Mailbag: Correcting Speedometer Gears for Accurate MPH Readings
Q: I am having trouble finding the correct speedometer gear for my 1970 Mustang. The car has a top loader 4-speed transmission and a 4.10:1 rear-end ratio. I’m running 26-inch-tall rear tires, and a 21-tooth speedometer driven gear. The 21-tooth gear is the largest I can find, and the speedometer reads about 27 mph fast. Do I need a special reducer?
A: Based on the information you’ve provided, it sounds like you have an 8-tooth drive gear in the transmission. You can change the drive gear to a 6-tooth gear and use a 19-tooth driven gear to correct your speedometer reading. If you’re unable to find the correct combination of gears of however, you can have a custom reducer made at a speedometer shop.
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Would you share the math behind the advice? I am considering swaping my car’s tires for slightly bigger size and that could come in handy.
We’d recommend you check out TCI’s website: http://www.tciauto.com/tc/speedometer-gear-calculator
Under their tech resources tab, you’ll find a speedometer gear calculator that can help!