axel advice

[Ranger4657]

i have a 94 3.0 stx with 7.5" reer and dana 35 front w/ 3.73 gears, recently put 31" tires on it and as if i dident have enough low end power as it is i feel greatly robbed now forced to use lowrange on trails D= . buddy of my suggested ford 9" reer and dana 44 w/ 4.56 gears sounds like a solid build but i am poor and am wondering if the exploder 8.8" reer (not sure what would match the front from that) but with 4.10 gears stock stright from the junkey would be within range of my pocket book and mechanical skillls, also im not sure if it would be worthit to get 4.10 gears as i have a 3.0L... anyone got any ideas on price ranges or better suggestions for this swap? any help would be great!

 

[Beanmachine7000]

Your 3.0 would like 4.10, and would love a 4.56 ratio... I would look at the junkyard and pull an axle with 4.10's and swap it out... For the front you can do that or have someone set them up for you, after you get a set of junkyard gears... The 7.5" would be more than fine...

 

[AllanD]

Frankly I think a 3.0 in a 2wd Ranger with stock 2wd tires needs 4.10's

AD

 

[Ranger4657]

yeah 3.0's arnt the best myne is 4x4 and even when i had stock tires on it 5th gear was still useless..., i think the 4.56's will be well deserved but trubble is finding them from a junker...decided im prolly gunna switch the reer to a 8.8" 31 spline to get the LS so i guess now i just need to get the parts =\ guy in town quoted me at like 500 to do the gear swap which is insane,....

 

[4x4junkie]

$500 I assume is just for labor? That's not a bad deal at all really (as long as he does a good job). Parts will likely be at least another $500.

Do go with 4.56 though with your 31s. The 3.0L honestly won't be fully happy with anything less.

 

[Ranger4657]

well good news is my buddy hooked it up with a 9"/d44 set of axels for free... the fronts have drum breaks still but free is a good start... unfourtantly they have a shity gear setup.. so ill be deffanlty needing the regear.. so i guess my project is off and running... but will deffantly take a year or so to accumuliate parts and funds =\ oh well... im also going to start a search for a matched set of highboy 9/d44 axels with 456's already in them, hopefully it pans out first haha

 

[4x4junkie]

Huh?? Did I miss something?
What are you saving by getting those if you still have to regear them? (AND add disc brakes to then, AANND have to spend a bunch of time reworking the whole underneath of your truck just to mount them)?

Also, Highboy axles are probably the last things you'd want (closed knuckle junk also with drum brakes).

 

[Ranger4657]

well i know thefront has disc breaks... perhaps i can sell them and gain some pofit on them to put towars an 8.8 reer w/ gears and matching front.. trubble is ive been calling places and calling but no one has any with 4.56's... i think i found one with 4.10's but im not sure if that will suffice for what im eventually hoping to do with the truck... and im still going to have to regear the truck, im wondering if itd just be a hell of allot easer to throw a 4.0L in it?

 

[Shran]

Build your truck around the size of tires you want to run. A 3.0 will be fine, just gear it right. Sounds like you have a lot of research to do.

 

[Ranger4657]

yeah, i dont need to lie about my exprence in the feild lol... my trubble is im trying to compromise now because i eventually want to make it a cralwer when the 3.0 burns up and just from what ive heard around town the 9/d44 was a good choice for now, and later.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

You won't find an 8.8" with 4.56's in it (unless you're REALLY lucky)...

 

[Roger]

While not a speed demon, my 2.3 Ranger with a 5 speed and 4.10s has served very well offroad on 31s. I THINK I will be OK offroad with 33s, but might start looking fro 4.56 or 4.88s.

Think the 3.0 has no power, run a 2.3. Rarely used 5th gear on the highway... And rarely used 4 lo offroad.

 

[Ranger4657]

You won't find an 8.8" with 4.56's in it (unless you're REALLY lucky)...

yeah i know, but you never know i might just run across a wrecked fx4.... or a realy sweet old guy on craigs list who doest know what he has ....

 

[Beanmachine7000]

yeah i know, but you never know i might just run across a wrecked fx4.... or a realy sweet old guy on craigs list who doest know what he has ....

IIRC, only special Forestry trucks came with the 4.56 ratio 8.8"... Even the FX4's only came with 4.10's... I could be wrong though...

 

[Shran]

yeah, i dont need to lie about my exprence in the feild lol... my trubble is im trying to compromise now because i eventually want to make it a cralwer when the 3.0 burns up and just from what ive heard around town the 9/d44 was a good choice for now, and later.

The D44/9" is a good choice but you have to get the right ones. Figure out what size tire you want to run and build your rig around that, otherwise you are gonna be redoing it all the time because you didn't build it strong enough.