Rear gear choices?

[Daniel Black]

I run a toploader 4-speed in my 2wd 302 truck. This truck is a daily driver. I currently use my stock 7.5 with 3.73 gears and it just feels like too much gear. I have an 8.8 with 3.08 gears and a 4.10 gear set I was going to have swapped out. Ten years ago I'd of went with the 4.10 or more but now I'm not so sure. Gas mileage is usually between 12-15 mpg depending on how I drive it, so usually about 12. Just cruising around the truck is pretty wound up and if I get on the interstate it's almost unbearable. I'm sure a taller tire would help but I have basically new 225/60-15s on the back. What are some of y'alls trans and gear combos? How do you like them?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm running 3.27 ratio in my 4.0l/m5od. Its good all around gearing for me. With a 4spd, 3.08 sounds pretty good, especially if your bottom end torque is good.
I'm not sure how the ratios (close ratio vs wide ratio) compare between the 2 trans.

 

[bobbywalter]

308

 

[win]

I went with a 3.27:1 gear set, fuel economy in the 15's.

Plenty of power around town, sweet at highway speeds.

Still, the temptation to go to a 3.73 for a bit more "fun" around town is beckoning.

 

[Ramcharger90]

I know this won't help but I'm drunk in Hawaii so.... dump the clutch

 

[Daniel Black]

I went with a 3.27:1 gear set, fuel economy in the 15's.

Plenty of power around town, sweet at highway speeds.

Still, the temptation to go to a 3.73 for a bit more "fun" around town is beckoning.

It is pretty fun around town. 1st gear is really short though. If I get on it you have to be ready to yank it in 2nd gear in a hurry. It really feels like it would run better with the 3.08s, like it would have more time to wind up through the gears. I have an older F150 with 3.08 gears but it has the NP435 trans so it's hard to use it as a gauge. On the downside my current 7.5 3.73 is a limited slip while the 8.8 is a 3.08 open diff. The 8.8 4.10 gear set I have is also a factory LS so it would be fun but just not practical with a 4-speed. How they actually used a '60s Mustang with stock 4.30 gears I'll never understand unless it was just for drag racing.

 

[bobbywalter]

308.....drop in locker fixes that open diff...

 

[bobbywalter]

There are quite a few 327 explorer and rangers put there though.....sell what ya have and get one of those maybe...

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I know this won't help but I'm drunk in Hawaii so.... dump the clutch

You just officially became one of the "regular crowd"

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I'm with Ramcharger90.

Both of us being Mopar guys, we're used to seeing this:

So hell yeah, slap some 4.10s in it and do some of this sh*t:

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Or, if you're not into that sort of thing, look at it this way:

 

[Ramcharger90]

3.55's might be good that guy I know with the turbo 1000hp+ 17 mustang still has that set and he is going to a 4 speed auto shortly and think Ive heard he is keeping the factory gear set of 3.55

 

[19Walt93]

Changing from 3.73's to 3.55's is a 5% rpm reduction, not enough to be worth the work or the money. Leave the 3.73's and put a Tremec in it, they use the same bolt pattern as a top loader, have a deeper low gear and about a 70% overdirve so a 3000 rpm cruising speed becomes 2100 rpm.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

http://www.tremec.com/calculadora.php

 

[bobbywalter]

308