I have a '64 Valiant Signet ragtop with six and factory four-speed, 13" wheels...

What rear-end ratios were available for Valiant in '64 ?

Is the ratio stamped anywhere on the outside of the punkin' ?

Thanks !


Frank McMullen

Standard-equipment ratios in '64 were 3.23 with stick-shift, 2.93 with automatic. Special-order ratios were 3.23 (with automatic instead of 2.93), 3.55 and 3.91.

You may find a tag with the ratio affixed under one of the diff cover bolts, or you may not. It's easy enough to check the actual ratio of the actual axle in the car:

Chalk the inboard sidewall of the tire that'll turn and block the other tire (or don't lift it up) so that it can't turn even a little bit. Trans in Neutral, parking brake released. Turn the marked tire through two full revolutions and count quarter-turns of the driveshaft by watching the rear U-joint caps as the come to face the pavement. Divide the number of quarter-turns by four to get your ratio.

16/4 = 4 = 3.91
14/4 = 3-1/2 = 3.54 or 3.55
13/4 = 3-1/4 = 3.21 or 3.23
12/4 = 3 = 2.93 or 2.94
11/4 = 2-3/4 = 2.71 or 2.76
10/4 = 2-1/2 = 2.45
9/4 = 2-1/4 = 2.26

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thank you !

Very nice combination!

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

Yes, it's neat... pretty snappy up to about 45 MPH, then it starts to get winded, once you're in top-gear...

I'm curious how it would drive with 14" wheels, as opposed to the stock 13"... previous owner (that guy again!) slapped some 175-75R13s on it, which have a mounted diameter of about 22"; the original 6.50x 13s had a diameter of about 24.5 "...

My curiosity about the rear-end ratio stems from driving this car for a while... it seems like trying to cruise faster than 60 mph is really pushing the machine hard (busy sounds from under the hood)... I'm beginning to suspect it has stump-puller gears...

This is one of my newer cars, BTW... I'm used to flathead MoPars that definitely have stump-puller rears... would like to think my Valiant could safely cruise a little faster than my '41 DeSoto...

I once had a 62 hardtop and a 63 2 dr sedan (post). Both of those would cruise all and all night at about 90 mph. That was flat out all they would do but they would do it for hours on end without complaining.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

My '64 sedan had 185-80R13's for years. With a 2.94 rear, it got around town just fine, and did well on the highway.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

Boy, yeah, if you run out of steam at 45mph, then something's definitely the matter. Probably not super-deep rear gears; even if you for some reason had a 3.91 gearset in your rear axle, you ought to be able to do better than 45! Definitely check the rear axle ratio so you know what you've got, but also check other things that have the effect of limiting top-end: Exhaust restriction (can be very tricky to track down), worn cam, faulty distributor advance mechanism, etc.

14" wheels + 205/70R14 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires are a combo I like a lot on early A-bodies.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Will see if I can get a tach on it this weekend and find out just what kind of revs I'm pullin' out on the highway...

Will also see about gettin' underneath and determining rear-end ratio.