Power glide low vs. high gear

[3kstreeter]

I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts where on running power glides in drive or low. I have always ran in drive but had to switch tranny builders this year. When calling around I came across a reputable builder that told me that he sells way more trannys that run in low than in drive, he said he would build it either way but recommended low. After doing some more checking I found out that a lot of guys I race with run in low also. Gearing is not the issue since we can run a ford 9 inch. I was just curious if there is an advantage one way or the other.

Thanks in advance

[QQQQ]

I would think that running it in high would be better than low, just for the fact that high runs off the clutch pack and low runs off the band. Alot more surface area with the clutch pack.

[Powerglides]

The debate has gone on for years. I do not think that there is a real answer to it. It involves many things. Length of track that you run at, driving manner, what you have in equipment (what ratio trans that you have and what you have in gear sets in the shop).
The rotating weight of a 1.82 Powerglide in low gear is 10.8 lbs lighter than the rotating weight of a 1.76 Powerglide in High gear. The drive shaft and trans gear set in low gear is only spinning 55% as fast as it is in high gear. The 6.50 ring gear weight is a lot more that the 3.55 ring gear that you would need to run the same ratio in low gear. Running the transmission through the planetary may take some HP. But HP does not just disappear as it goes through a transmission. Any HP lost going through the transmission has to go somewhere. The only way a transmission can get rid of it is in heat. And the low gear transmissions do not run any hotter so I do not believe that they use up much HP.