Easy way to determine diff. gear ratio

[EMG7895]

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this but on the passenger side on the beam right behind the lower shock mount on the radius arm is a sticker that clearly states the gear ratio, open or ls, and some other info. In my case it said DANA 35, 3.27 , STD. 3.27 being the ratio and standard meaning open.
edit: this wont tell you if you have a rear ls, no explorers came equiped with a front ls.

 

[MrShorty]

FWIW, the rear is usually just as easy. There should be a tag attached to one of the diff cover bolts. The second line of that tag will start out with the gear ratio 3 27. Of course, the front and rear have to have the same gear ratio. Sometimes the 3 is stuck under a bolt head or otherwise hard to read. If you have a factory LS, the space where the decimal place would be would have an L (so 3L27, but I don't think 3.27's came with LS from the factory).

 

[RaveOn]

To be sure, jack the rear end up and turn the drive shaft by hand 1 complete turn. At the same time have someone watch the tire or mark the tire and watch it yourself to see how many revolutions the tire makes with 1 turn of the drive shaft and u have the ratio. Easy way of verifying.

RaveOn!

 

[Lt.Jim]

or you can look at the sticker on your drivers door and reffer to this chart
http://www.explorerforum.com/ntrprize/Axle.htm

 

[ma96782]

Or.....not so easy but, since you're under there to change out the rear diff. oil.....while the cover is off......count the ring gear teeth and devide by the number of pinion teeth.

Aloha, Mark