3.73 or 4.10 rears?

[Scrubs47]

I'm looking to buy my first 4 banger, strictly for travel to work and back. I have an 08 Power Stroke but milage is horrific. I am looking seriously @ the 2wd reg cab & super cab. I like the supercab better because of the extra room in the back but am concerned about the 4.10 killing the fuel milage.
I live in a rural area so I know it will be better on the hills.

So is this a something i need to worry about or not?

Thanks,
Scrubs

 

[Plum Ranger XLT]

I recently had a 1995 Ranger that was a four cylinder 2wd 5 speed and 3.73 rear end. Now I have a 2008 Ranger four cylinder 2wd 5 speed 4.10 rear end. I noticed with the '08 Ranger I don't have to push down on the gas pedal as far because of the 4.10 rear end. I haven't calculated fuel mileage yet, but I'm guessing low 20's as of right now, but once I have the truck a little longer, I'll have an idea. With the '95 Ranger before I got rid of it, I was only getting about 20 mpg city. So I would pick the 4.10 rear end if you could.

 

[Ranger44]

4.10's

 

[TireIron]

Definitly get the 4.10s, the 4-cyl engine likes to be around 3000 RPMs for best fuel saving and power. The easier the engine works the less gas it uses.

 

[Scrubs47]

I am being told the 3.73 is the only option w/ the 08 XL 2wd reg cab long bed. After looking @ the supercab and the rear doors not opening that put me leaning towards the long bed.

 

[TireIron]

they don't have the 4 door in that one? I thought it was becoming pretty common.

 

[aogden001]

I've got a 2008 xl w/ the 4cyl/5 spd combo & 3.73 gears. Dont know about milage yet, only got 50 miles on it.

 

[08RangerXLT]

my 08 ranger standard cab 2wd 5 speed consistantly gets 28+ mpg at 70 mph with the 3.73 gears and thats with the 10% ethanol blend in our gas here in Oregon

 

[ejholmgren]

4.10s

 

[shizzy]

I have 4:10's in my 2WD edge 3.0L and I get 19-20MPG.

 

[rat_ranger]

get a 5 speed. they do get noticably better on milage than the auto duratecs. mine is a reg cab short bed with 3.73 and will get 30mpg cruising about 70. going to 4.10s would probably drop your cruise speed on the highway to about 65 but that isnt bad. they do do the best run right under 3k. above 3k the milage drops some.

 

[dla]

my 08 ranger standard cab 2wd 5 speed consistantly gets 28+ mpg at 70 mph with the 3.73 gears and thats with the 10% ethanol blend in our gas here in Oregon

I have the same model 1 year older and I get 31mpg IF I can get plain regular gas. With E10 I'm down to 27-28. E10 is a total rip-off - don't let it become law in your state.

 

[jax4bangin]

my truck came with 3.73s.. plenty of low end grunt.. i drive mostly freeway and i actually wudnt mind even taller gears.. at like 2500r's at bout 70 in 5th with more that enough balls to accelerate to pass someone with out hittin 4th(manual tranny) if u drive alot of highway get 373 or taller.. round town or off road 4.10 wud be pretty sick tho

 

[gordo]

Ex-cab with 4.10 gears

I have a 2008 XLT, 5 Spd-M, extended cab. Just went from Maine to Maryland Eastern Shore. First fill-up was strictly Highway driving and got 32.3 MPG. I use cruise control set a 2750 RPM which is about 70 MPH. There were no real traffic jams, etc.

Drove "around town" in Maryland. The trip home was traffic jam after traffic jam - NY City, Brdgeport, New Britain, Stamford, Waterbury, New Haven and Hartford in CT then for 20 miles on 495 in MA. Took three hours longer coming back. Even with hours of "stop and go", the entire trip "down and back" average was 30.61 MPG. This was on a truck that had 800 Miles on it when I left.

To me, it's all about maintaining intake vacuum!

If you don't "lug" an engine, the intake vacuum stays high so it runs leaner and uses less fuel. My old '93 Ranger had 3.08 gears and was always "lugging down". Around town I can do 30-35 MPH in 4th (direct drive) with 4.10s with my 3.08s I was always in 3rd at 30, which is less efficient. I never got the mileage I do in the 2008 Duratec.

I would never go with higher gears again! Ford knew what they were doing with the 4:10s!

 

[jax4bangin]

ya dude these lil duratec motors are amazing huh.. cant believe how good of mileage they get and they're quick too!