Highway rear end gears on city bus??

[runnysucklehose]

I need to get some more speed out of my 87 Flx Metro. I am considering changing out the rear end. I will post the gear ratio tomorrow after I find out what it is. There is a 3 speed allison trans, I beleve it is a V731 and the rear end is geared for city driving. I have heard that highway gears are hard to find for this V drive bus, however turning up the engine and adjusting the govner or putting larger tires on the back, sound like half a** solutions as they will eat more fuel and put extra strain on the already under powered engine. I just want to be able to do 50-55 up hill, but I am no speed daemon.

My questions to you all are...

Has anyone ever done this with there bus, flx metro or other similar bus, and if so what gear and pinion did you use, and how did it work when it was all said and done?

Also, where is the best place to find new gears and pinion?

Will doing this affect fuel mileage and hill climbing ability positivly or negitivly?

And, are there other options that would help other than changing the gear and pinion?

I am getting about 60-65 MPH flat ground, but I am really loosing speed on hills. I have a new engine going in the bus right now and a newer transmission, so i am thinking that that may get me some more power on the hills.

[the_experience03]

If you're losing speed on hills, swapping to a higher (numerically lower) gear ratio is only going to intensify the problem. There is a fine line between ground speed and hill climbing power. Just ask any drag racer who gets spanked on the street because his car tops out or any street car guy that get's spanked on the drag strip because his highway gears don't allow for all out acceleration.

My suggestion would be to fix what you have and use that as a reference point. If it still isn't livable, THEN fix the problem.

Of course you could always try my solution.....sit back and enjoy the scenery on those long uphills and the straights. After all...it's about the journey, not the destination....atleast in my bus.

[runnysucklehose]

sorry about the lack of details. My bus had a 6V71 and it is getting a 6V71. I bought the engine from Blacksburg VA transit. They had it remanufactured by Detroit in 2000, installed it on the cradle, and there it sat untill I bought it. I am 90% sure it is not a DDEC as it has a mechanical govner. The info the mechanic gave me off the axle tag is...Rockwell model 59733WX30

Customer number, 97-5358-31

Serial Number NKA 86060364

He has all my manuals and I am waiting to hear from him on what gear ratio it in there now. If you can figgure it from the model number let me know.

Sorry that I have not done more research on this before asking a bunch of questions, but I am on the road right now and the mechanic started work earlier than I expected so time is of the essence. So thanks...I'll get some more spacifics later today.

[the_experience03]

Oh PLEASE PLEASE uncork that exhuast. There is nothing sweeter than the sound and smell of a straight piped two stroke detroit in the morning....or afternoon....or at 3:00am for that matter.