Buying '98 Mountaineer V8 - Swap 4.10's for 265's?

[Hokie]

I'm buying my dad's pristine '98 Mounty V8 AWD and I have a few options. I plan on doing a 2" BL and/or TT/Shackles and swapping the 265/75R16 tires and wheels from my Sport.

It currently has 235/75R15 chrome's and 3.73 gears.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to run 3.73's or 4.10's with the 265's (32"s). The truck will never see tires larger than a 285/75R16.

Do you think its worth the hassle of tearing apart the suspension systems of two vehicles to swap axles and get 4.10's for 265's?

The Mounty is WAAAAY to clean to screw up on rocks so my main concern is MPG's as this will be my DD/ski vehicle and will only be used for light wheeling/trail running/camping/exploring (hopefully when I move out west in the next 6 months).

Running the 265's with 3.73's would get a net effective ratio of: 3.40
Running the 265's with 4.10's would get a net effective ratio of: 3.74

In theory, swapping to 4.10's would give me almost the exact same ratios as now (so my speedo wouldn't be off) but I don't know if going with lower gears and heavier/knobbier tires would actually lead to WORSE MPG's instead of the same MPG's as stock.

Any opinions?

 

[410Fortune]

if you go to the trouble go with 4.56, trust me.. the jump from 3.73 to 4.10 is not enough to justify it, 4.56 + 32" =

Although with the V8 and 4.10, 32" would also be just fine...but 4.56 would be better depending n the highway useage of this truck

This is a tough one, if you had 33's I would say 4.56 for sure, with 32 I would still say 4.56 but 4.10 is also a good ratio for 32 and the V8

 

[Hokie]

if you go to the trouble go with 4.56, trust me.. the jump from 3.73 to 4.10 is not enough to justify it, 4.56 + 32" =

I don't want to pay to re-gear. I would literally be swapping the axles/wheels/tires from my '99 Sport to the '98 Mounty and vice versa. This will give both vehicles the same effective ratios as stock.

So its either swap to 4.10's or nothing at all.

Oh, and a natural gas engine technology company in Ft. Collins just called me and said that management is reviewing my resume.

I would LOVE to live in Ft. Collins!

 

[410Fortune]

Collins is a FUN town and dont even get me started on the college girls!!! Collins has some great lakes too, bars, night life, scenery, close to Boulder and Estes park and Wy....I hear ya!!!

4.10 would be fantastic with the V8, this is my plan as well....I already have a 4.10 R&P for the 8.8 and for the front, plus I have a spare 8.8 and D35 IFS with the vacuum disconnect, so I will be running 4.10 with 33" tires and with the lightly modded V8 and trans it should kick ass!!

 

[tktrain]

I don't want to pay to re-gear. I would literally be swapping the axles/wheels/tires from my '99 Sport to the '98 Mounty and vice versa. This will give both vehicles the same effective ratios as stock.

So its either swap to 4.10's or nothing at all.

Oh, and a natural gas engine technology company in Ft. Collins just called me and said that management is reviewing my resume.

I would LOVE to live in Ft. Collins!

I'm in the process of putting 4.10's in my 5.0 XLT right now. I'm not looking for bigger tires, however, I want the improved acceleration. Especially for the altitude in the high country. It's all my truck wants to pull I-75 westbound up to Eisnhower tunnel at 75 MPH with 4 people and a full load of gear. The extra 10% should be a nice assist.

You need to get in line on the move to Colorado, I've been trying to get my butt moved out there for 21 years. I want live in the high country, however. Somewhere like Grand, Summit, or Park county. I've been working with an agent in Frisco looking at land around Fairplay (yes, the actual town of South Park). I've been doing the ME thing for 27 years now and I think I want a change. I'm looking at picking up a few Architecture classes and going after a position with one of the firms doing high end lodges, resorts, and homes.

Good luck on the Fort Collins gig, it's a nice area up there. But if I'm going to move, I want to be IN the mountains, not next to them.

 

[410Fortune]

I am in the mountains right now only 7800 feet though

you want to take an awd 4 door with gear at 80 up Eisnehouer you need breathing mods (ie headers) you should see the looks I get in the BII when I am passing 5.9L cherokees and luxury sedans sometimes even with a BOAT hahahaha

 

[tktrain]

I am in the mountains right now only 7800 feet though

you want to take an awd 4 door with gear at 80 up Eisnehouer you need breathing mods (ie headers)...

Hey 410, look at my signature. I pretty much have the breathing mods covered. I did most all of them back when the truck had less than 1000 miles on the clock, it has 119K now, all but the first 700 or so on 5W30 Mobile 1. Yes, I've had it since it was new. I'm looking at a SCT2 next.

 

[410Fortune]

thats right sorry I know your truck It will do just fine up there, mine does and its 3.73 with 33's! The 2wd t case sure does help ALOT

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Hijack!:

In the flat lands of Kansas City am I safe running 31's with the 3.73's with AWD?

 

[Hokie]

4.10 would be fantastic with the V8, this is my plan as well....I already have a 4.10 R&P for the 8.8 and for the front, plus I have a spare 8.8 and D35 IFS with the vacuum disconnect, so I will be running 4.10 with 33" tires and with the lightly modded V8 and trans it should kick ass!!

You don't think that I will negatively impact my MPG's do you? Pulling power is nice, but the V8 will be a signifcant improvement in torque over my SOHC so I'm not worried about that.

I just don't want to go through all of this and end up getting even worse mpg's due to the lower gearing.

Hijack!

In the flat lands of Kansas City am I safe running 31's with the 3.73's with AWD?

You should be fine. V8BoatBuilder is running that setup with no problems. With his tcase swap he's getting 18-19 mpg's in NJ.

Now give me my thread back!

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I am collecting parts for a 4.10 swap now. I am running 265's and 3.73's and hate it. Its like its lugging the motor all the time, and I have to constantly drive with OD locked out. My in town fuel mileage sucks (~12 MPG), and highway isn't much better (~15 MPG) because it is constantly going in and out of OD and TC lockup because at 62 MPH it only runs 1600 RPM. When I had stock size tires and the AWD case, I got 18-19 highway, I hope to get that back with 4.10s and the selectable case. If you have the axles to swap from truck to truck, I would do it in a heartbeat.

 

[Hokie]

Awesome... now I just have to decide if I want a manual or electric 4406. I don't want to have to install a Sport gas tank but I also don't like the idea of cutting a hole in the tunnel/carpet (and loosing Control Trac).

Dad thinks I should go with the manual case - but they are definately harder to find!

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Cut a hole, its the best, easiest method. Control trac is too much to wire up for me.

 

[Hokie]

Cut a hole, its the best, easiest method. Control trac is too much to wire up for me.

I'm an MECP certifed car audio/video/alarm installer. Before that I installed all of the lights, radar, sirens, communication equipment in cop cars/emergency vehicles...

12V wiring for a tcase doesn't scare me :

But I'm thinking more of strength and usability later on. ie: i could use this case when I do a V8 swapped ranger

 

[MountaineerGreen]

You should read v8boatbuilders thread on his conversion to control trac- he had to get a certain GEM and some other things. I don't believe it was just wiring, it was quite a bit of conversion and parts. I like 12v wiring myself, I have installed alarms, lights, remote entry, subs, etc., but didn't want to tackle what he did.

I just liked the manual shift for the simplicity and strength. No shift motors to fool with, or internal electric clutches to fail.

 

[410Fortune]

plus the bling factor of having the manual shifter by your leg, cutting the hole was nothing to me and it looks *****en with teh boot, knob, and lever, plus its soo damn easy to grab and shove in and out of 4x4 on the fly whenever you want.....pushbutton is nice but the manual shift fits so much easier