BlackMax62

question about the gears on a five speed...What speed is reached in redline in each gear...i know a bunch of poeple have said third gear can hit a 100...i don't think my 98 can do that...just a question for all...

Thanks for the input...

saber

Curt Deiner

iTrader: (1)

Here's what I have on my '97 SE 5spd with stock 5-spoke 16" wheels. I have to get 4th gear yet. BTW, I haven't verified 5th much past 4000.

2000 3000 4000 5000 5500 6000

2nd 21 32 42 53 58 63
3rd 30 45 60 75 83 90
4th
5th 48 72 96 120 132 144

krismax

iTrader: (15)

These are the speeds.

1st 38
2nd 67
3rd 98
4th 131
5th 162 and one half

Speeds at 6500rpms
4th and 5th gen maxs have same 5 speed gear ratios.

JdawgX

What are you thinking??? 2nd at 67??? Ya right, more around 60. And then there's that 5th gear thing. you wish!!! Without completly builing the motor, running a SC (overbossted by the way) and maybe evn NOS, there's NO WAY that a 4th gen Max will hit 162 and one half. Get over it. I don't know where you got your #s from but you may want to check your source. It seems that all but 4th are pretty far off. Did you just do a calculation using the gear ratios??? Cause that eliminates the weight of the car and drivetrain HP loss. Which means that the car would not push itself anywhere near 160 even.

Slim

JdawgX, you must not be winding your 2nd gear up as far as it can go cuz I can hit very close to 70 in mine. The rest of the gears krismax posted look pretty good to me, except for 5th gear. The car's aerodynamically limited somewhere in the 140's, but theoretically...

GTNUKE

I pretty sure krismax was giving numbers based on 6500 rpms. Maybe 162 is possibly looking strictly at gear ratios and if the engine was turning at 6500 rpms. However, I'm willing to bet that it is nearly impossible to reach 6500 rpms in 5th gear. The aerodynamics/engine HP/etc simply won't allow the car to run in 5th gear at 6500 rpms.

JdawgX

You may be able to run the car up to 37 in first and over 60 in second, but the max doesn't make any power up there at all. Really after about 6000 there's not much to be had. But oh well. Last post wansn't meant to be a flame. Sorry if it came across that way. The numbers (especialy 5th) just seemed to be way too far off. Sorry if anyone took it as a flame.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

JDawg... the question wasnt "where does the max stop making power" the question was whats the top speed possible in each gear... i can get to 68 in 2nd in mine (everyone can cuz we all are have the same ratios)... and the top speed possible at redline in 5th is 162.5.... he wasnt saying thats how fast the max is, the actual top speed of a 5 speed maxima is 142.1 according to a test by motortrend, he was saying thats what the speed would be at redline... you should calm down a little.

Aaron

iTrader: (4)

Better check sx7r's posts....he hit 153.....has a shot with his apexi rev/speed meter proving it.

OzMaToz

Damn, I wish i still had my 97 5-speed. I have a 99 now, and 5th gear at 4000 is only about 100 not 120 Damn those emissions trinkets they slapped on my car. Although it could be from the weight of my subs, golf clubs, and a full back seat full of junk and in the mountains...or maybe it was that cheap Indian Reservation gas I picked up...hmmm

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

OZ, the post above says 120 at 5000 rpm, not 4000. weight has nothing to do with what speed is equal to what RPMs in a certain gear... it only depends on the gearing.

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

What are you talking about I can hit really close to 70 in second gear. 3rd i shift at about 90 or so.

RICOiz704

I hope u guys are talking about when racing and not everyday driving cause I always switch gears between 2-3000rpms...am I on crack? (Thats for normal street driving)

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

No, I think krismax is SPOT on. He's not saying that the car will do 160, but that 5th gear is has its ratio set that way. IF you reach redline in 5th, you'll be doing 162 mph

I once took my baby slowly up to redline in second just to get a sense of how I would do a 0-60 blast. My engine was screaming at red-line but the car was doing 65 in 2nd gear! I couldn't beleive it.

And 5th gear (well everything is correct, really) is correct as well. I know. The Max reaches its top speed (136 to 140mph) way before red-line in 5th, like 5800 rpms at 140 mph. If I'm going downhill, I could feasily get the Max to 160 mph, just hitting the redline in 5th.

Alot of cars have their top gears designed this way. 5th gear will be at the top or somewhere close to the engines peak torque output when the car is at top speed. That way the car is in the best position to maintain that top speed. Compare the gear ratios to a dyno graph of the VQ and you'll see.

DW

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

And the problem is . . . . ????

Just like Krismax said above, all 4th and 5th gen gearboxes are the same. 4000 rpm at 100 mph in 5th is correct. My 98 is just like your 99. If you or I (or a 97 or 96 or 95 Max) can ever reach redline in 5th we will all be doing 162 mph.

While on this subject, what I find a little cocky though is that the 4th gen comes with a 140 mph speedo, but the 5th gen has a 160 mph speedo. I guess I'm just jealous

DW

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

One more thing (yeah, I'm quite familiar with the max top end) 4th gear may reach 131 mph at redline, but probably never will. The 4th gen VQ just runs out of pep at 115 to 120 mph in 4th. Shift around then to 5th and you're well on your way to the top.

This is where the 5th gen VQ-K engine really shows its strength, because you can wind out the engine more up top compared to the 4th Gen.

Herbs

I know this conversation is more based on the theoretical, but I'm just hatin' on the fact that my 4th gen only has a speedometer to 140. I hear all you mechanics on the theoretical stuff, but unless I grab another speedometer from somewhere, I'll never know if I ever break 140. And yes, I have try at least once a month Oh well...

Loren00Miata

First, your numbers seem to match the 6/94' SE road test in Car and Driver closely, but you have the rpms and 5th gear wrong. They measure it using a 5th wheel, so it is extremely accurate. Keep in mind that your gauges may not be that accurate. By Car and Drivers numbers they should be:

1st 38 (6600 rpms)
2nd 67 (6600 rpms)
3rd 98 (6600 rpms)
4th 131 (6600 rpms)
5th 135 (5700 rpms)

Theoretically, if a Max could reach redline at 6600 rpms in 5th, it would be doing 156 mph. Keep in mind that this test was from an early example. So the top speed was lower than their long-term test car. Their long term test car did 140. If it takes 190 hp for Car and Drivers test car to do 140 mph top speed, then a Maxima could hit the 156 mph limit with 263 hp. Of course, that is providing there is no speed limiter and no head wind.

krismax

iTrader: (15)

Actually, I have the june of 99 of road & track in my hands and it shows 38,67,98,131 all at 6500rpms. I know this because I hit redline in the first four gears. Mathematically 6600 rpm which my max will do would place my speed over 162.

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

I know what you mean I redlined mine tonight just to see how fast it would go in 3rd, I was right under the 100 mph mark right at the redline.