My Son and I are putting a 351W, 300+Hp w/a C4 Transmission into a 1954 F-100. What rear end gear ratio would be best for overall performance?

 

What rearend are you planning on using? Each different rearend has different available ratios.

 

In my 54 I am using a Moser Ford 9" with 4.11's but with 31" tall tires so it should actually be like a 3.55-3.73 with them. So I was told.

I have a stock rear end from my 54.

I beleive it has 3.92's

If anyone is interested contact me.

 

I decided on rear end ratio based on use of my truck... if you plan to race it you'll want a different ratio than a cruiser...

My truck is planned for road trips and cruising... I chose a 3.5 posi unit... there are formulas that will calculate your engine rpm based on tire size and gear ratio... mine figures around 2650 rpm at 70 mph... good economy range...quiet engine... and with the 460, the torque will make up for the gear on the low end

with a 4.11 rear you're gonna be turning pretty high rpm... I have the formula if you need it... but decide on your intended use before you decide on gear

john

 

Jozai

The info provided already is good, but we really need a little more info. How did you arrive at 300HP? Cam and intake designed for what RPM range? As long as you aren't running open plenum intake or a huge cam, you can go all the way down to 3.00 gears if you want. 351Ws and 460s make huge torque way down low in the RPM range. 3.50 is a great geat set for performance, but the MPG "May" start to fade. It depends on the whole package though. I would avoid low gears like 4.10 etc. That gets stale real fast. Engine screaming all the time and frequent fuel stops.

 

I went with 4.11's because. I just did. Not really gonna be using mine on the highway.

 

Fenders:
We are looking to make this puppy a daily driver/cruiser. No drag racing in this truck's future. The 300hp comes from the guy I bought the engine/tranny from. The engine was rebuilt by a local Mercury dealer by certified mechanics. The short block and the heads were redone stock. The intake is an Edelbrock and the carbuerator is Holley. The cam I believe is also Edelbrock with slight chop in idle. Not sure of RPM range.
Jozai

 

John:
We are planning on making this truck a daily driver/cruiser, no drag racing in this truck's future. The formulas would be helpful.
Thanks,
Jozai

 

We haven't purchased one yet but am planning on a 9" Ford.

 

Jozai

Look a little closer at the intake for Performer, Torker or something like that. It likely has a matching cam. We'll be able to tell what you got with a few more clues. You probably have a Performer or Performer RPM package. I am a big fan of Edelbrocks matched systems. Well researched and streetable. Saves a lot of pain when you're first starting out in performance engine mods. I suspect gears in the 3.25-3.50 range are going to be what you want. 3.00 if you want to lean toward the fuel mileage side.