Gearing for 33's with 4.0

[Sunk]

Im pretty sure he won't be going with 35's anytime soon.....if it all.

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

I'm running 4.56s with 33x12.50 BFG MTs and i love it, 60-70 mph i get around 2400-2900 rpm in 5th and i have the 4.0L

4.56s would be my first choice, i went from 3.73s with 33s to 4.56s with 33s and its a hell of a difference. Then again, i tend to use 4low alot when i'm wheeling, so i wanted lower gears for that reason.

 

[Bajabronco]

Wow, alot of people are saying both, I don't plan on going with 35's on this rig, it's my work truck and i still want to be able to load it up fairly easily. Looks like alot of recomendations for 4.56 but a few for 4.10, as stated earlier another draw to 4.10 is the possibility of finding axles and avoiding setting up gears. If I find a great deal on some axles i might do that but I guess if im setting them up anyway I may aswell go 4.56.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Wow, alot of people are saying both, I don't plan on going with 35's on this rig, it's my work truck and i still want to be able to load it up fairly easily. Looks like alot of recomendations for 4.56 but a few for 4.10, as stated earlier another draw to 4.10 is the possibility of finding axles and avoiding setting up gears. If I find a great deal on some axles i might do that but I guess if im setting them up anyway I may aswell go 4.56.

It's liable to be quite difficult to find a 4.10 geared D-35 front... You may end up having to buy the gears and set them up for the front axle no matter what. 4.10 geared rears seem to be a little easier to find...

 

[mjonesjr]

It's liable to be quite difficult to find a 4.10 geared D-35 front... You may end up having to buy the gears and set them up for the front axle no matter what. 4.10 geared rears seem to be a little easier to find...

if the rear in a 4wd that has a 4.10 gear, the front will too...

 

[mhughes165]

if the rear in a 4wd that has a 4.10 gear, the front will too...

granted but thats not the point, i think everyone on this board at one point or another was looking for a d35 w/ 4.10's, people buy them up as they break more then the rear axles do, so supply is not as much as with the stronger more abundant 8.8

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

if the rear in a 4wd that has a 4.10 gear, the front will too...

I think you're forgetting the fact that at one point, Ford started doing an IFS front in the Explorer... while still running the standard 8.8" rear... so you could find a 4.10 rear but the front was useless.

 

[CopyKat]

I'm running 33's with 3.73's it's fin on the highway. 65 MPH I'm turning 2000 RPM, in 5th.

4th I'm just abit over 2500 RPM and I have not noticed that much of a decrease in milage on the highway. In the next few months I'll be going with 4.10's.

Technically that will put the 4.0L 5 speed right back into the factory spec, when it was running 215's off the production line. Basing this from my old Ranger that I had with 3.55's stock and was running 33's for many years. It was OK but just harder on the clutch.

My vote is if your doing any highway driving then 4.10's but if it's a wheeler/city spinner then 4.56. All out wheeler 4.88 or 5.13's.

 

[4x4junkie]

um no......sorry...I am running 35's, 4.56's, and a manual transmission. It runs GREAT......4.56 gears would be too much gear for that truck running 33's...


4.10's if you MUST change gears.....i would stick with the 3.73's in the manual transmission and wait till you decide to get 35's to swap gears....gear changes are expensive.......3.73's will give you better highway fuel economy and 4.10's will give you better city fuel economy.....

I can't disagree more.

I HAVE 4.10s and 33s on my 4.0L 5-sp (the 33s are actually smallish Goodyear MT/Rs, too), and it's adequate, but nothing more. I do regret not going with 4.56 on mine (I had 3.73s before, was not even worth the effort).

Go 4.56

(a buddy of mine put 4.56 for his (same setup as mine, but Dunlop Mud Rovers). He's very happy with his. I've driven his truck myself as well)

 

[Black'03LevelII]

ok so I have been reading this as the thread continues on, and was wondering the same thing the O.P. asked. I want to go to 33's on my truck (which is the 4.0 with 4.10's) for the most part all I do is DD (mostly highway) so from what you guys are sayin I should probably wait till I save the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ to do a 4.56 gear swap then?? guess the truck is gonna stay stock for at least another year or so

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah, you can still do 80+ MPH all day long with 4.56

My buddy's truck gets just as good (if not better) mileage than mine too.

If you already have 4.10s though, I would say go ahead and get your 33s anyway, it'll still work plenty decent.

 

[c_note]

i have (had in the rear until i swap them this weekend) 4.56 gears in my truck. i am running 33s and at one point i had 35s with the same gearing. the 33s are perfect however the 35s were a bit sluggish in 1st gear but great on the highway.

my rearend took a crap so i swapped a explorer 8.8 with discs and but it had the 3.73s. its crap for 33s and dont see way anyone would stick with them. im all over 4.56 which would put you back at stock gearing with 33s. im fine going 80 on the highway. anyfaster would be pushing it though. good luck and hopefully you dont regret your decision.

 

[brendank]

You'll want 4.56's, no contest.

Go ahead, put 4.10's in instead of the 3.73's that you have, and I bet you'll barely notice the difference. If someone did it as a trick in the night, I would put money on it that you would never know.

 

[Bajabronco]

Yup, i'm set on the 4.56's now, and anything faster than 80 would just get me in trouble anyway, although I sure am having fun using up these old tires.....

 

[Evan]

I think you're forgetting the fact that at one point, Ford started doing an IFS front in the Explorer... while still running the standard 8.8" rear... so you could find a 4.10 rear but the front was useless.

Bingo. From my junkyard experiences, I have never seen a 91-94 Explorer with 4.10s. Not that they don't make them, but they're rare. Starting in 1995 when Ford went to a non-TTB it seems like they put a lot more 4.10s in.

When I looked for and bought my 8.8 a few months ago, every single 4.10 axle I found (which were quite a few) was from a 95+ Explorer.