Hello All, I am new to forums and posting and threads and the like. I am also new to Ford trucks and towing a big trailer. But since my hubby and I are getting desperate to find a used truck to pull our 29' Forest River Flagstaff V-Lite trailer I have to run the risk of sounding stupid and doing it all wrong. So here goes:
I've used the VIN decoder to find the axle ratio of some F250s but am wondering why there are three listed for a particular vehicle. Which one applies? 4.10, 4.30, or 3.73. We are looking at a number of trucks and are hoping to get the info without having to go look at them again.
Help anyone?

Don't ignore the V-10 motors in these trucks, they are more than capable of pulling that 29' V-Lite TT for you. The '05 and up SD trucks with the V-10 will have the 3 valve (per cylinder) motors which make more power than the earlier (but still very good) 2 valve V-10s. The 3 valve motors are also mated to the 5R110 5 speed auto transmissions, a nice upgrade over the earlier (but still also good) 4R100 4 speed autos behind the 2 valve motors. Fuel mileage is not as good as the diesels, but the cost of an equally equipped truck with the gas motor vs a diesel is typically much less.
The last year for EXcursions was '05 and Ford did not upgrade the soon to be extinct EXs with the new 3 valve motors and better trans for that last year. So my '05 EX has the 2 valve V-10 and 4R100 4 speed auto trans, I also upgraded to a 4.88 gear ratio (offset by my 35.28" tall tires to equal an effective ratio of 4.39). With this setup we tow our '14 Jayco Eagle Premier 338RETS travel trailer (41' long and 11,000 lbs) all over the East, it can keep up with traffic even on the big highway grades in WV and VT and we see towing mileage results between 8 and 9.25 MPG depending on terrain and how much of a hurry I'm in, unloaded it gets 12 to 14 MPG highway.

 

Welcome to FTE.

The VIN does not have the axle ratio. The warranty/data plate on the door will have an axle code. Axles themselves leave the factory with a ratio tag on one of the cover bolts. Look for that plate on the door under the latch or on the door jamb--not sure as they have changed and I'm no expert.

 

You can also plug the vin in here:


Vehicle Lookup

 

Any gearing of the F250 should be fine for the trailer.


What years are you targeting for the truck?

 

We are looking at a 2003 F250 6.0L V8 4x4. Do you know why 3 gear ratios are listed on the VIN decoder printout? Also, we've been told the 6.0L has issues. The high pressure oil pump has been replaced and the EGR and oil cooler too. Does that help the issue?

 

I may be drummed off the site but DON'T BUY A 6.0 FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

 

Ford offered three gear rations in the super fit lineup, 3.73, 4.10, and 4.30. Diesel trucks come with the 3.73 ration because they have the power to pull x amount of weight with that ratio, a gas motor on the other hand comes stock with 3.73 which is ok for a soccer mom truck or someone who pulls very little weight or no weight at all. Now ford offered 4.10 and 4.30 for those of us that well use are trucks, a 4.10 and 4.30 multiplies the torque better which makes a gas motor pull more weight easier. A diesel doesn't matter but for a gas truck I'd find a 4.10 or 4.30 equipped truck regardless of if I pull 2k or 20k. My F350 with the 5.4 only came with 3.73 for some odd reason which only the idiot at Ford can tell me why, I hated them and had 4.30
Gears installed at a cool TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS! 4.30 ratio option would have cost me $150.00 if it was ordered from the factory

iPhone from IB AutoGroup

 

Thanks all for the info on the axle ratio. OK, now why (in short) should we not buy the 6.0? Would the 7.3 be better? How will that affect mpg?
Recently the high pressure oil pump was replaced and EGR/oil cooler (don't have a clue what all this is. This 2003 truck has over 200,000 miles on it. Wouldn't the bugs be out by now?

 

I personally would buy a 7.3 over a 6.0.

 

My apologies to all for bringing up a subject that has been beaten to death. I didn't know it until doing a little more research. So, thanks to all who replied and educated me a bit. I'm off to read other threads and educate myself more about the 6.0 and bullet proofing and other options.

 

I'm a 6L owner and love it. Of course, the diesel HAS become my hobby, so while lots of folks who bought a 6L never had an issue (or don't yet know they DO have an issue brewing) lots of good info on what to look for/fix if necessary here on FTE.

Since you want to go do camping stuff you might consider the v10, 2005+ Super Duty has a more powerful version (3 valves/cyclinder) than the pre-2005 V10 (2v/cyclinder). The 7.3 Diesel is highly regarded - but extremely pricey and the newest (2003) is now 12 (13?) years old so is going to have worn out components.
The newer 6.2L (v8) is also worth considering if you can afford a newer F250/F350. The 5.4L (v8) is the same engine in the Expedition and older F150 and would be the least powerful option.

 

Good luck finding one of those in good shape with low miles for under $20k. Even then, the owners of the 7.3 you bought it from likely doesn't know anything about it mechanically and has underlying problems.

I bought a basket case 6.0L, stuck $800 in it and have a reliable rig that has more HP/Tq than a 7.3 and gets better mileage. Since there are so many of these supposed "grenaded" 6.0L trucks on the market for real cheap, I'm considering starting a truck dealer that specializes in bulletproofed 6.0L trucks. This week I've found two trucks (2005 and 2007) for under $7k that both need head gaskets. I could stud/delete and clean turbos for under $700 and turn a huge profit if I sold them at $2-3k under book. People are so scared of these things for no reason other than the bad rep the 6.0L got early on.

 

I'm glad to see someone mentioning the V10. After years of diesels, one of my dealers has switched over to a gassers and loves them! Yeah, I have a 7.3, but there are plenty of other choices and they all work. I don't think anyone should have the idea if they tow, they have to have a diesel.

Just my two cents worth,

Steve

 

there's a good reason those things don't hold any value. i wouldn't run one if it was free.id never trust it.

 

Perhaps a good source of info on reliability of the 6 liters can be found on their sub-forum in the diesel section.

Steve