Suggested gear ratio?

[pauley]

i am currently running 4:10's with 33 12.5 15's and i really like the all around drivabilty of my truck and it still has the power when i need it.

 

[white96x]

depending on where you get them done and what else you want to throw in (locker, limited slip, etc.) you can expect to pay no less than 800 for just gears and the install but like someone else said if you are going to pay a shop to do the labor you better buy the product from them as well...but ya a fair price for gears and install would be between 800-1000, 1300 seems a little steep to me.

 

[97GoldXLT]

depending on where you get them done and what else you want to throw in (locker, limited slip, etc.) you can expect to pay no less than 800 for just gears and the install but like someone else said if you are going to pay a shop to do the labor you better buy the product from them as well...but ya a fair price for gears and install would be between 800-1000, 1300 seems a little steep to me.

OK, thanks a lot for the info!

what exactly are lockers and limited slip? if you could educate me, that would be AWESOME, I learn so much from you guys and it really means a lot to me!

 

[white96x]

a locker and a limited slip are essentially the same thing, they 'lock' the axle shafts together so the power coming through the differential is equally distributed to each shaft. In an open differential the majority of power is sent to the spinning wheel(one with least traction) to help with 'binding' during cornering but if you are offroad this could potentially cause you to get stuck, so the locker allows dependant range of motion. That is each axle is dependent on the other and if one loses traction for some reason you will still have adequate power to the wheel that does have traction...it is not a necessary upgrade or a cheap one but if you plan to do a lot of offroading i would definately recommend it.

 

[manaen]

a locker and a limited slip are essentially the same thing

Oh boy, is that a can of worms I hear opening


there are many differences between a locker and LS rear. That would be like saying AWD and 4x4 are the same thing.

One needs to understand the advantages and disadvantages to each system in order to qualify that statement. But I'm not going to hijack this thread with the details. I will only mention that they are very different systems and fill a different need within on-road and off-road use.

 

[white96x]

Oh boy, is that a can of worms I hear opening


there are many differences between a locker and LS rear. That would be like saying AWD and 4x4 are the same thing.

One needs to understand the advantages and disadvantages to each system in order to qualify that statement. But I'm not going to hijack this thread with the details. I will only mention that they are very different systems and fill a different need within on-road and off-road use.

yes they are obviously different but i was just trying to keep it simple and not get off topic especially since this is a ratio question and not a locker question but since we're here anyways: a limited slip differs from a locker in that when torque is transferred from driveshaft to axle a limited slip will 'limit' the amount of rotational difference between the axle shafts, that is they won't be dependently rotating, rather the limited slip will allow the free wheel(wheel with least traction) to have most of the torque transfer but still distribute some to the wheel with traction. So this will still potentially give you the ability to go where you probably couldn't with an open differential but it still doesn't give a true dependent transfer like a locker.

 

[beenwrong2002]

Ugh... the tires :scratch:

really the only problem is if you are pushing your truck to the limit with 3.73 and 33's. Like towing it's max rated capacity etc.

The change in tire size acts like you stepped a few gears down so

since you have 3.73 with the stock 30" tire going to a 33" tire is like running with a 3.39 gear ratio.

It also has the same effect on braking power, your brakes must work harder to stop the vehicle because the rotational torque of the wheel has increased by 10% so take the weight of your truck and add 10% and that is what the truck is now effectively trying to stop.

You can do things to increase braking capacity and then lower the gears. but it may not be worth it if your truck spends most of it's time on the road, or you don't tend to carry heavy loads.

I hope that makes sense.

the vehicle is working harder to push the 33" tires though, i understand what news gears would do for me, im just curious whats my biggest concern if i attempted to offroad every now and then with my current set up...

 

[manaen]

the vehicle is working harder to push the 33" tires though, i understand what news gears would do for me, im just curious whats my biggest concern if i attempted to offroad every now and then with my current set up...

for ocasional off roading you will be fine. The more extreme stuff will probably start taxing the CV's in the front, everything else is pretty strong unless you start to add horsepower and torque thats when things start to really fly apart. If you have an SOHC setup I would say be sure to add a transmission cooler especially if you 4x4 in hot weather, heck for that matter it wouldn't hurt the 5.0 4r70w either.

Temp gauges on the tranny and engine are good, that slow torquey driving (when 4x4ing) tends to get the tranny's heated up quite nicely, and your bigger tires are just making it worse by adding the requirement for more torque to get things rolling. so knowing when to stop and give your truck a rest is worth thousands in repair bills later.

Other than that, just change fluids and grease often and you will be surprised how well that ford handles the fun stuff.

 

[97GoldXLT]

Oh boy, is that a can of worms I hear opening


there are many differences between a locker and LS rear. That would be like saying AWD and 4x4 are the same thing.

One needs to understand the advantages and disadvantages to each system in order to qualify that statement. But I'm not going to hijack this thread with the details. I will only mention that they are very different systems and fill a different need within on-road and off-road use.

By all means, hijack it, my question has been answered haha



***OH and manaen, whats this about a transmission cooler and gauges? I have thought about buying one, but I know relatively little about them! thanks!

 

[manaen]

***OH and manaen, whats this about a transmission cooler and gauges? I have thought about buying one, but I know relatively little about them! thanks!

for the Temp gauge check out THIS THREAD for ideas

For the tranny cooler START HERE but do a search for "transmission cooler" and you will find hundreds of threads on the topic.

You are at the right place to find out more about these items. IMHO they are both worth every penny when it comes to keeping your tranny alive.

If you are serious about it, I would also add an external transmission filter that way you know your fluid is clean START HERE

 

[beenwrong2002]

for ocasional off roading you will be fine. The more extreme stuff will probably start taxing the CV's in the front, everything else is pretty strong unless you start to add horsepower and torque thats when things start to really fly apart. If you have an SOHC setup I would say be sure to add a transmission cooler especially if you 4x4 in hot weather, heck for that matter it wouldn't hurt the 5.0 4r70w either.

Temp gauges on the tranny and engine are good, that slow torquey driving (when 4x4ing) tends to get the tranny's heated up quite nicely, and your bigger tires are just making it worse by adding the requirement for more torque to get things rolling. so knowing when to stop and give your truck a rest is worth thousands in repair bills later.

Other than that, just change fluids and grease often and you will be surprised how well that ford handles the fun stuff.

appreciate the advice

 

[97GoldXLT]

for the Temp gauge check out THIS THREAD for ideas

For the tranny cooler START HERE but do a search for "transmission cooler" and you will find hundreds of threads on the topic.

You are at the right place to find out more about these items. IMHO they are both worth every penny when it comes to keeping your tranny alive.

If you are serious about it, I would also add an external transmission filter that way you know your fluid is clean START HERE

I've had to replace my tranny a good 3 times since I've owned my Ex haha

thanks for the help!

 

[manaen]

I've had to replace my tranny a good 3 times since I've owned my Ex haha

thanks for the help!

The temp gauge on the tranny was teh first thing I added. And I noticed right off these tranny's run hot. So as soon as I could I put in a shift kit, new EPC, aux cooler, external filter, and full synthetic fluid.

Now my temp gauge only climbs to a max of 195 and that is on the hottest summer days pulling my 5000# camper up an east coast mountain with the air conditioner on. If I turn the air off the temps stay way below that.

I can only imagine how many people are frying their tranny's in the heat with the stock setup and don't even know it before it's too late.

 

[97GoldXLT]

how much did the whole thing cost yah? for like the WHOLE package?