5 Speed swap

Maybe it would be better to say that it sounds like the deeper final drive makes the transmission feel very truck like to you.

Seems like @75slant6 ran a deeper final drive with his AX15 when he first did the swap and then dropped down to a 2.76 final drive.
Correct, I ran 3.23 gears initially and 1st gear was worthless outside of taking off on a hill, after swapping to 2.76’s I shift it like any other 5 speed, aside from when I’m auto crossing, then I can run faster times if I start off in 2nd. Don’t spin as easily off the line and don’t need to make the 1-2 shift. I then run the whole course in 2nd.