the close ratio instead. The WR/3.31 is really hard to beat on the street, longer gear spacing which is nice. You'll find many old threads on clubcobra about this. DC