Transmission Choices!! Opinions Please!!!
 

Hey Guys,
I know that this is a little off of the beaten path of the drag racing scene, but it is still drags!!

I am in the process of building a new car and at this point I can set the motor and trans anywhere I need to so space is not a concern.The motor is a 622bbc with two stage NOS and injected alcohol,somewhere around 1800hp+ with both guns on.Car weighs in at 2500lbs and I have 44" tires and 4.88 or 5.13 gears in the rear. Well the choice of transmissions has come into play. We are talking about a mud car, so one of the biggest issues is that the tires are constantly loading and unloading as the car goes down the track. This transfers alot of shock loading into the tranny. I have always used th400 (outfited with the best Coan parts) and only used one gear in the tranny(second gear only) with great success and would love to keep it. Problem is I think I am giving up alot of horsepower and can get better results with something else. I also run many back to back rounds so I don't know how a clutch setup would work in that situation, I think it would get too hot.
Here's my choices,
Th400 that I have currently,
Powerglide with 1.80 ratio and all the strongest parts I can put in it,
Lenco drive with a gear reduction unit and reverser with a 1.80 ratio
Lenco gear reduction unit with a slipper clutch setup,
Lenco gear reduction unit with a foot pedal clutch.
Money is a concern but I would rather spend it once than have to cheapen out and have to keep throwing money and parts at something that will constantly break.
Many of the guys I race with have used glides but they are always fixing them and I do know that they are using good parts in them. Clutch guys are doing real well until there clutches get hot then the problems come in. I have used my th400 for 10+ years now and have never had anything major go wrong with it.
Give me some opinions on what you guys think would be a good choice for trannys in this situation.
__________________

Fred, I do not have the expertise to reccomend anything to you. I just wanted to say that you are really demented for driving that evil creature.
Dave

A friend of mine with a mud vehicle went from a glide to the Lenco with a slipper clutch and has said it was a very good move!

TS1955

All I can say is it's a blast!!! What other motorsport can you 1800hp+ in mud and just "use the force" to keep it straight down the track.
Talk about the "Illusion of control" :twisted:

Sounds like to me you've got the right set-up already.

10 plus years no problems!

You've already got it. (cheaper)

I'd stay with the T400 and watch the other guys change out parts.
Just put the extra money in the motor to make more power.
Cp

Believe it or not, I got an answer from the Guys at Coan that I wasn't expecting. Craig @ Coan told me that for what I do with the car and only using one speed (second gear) on my Th400 I would not notice or gain anything from switching to any other automatic style transmission. The way the TH400 powerflow thru the tranny is designed in second gear, it has the least amount of spinning weight than in any other gear (1st or 3rd) And going to a glide would actually cost me a lot of money and I would see no change in times. He also said this to be true if I was to use a lenco drive or a bruno.The only thing he told me that would help free up some pwer and weight would be to change out my forward drum to an aluminum drum(7-9lbs of rotating mass) So.... I guess I am going to keep what I have and set it up in the new car.