3.45 to 3.73 Axle Swap for Towing — Worth It on a '93 Splash?

[hashcraft]

Hey everyone, long-time lurker, first post here. I recently picked up a manual '93 2WD Splash with the 3.0 and 3.45 axle. I was a little bummed to find out it's only rated to tow 1,800 lbs. I searched around but most of the axle discussions seem to be off-road focused. Apologies if I missed something relevant.

My goal is to tow at least 2,000 lbs, and I'm weighing two options. I'm curious which route you'd take.

1. Tow 2,000 lbs as-is.

It's only marginally over the rating, and the bumper hitch is rated for 2,000 lbs with a 200 lb tongue weight. Mississippi is pancake flat, so grade isn't really a factor. The biggest concern seems to be braking, but since the automatic 3.0 with the 3.45 is rated for 3700lbs, I figure the brakes aren't the weak link.

2. Swap in a 3.73 axle and add a receiver hitch.

A 3.73 bumps the tow rating to 2,800 lbs. My local yard has several Rangers and sells axles with drums for $150. I'm assuming a 3.73 shouldn't be hard to find and bolts right up. I know I'd need to address the speedometer/odometer with the new ratio. Are the clusters adjustable for this, or would I need to pull one from the donor truck to get accurate readings?

I appreciate your time and input!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The 3.0 likes to rev, it's a car engine. So no down low torque. 3.73 or 4.10 would help. It doesn't change your legal tow limit though. But I've never paid too much attention to that limit as regards to a manual transmission. I think the manufacturers is covering their ass re: warranty claims by people that don't know how to start off with a clutch without slipping it and burning up the lining. You can achieve the same result by putting on smaller diameter tires. It might look funny but much less work. And it will let you know if a gear change is worth the trouble.