Kelly Hayes
Member
What advanatges does one gear ratio over the other?
Better MPG?
Better acceleration?
Better top end speed?
Better towing?
Better MPG?
Better acceleration?
Better top end speed?
Better towing?
3.55 vs. 3.73 vs. 4.10 Gear Ratios
- Thread starter Kelly Hayes
- Start date
Help Support Ford SportTrac Forum:
jeff taylor
Member
It assists a tremendous amount when it comes to towing and mpg while towing... For instance the difference between the 3.55 rear end and the 3.73 rear end is an additional 1,000 lbs. for towing with the 5.4 V8, and an additional 500lbs with the smaller V8... In my experience (having sold them for a few years) has more to offer acceleration wise with the larger rear end. Theses are exacts in the Ford Tow Guide.....
Hope this helps.....
Hope this helps.....
To add to what Jeff has already said.
If you drive only highway, you are better off with a 3.55. If you do a combination light towing and highway, a 3.73 is the way to go. If you tow alot, you are best off with a 4.10.
Some claim that a 3.55 will get better gas mileage then a 4.10. While that is true to an extent, more things play into factor when it comes to fuel mileage.
I will use an example. Years ago, Dad was going to order a new Class C motorhome. He was hellbent on getting a 351 CI V8 for it. He felt the smaller engine would give better MPG that a 460 CI would. After speaking to a few reputable sources, he came to find out that a 460 CI would get him as good, if not better mileage then a 351 CI would. Why? The 351 would have to work harder then a 460 would. Whenever you are pulling a lower vacuum through the intake, you are brning more gas. So where a 460 would take the load without breaking a sweat, the 351 would have to work harder to haul the same load.
The same goess with rear gears. A 3.55 may be great for flat terrain, it might struggle when it comes to a hill. A 3.73 might not have a problem going up a hill no matter how steep it is and actually give you better mileage then the 3.55 would. Another thing to consider is the engines sweet spot. Engines like to operate the best at a certain RPM. If you run the engine too fast (4.10 gears) or too slow (3.55 gears) you are not getting the best performance from that engine. If the engine likes slightly higher RPM's to get the best performance, a 4.10 might be best.
Another thing to note, lets look at Sport Trac's for example. There were two gears available. 4.10 and 3.73. The 4.10 came with larger tires. So, essentially, they had about the same overall final drive ratio. The difference was the tires. If you do a search on the MPG logs, you will see that in some cases the 4.10 netted better gas mileage then the 3.73 did.
Also, depending on how many options you get on the vehicle will help decide which gears to get. If you are shopping for a bone stock F-150 with no options like leather, power windows, upgraded stereo, etc. you are best off with 3.55 gears. If you load it up with all the bells and whistles, you might be better off with a 3.73 or 4.10.
In the end it is hard to decide. Alot of factors come into play. It really takes a deep understanding of trucks to make the best decision for you.
I guess to sum it up, look at a few key factors. Do you tow? Do you plan to tow? Can you anticipate the future where you might come into a situation to want to buy a boat or RV? What type of truck would you want? Regular cab, extended cab, or Super Crew. How many people are you going to have ride with you? How big are these people? What do you plan on doing with your truck? Drive around and haul a bag or two of mulch once a year, or do you plan on loading it up on a regular basis? Do you live in an area that has no hills or is it hilly in your area? Do you want a 4x4 or a 4x2? A 4x4 adds weight. What engine do you want? V6 or V8?
Using some of the information I listed above should help you decide what gears works best for you.
If you are very worried about MPG, buy a car.
Tom
If you drive only highway, you are better off with a 3.55. If you do a combination light towing and highway, a 3.73 is the way to go. If you tow alot, you are best off with a 4.10.
Some claim that a 3.55 will get better gas mileage then a 4.10. While that is true to an extent, more things play into factor when it comes to fuel mileage.
I will use an example. Years ago, Dad was going to order a new Class C motorhome. He was hellbent on getting a 351 CI V8 for it. He felt the smaller engine would give better MPG that a 460 CI would. After speaking to a few reputable sources, he came to find out that a 460 CI would get him as good, if not better mileage then a 351 CI would. Why? The 351 would have to work harder then a 460 would. Whenever you are pulling a lower vacuum through the intake, you are brning more gas. So where a 460 would take the load without breaking a sweat, the 351 would have to work harder to haul the same load.
The same goess with rear gears. A 3.55 may be great for flat terrain, it might struggle when it comes to a hill. A 3.73 might not have a problem going up a hill no matter how steep it is and actually give you better mileage then the 3.55 would. Another thing to consider is the engines sweet spot. Engines like to operate the best at a certain RPM. If you run the engine too fast (4.10 gears) or too slow (3.55 gears) you are not getting the best performance from that engine. If the engine likes slightly higher RPM's to get the best performance, a 4.10 might be best.
Another thing to note, lets look at Sport Trac's for example. There were two gears available. 4.10 and 3.73. The 4.10 came with larger tires. So, essentially, they had about the same overall final drive ratio. The difference was the tires. If you do a search on the MPG logs, you will see that in some cases the 4.10 netted better gas mileage then the 3.73 did.
Also, depending on how many options you get on the vehicle will help decide which gears to get. If you are shopping for a bone stock F-150 with no options like leather, power windows, upgraded stereo, etc. you are best off with 3.55 gears. If you load it up with all the bells and whistles, you might be better off with a 3.73 or 4.10.
In the end it is hard to decide. Alot of factors come into play. It really takes a deep understanding of trucks to make the best decision for you.
I guess to sum it up, look at a few key factors. Do you tow? Do you plan to tow? Can you anticipate the future where you might come into a situation to want to buy a boat or RV? What type of truck would you want? Regular cab, extended cab, or Super Crew. How many people are you going to have ride with you? How big are these people? What do you plan on doing with your truck? Drive around and haul a bag or two of mulch once a year, or do you plan on loading it up on a regular basis? Do you live in an area that has no hills or is it hilly in your area? Do you want a 4x4 or a 4x2? A 4x4 adds weight. What engine do you want? V6 or V8?
Using some of the information I listed above should help you decide what gears works best for you.
If you are very worried about MPG, buy a car.
Tom
