How many 97-'03 F-150's came with something like a 4.10 rear end?

Would it even be worth my time looking for such a 8.8 axle with the gearing I want instead of buying the gears and then paying to have them installed?

I don't use my truck as much anymore, but just today it hit me again that I can easily hit 25 MPH in first gear in the damned thing... and that means way too much loading on the clutch for starts on hills, or loaded starts... and the whole truck is geared way too high anyway since the little 4.6 has troubles with the OD gear at reasonable speeds.

I wouldn't mind if first went up to even only 10 MPH. I know it's no creeper gear, but the way it sits is ridiculous.

 

I would think getting both axles re-geared would be cheaper and faster then trying to hunt down axles with 4.10's in them.
I will admit though it would be a good excuse to throw on some 9.75 axles but again you have the gearing issue.

 

At the top of this page under articles and specs, beginning in 02, they list all the ratios available over all the build options.
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3.08, 3.31, 3.55, 3.73, and 4.10.
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To begin looking, you need to list the 'codes' per ratio that appear on the door jamb tag for AX code.
Good luck.

 

The dumb original owner ordered my truck with 3.08 for the hills of Pennsylvania... that would explain why it had a clutch put into it at 55k miles before I got it.

 

I guess some people believe in gearing it as high as possible for the best fuel economy. But they dont realize u bog the motor down like that & it will have the opposite effect.

 

Once upon a time, if a vehicle had the choice of manual or automatic for the same engine, the manual version was supplied from the factory with the next numerically higher axle ratio than the automatic got. The automatic has the advantage of the torque converter to help get going - multiplies engine torque. The manual trans does not, and clutch would get slipped more to get going without a numerically higher axle ratio to help out. And then sometime, they seemed to stop providing different axle ratios for that.

With an automatic trans, the torque converter can still help out on hills at speed. The PCM unlocks the torque converter clutch to get TC action first, and if the engine speeding up and TC action isn't enough, then it will downshift the trans to the next lower gear. With a manual trans, a manual downshift by the driver is the only possibility.

At least for 1997, the standard axle ratio was 3.08, the 3.55 was optional, and the 3.55 was standard as part of the trailer tow package.

When the new truck came out in early 1996, the 4.6L owners who were not happy with performance were by and large those with the 3.08 rear end. That became the first question to ask if someone had a 4.6L and complained about it on hills... "What's your axle ratio?"