Gearing down

[indy_500]

thinking about popping a 1 tooth smaller gear on my 700 this summer, i dont' need a new chain for that right? is gearing down harder on the clutch and/or chain? any pro's or con's to this? is it worth it? i was lookin at prices and it's around $30, the top gear/smaller one is the one i should look at swapping out for better performance right? i'm surprised i don't see more threads about this on here.
thanks

[indy_500]

according to parts finder my stock gearing is 24/40 if that helps

[indy_500]

and i'm looking for something that will get me 85 mph no problem sled's a 99 xc 700. just want it to take off faster, i could care less if i could go 115

[indy_500]

i got gears to work with from my 500. i got a 22 tooth top gear, a 24 tooth top gear, a 40 tooth bottom gear, and a 41 tooth bottomer gear. the gear ratios of the 4 all mixed up r 1.67, 1.71, 1.82, 1.86

[indy_500]

then my other problem is the chain...what one i should use the one from the 99 indy 500 or 99 xc 700...go with the tighter one? anyone know what one is tighter? for correct tightness should i go finger tight then 1/4 turn out?

[indy_500]

i think i'm most likely going to go with the 24/41 gearing with the 700 chain which has a gear ratio of 1.71. stock gears on the 700 are 1.67 and that's 24/40. any opinions?

[Hoosier]

If you want better acceleration, get studs! Just kidding. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[indy_500]

If you want better acceleration, get studs! Just kidding. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

don't even go there lol

[mnguy]

You probably won't notice much difference going one tooth larger on the larger sprocket. If you want more bottom end go with the 22 on top.

Find a flat field where you can test the different combos. Pick a speed (50 mph) and starting from the same spot see how far it takes to get there with each set. As long as you have the sprockets already, do some experimenting until you get the ratio you like.

[ridindirty800]

If you want more bottom end ever just think of putting a clutch kit in or playing with the weights and springs in your clutch?? I know the old 90's indy's could gain alot from just playing with the clutching!! Just my 2 cents

[techsledder]

I second the clutch kit idea. Also you may want to give the guys a call down at Goodwin Performance. (A JD site supporter) http://goodwinperformance.com/ I've talk to them a couple of times on Poo clutching and they seem to have a great knowledge base. Let them know what you want to do and they'll suggest a set-up. I ordered some weights and a spring from them just the other week for my bros Switchback. Putting them in soon.

[rp7x]

unless you can stop the track from spining it won't matter what you do

[indy_500]

i don't want to spend the money for a clutch kit. i just figured as long as i had the gears why not try. i just want more acceleration but i still want to go at least 85 mph

[snowfish]

You may need to be a little more tachometer conscience when you gear down.

I've seen 89 gps mph once, but that was about 9100rpm. Ya, way too tight. My gears are 20/39 vs std 23/40 on my ZRT600. 77-79 mph puts it right at 8500rpm, and still climbing, unless I back out of it. Pulls like a mule from 0-70 though!

Since you have the gears, just keep mixing them up until you find the perfect blend. Just watch the revs. Only a matter of time until something comes unglued.

I do have another chain for the 23/40 gears. Can't tell you if it's different or not. Came with the sled and never switched because it's nice the way it is. Cheers.

[indy_500]

so should i reallly worry about the rpms? i'm only going from a gear ratio of 1.67 to 1.71.

[jfaub63]

drop one tooth on the top gear, run 10-62's or 10-64's with a 140-310 primary spring, run a 52-38 helix with a silver blue in the 2nd or 3rd hole, turn 7800-8000rpm. the gen ii chassis is a very fast chassis and you should have no problem pulling this gearing. do a search for clutch setups for this sled there are a ton of proven setups out there.

[indy_500]

yeah, this sled only weighs 475. she sure can fly. i was thinking about ordering new rollers, weights, and a spring. but then i need to get a clutch puller and whatnot

[jfaub63]

9100 rpm is way to high even with pipes. go to slp's websight and look at dyno sheets for their single pipe it shows dyno pulls stock vs piped. the power drops way off above 8100 rpm. i would work on getting that problem fixed first. start with clutch alignment and center to center,then check for worn out clutch components. once that is straightened out you can mess with the clutching and gearing

[dab102999]

so should i reallly worry about the rpms? i'm only going from a gear ratio of 1.67 to 1.71.

Always worry about your rpm's indy, that is what you are "tunning" to. I don't know about your sled specifically but 81-8300 would be the number that I would be looking for and tune to that. But with all this said it has already been pointed out that no matter what you do to that thing you gotta get it to the ground. Do you have an service manual, or can you find one on the net. (I never looked at poo's site to see) because there should be a chart in there that tells your different gear set ups, what ratio you will be running, and what chain you need for that. And yes, chain finger tight-then back a quarter turn. Old rule of thumb gears give u grunt, clutch gives you snap.

[RMKrick]

All this is really gonna depend on your track.If your track wont perform it dont matter how much you do to the chutch or the gears!! just my .02

[likinit2]

yeah, this sled only weighs 475. she sure can fly. i was thinking about ordering new rollers, weights, and a spring. but then i need to get a clutch puller and whatnot

I have a clutch puller if you want one cheap! I don't know much but I always gear down to go faster (from stock)....... I get there quicker too! Getting a clutch kit to overcome tall stock gearing makes sense to me, there is a reason manufacturers put high ratio gears in stock sleds. Just another name for a governor. Anyway, there is more to just changing gears as many have tried with negative results posted on many forums. So if you are going to gear down any significant amount you better get your clutch tuning boots on. Have fun!