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There are some lower ratios: #4 and #5, used in 4-speeds. The ratios are as follows:
4: 0.97
5: 0.90
6: 0.84
7: 0.78
8: 0.72
In addition, #9 gears have been manufactured by an aftermarket performance company, and are available now, with a ratio of 0.64. They cost upwards of $1000 though.
There have been other changes too. The ring/pinion ratio was 9:33 up until '89 and then changed to 9:35 from '89 onwards. Your car will therefore have lower gearing than an earlier 900 car. The factory rarely fitted #6 primaries to the later low pinion/ring ratio box (European light-pressure S models). They also never fitted #8 primaries to the earlier, high pinion/ring ratio box, as far as I know (don't think #8 gears were yet invented). They are compatible, as I can attest. I changed my primaries in my old '86 from #6 to #8 and obtained the highest ratios available with stock parts. I used first gear a lot more but it was not an inconvenience even on steep hills. Four-speed boxes had higher-still pinion/ring ratios. I do not know the numbers off the top of my head, but this is why they had the #4 and #5 primaries.
Strange, and even undrivable, combinations are indeed possible. Four-speed with #8 gears would give you a first gear useful up to about 60mph but you probably wouldn't be able to start on a hill. Likewise, a late five-speed with #4 gears would be really silly low. You could probably start on a hill in third. The rally gearset was a custom four-row chain thing, and I have no idea about the ratio although you might be able to google image it and count teeth, but this gives you no indication of what ring/pinion ratio they used.
I have two sets of #6 gears, both from European market cars, if you're interested. My experience was that they were tolerable with a 9:33 pinion/ring, but intolerable with a 9:35. I could start on hills in second gear and shift directly to fifth at 3k without lugging the engine. Cruising at 70mph, I'd be doing close to 4000rpm. It was akin to an automatic. However, on the east coast, it makes sense to have high gears. The highways are full of people speeding along between 70 and 85mph, and google maps woefully underestimates time to destination unless you keep up with traffic, regardless of legal posted speed limit.
posted by 75.69.61...
, Thu, 28 Sep 2017 12:23:09, Fri, 29 Sep 2017 09:30:26
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