The Tragedy of Axle Code 41! Now what!

[XLTime]

The Tragedy of Axle Code 41! Now what?!

People from this forum have been a HUGE help since I started planning mods for my truck. One of the first things I checked when looking into mods was the axle code, because I was afraid I had an open diff and needed to verify this. So I searched and found axle codes and checked the door label and sure enough, it was open so time for a Limited Slip. While planning for the limited slip, I realized I needed to plan out my planning. I wanted bigger tires and a suspension lift. Lots of research and lots of helpful posts and emails. My better half was even fairly agreeable to the idea of having a big truck back in the driveway. Time to make some purchases!

So what is the problem? I decided to make sure I had the 3.73 gears before going with some 33's. I thought, just maybe I misread the label the first time and perhaps I have 4.10s and could go with 35's! Well good thing I checked, because they aren't 3.73's, or 4.10's... for you who memorize axle codes, 41 is 3.27 Open!!!

Is it a tragedy that I have 3.27's? Yes. Would it have been a bigger tragedy if I had bought a lift, tires, wheels, etc. and THEN found out I had 3.27's? Definitely.

So now I am hoping for recommendations (or maybe condolences). In my mind, to do this right, here is what I would do:

4.56 gears front and rear
Detroit TrueTrac Rear (and front if possible)
6" Skyjacker Front
SOA Rear with extra leaf
15x8 Rockcrawler (or similar) Wheels with 3.25, 3.5 or 3.75 backspacing (undecided)
35x12.50R15 Wild Country TXR's

Total cost: $2-3K!!!

If I can do this at all, it won't be all at once. What would I do first? I am thinking the gears and diffs are first, but how are 4.56's and 30" tires? Probably about 3000rpms at 75mph! Has anyone run 4.56's with such a small tire?

Now if only I had axle code D2...

 

[Dannyboy]

Dunno if anyone will fit 35's without a body lift or glass fenders. I had to pound the piss out of mine

 

[Sandy]

XLTime,

How’s the project going?

I always seem to get in on the talks a little late.
Here is my two cents:

4.56 gears 1 to 1 output will give you approximately 2400 rpm @ 65 mph, with 35s. Not too bad and if you have an OD you will get a little better.
The main thing to look at is the power band of your engine. If you do not intend to change the power of the engine then see where the most torque is produced and gear the axles, based on tire size, for that rpm range. I will be running 4.56 gears in my next project with 36s, I should be running a little low on the rpms than I want but I will try it out first.

Detroit TrueTrac Rear (and front if possible)
Why not a Detroit or a Lock Right?
A True Trac in the rear of an X or anything lite in the ear will act like a locker on wet/slippery roads. In the wood/crawling/mud I have seem the True Trac not lock up so you will not have the traction you think you will.
The Detroit will require a little getting used to but it will perform far better than you think.

6" Skyjacker Front
I have only seen a 5.5 Lift install in an "X" w/33s and it looked great with room for the suspension to move around.

15x8 Rockcrawler (or similar) Wheels with 3.25, 3.5 or 3.75 backspacing (undecided)
You do know that "BeadLocks" are not legal for the street and not to mention some do leak, that may be why they are not legal for the street.

35x12.50R15 Wild Country TXR's
Your choice of tires is based on what you like and that is it. Find a friend that has tires that you like, either try them on or decide from their ideas. See how the tires you want perform in the situations that you like to drive in; then buy them.

Good Luck on your choices, everything about 4 wheeling is about your own ideas of what you want and need.

Happy Holiday

 

[Derrick C.]

Well, Well.......looks like we got another big dawg comin up!


I'll tell ya what to do. I did mine in about a 4 month period. First I did body lift, then susp. lift. Then a set of 36" TSLs then about a month later I did the 4.56s with detroits. I actually ran 36s with a 3.27 ratio for a month. Actually not that bad. A little hard on the clutch but still liveable.

But as you can see I'm still runnin 4.56s with ARBs front and rear(another front on the way) and lovin it. I still have the 36s but like my 35" Claws better.

 

[XLTime]

36's with 3.27's! Wow!

Now you have me thinking. The Skyjacker 2" Lift is about $150. If I put that on, I could probably fit 32's and use the stock rims and call it a day. This could tide me over for a year or so and if we have the funds to do gears and everything down the road, I pull of the 2" lift, sell it, and then go after my 35's with new rims, gears and 6" lift. How do you think the 32's would work with the 3.27 gears as a daily driver for a year or so?

BTW, here are the specs on the Wild Country TXR 32's:
Diameter=32.00, Width=11.40, Tread=20/32.

 

[Derrick C.]

You'll notice a little difference with the 32s on it but not much. It'll do fine for a daily driver.

 

[KEbert]

You can't fit 32's with a 2" skyjacker. I have 3.55's and when I put on the 31's I could really notice a difference. It sucks having them. I would say get gears before you do the lift. I really wish I would have, but that is my opinion.

 

[93exploder]

I am running 31's with 3.27's and there is a little bit of difference but not too terribly much IMO. Of course I live in flatland West TX and dont drive it like its a Mustang.

 

[beaston1]

hey man, i know how you feel, i just found out i have 3.27's and i was going to ask the same questions you already asked, but can anybody tell me if the 32's will fit with a 2" bodylift combined with coil spacers/shackle mod???

 

[toad]

but can anybody tell me if the 32's will fit with a 2" bodylift combined with coil spacers/shackle mod???

beaston1 it shouldnt be a problem ,I have that set up with 31s and there is lots of room.

 

[Gopher]

try running with 3.08 gears..lol. and 32's. Now that is fun. Can cruise down the highway super fast at very low rpm, BUT get any kinda wind and my truck would die.lol...You can run big tires with smaller ratio gears. If you dont care about performace and plan to get gears eventually, then there should be no problem.

 

[lifted_95]

Sandy, the Rock Crawler rims he was referring to are a brand of wheels, not beadlocked wheels in general.

 

[KEbert]

Originally posted by 93exploder
I am running 31's with 3.27's and there is a little bit of difference but not too terribly much IMO. Of course I live in flatland West TX and dont drive it like its a Mustang.

I agree. On flat there really isn't any difference, but on hills it licks (fill in word here). When I go snowboarding I have to gain about 5000 feet in elevation and having a manual transmission it really sucks.

 

[Dannyboy]

kinda crazy, I was working on my brother's 93 XLT and decided to look at the axle code, 41= 3.27 open, and this was a towing package????
I thought it would have had 3.73 but I guess not. Good thing he is only a grocery getter and a kiddie hauler.
The thing that stumps me is I drove this truck when it was my Dad's and never noticed any quickness in mine when it had 3.73 over his 3.27. Moral of the story- 3.27 isn't that big of a jump to 3.73, unless getting into tires like 32-33's

 

[Robert]

If his had a 3.27 and towing package, it probably came with the smallest size tires offered at the time. If the tires are small enough, the 3.27 won't matter. It is the over all gear ratio that matters. Now stick some 33" tires on that 3.27 and I wouldn't want to tow with it.

 

[Dannyboy]

It had 235/75/15 Firestone ATX. What exactly did my father pay extra for besides an $8 plug in light harness it had no class 3 hitch, no limited slip, and 3.27 gears. This confuses me a little. The only other "rumor" I have heard comes with a towing package is an aux tranny cooler.

 

[Blake D]

I'm not 100% positive but I have a little box right behind my grill on the driver side that has tubes going into and out of it. Isn't this the tran cooler?
Just wondering.

 

[Alec]

If it looks like a small radiator, it's a trans cooler or some other system cooler.

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by Dannyboy
It had 235/75/15 Firestone ATX. What exactly did my father pay extra for besides an $8 plug in light harness it had no class 3 hitch, no limited slip, and 3.27 gears. This confuses me a little. The only other "rumor" I have heard comes with a towing package is an aux tranny cooler.

I can't speak for the pre-'97 Explorers, but in '97 the towing package got you a limited slip, higher ratio except in the case of the 4.10s (they came with the 16" tires whether you had a tow package or not), auxillary transmission cooler, either upgraded or additional relays (not sure which), the connector to plug into your trailer and the plug behind the rear bumper to plug your connector in to.

Are you sure you father paid extra for the tow package? Various years Ford included what they called a "trailer tow prep" which amounted to nothing more than the connector as standard equipment. The trailer tow package on my '97 added about $300 retail to the cost and was worth it to get the cooler and LS.

 

[wpurple]

My 97 came with the "trailer tow prep" and I can't even find the trailer wirting connector, I looked everywhere. It's not behind the bumper or behind the taillights. I ended up just using one of those "Hoppy" T's that go inline with the taillight connector, don't know if the taillights are going through the relays that ARE there.
Anyone else have a clue to where that connector may be?


Thanks
-K