Hi all,
I'm new to the forum but been a lurker for a while. Anyway, I have a '06 Expo 2wd with the 5.4 Triton and 3.31 rear end. I tow a roughly 6000# boat and the towing performance is less than stellar.

I'm in a bit of a hilly area and the truck just seems to lack power, does a lot of shifting, etc. I know the 3.31 rear is probably a big part of the problem.

I'm just wondering what mods folks would suggest to make the towing better. I've heard guys say their F150 with a 5.4 is a great towing vehicle so I'm wondering where I'm coming up short with my truck.

I've been shopping for a newer F150 but the prices just make me sick to my stomach compared to what they offer in trade for my Expo...

Thanks all!

 

Agreed. It starts with a fuel mileage rear end, not a towing one. A 3.73 would surely help.
Tow in 3rd, and manually shift into 2nd on steeper grades.
Tire size? Bigger isn't usually better for towing.

 

Have stock 17" tires, so I don't think that's an issue.

 

Definitely...the rear gears are too high.

 

You can either buy a used diff with 3.73 ratio, or you can rebuild the one you have and choose the ratio you want. Towing with a 3.31 is not gonna be a good experience no matter what you do..

 

Don't forget, both the front and rear have to changed with 4WD systems.

 

Would be quite a workout for the transfer case with different ratios in the rear and front, haha!

But he said his truck was a 2wd, so no need to worry about a front diff there.

 

I know, I just threw it out there as a warning for others with 4WD that might come across this thread with the same question.