How about getting 373, then telling wife you need more power to tow with. Tell here you need to get 430s for $1200, or Headers, chip, exaust for $1200 and will get better mpg. Its all true.

 

WhyShane, Is your truck stock? Tires? If so, what's your RPM in 3rd(drive) going 60 & 65? The V-10 needs to be turning a minimum of 2300 to pull any kind of hill with a load.
benr0, Why not get the 4.30's then add all the hot rod parts?

 

I've got 4.30 gears and love them

2002 F350 Dually, V10 six speed, regular cab XL (pretty well stripped down truck)

Honestly, 6th gear is so tall that i dont use it to accelerate on big hills

I really wouldn't want a taller top gear.

And on top of that, I'm actually running a whipple supercharger and a set of shortie headers on it right now..... and a cat back exhaust.

Even without the blower, it moved along pretty good for a big truck

 

[QUOTE] I drove a 5.4 in a 250 super duty with a 6 speed manual and i drove a v10 250 super duty with an automatic. The 5.4 would blow it away. /QUOTE]

Kinda hard to believe, all else being the same. But, if you say so..........

Take care

 

Not that much stronger. I found out the same thing when I pull a similar camper up to Eisenhower tunnel. I take it you are in Wyo and the thing that kills us is losing about 25 to 30% of the HP at 10,000 ft plus grades.

I was disappointed at first but reading at this site people have explained that the V-10 is not like your dad's V-8. You can run it at a lot higher RPM. So the last time I pulled my trailer over Eishenhower grade I did what another guy told me to and locked it in 2nd and was pulling around 4,000rpm doing 60 or so MPH and passing lots of cars and trucks. Not even close to full throttle or max rpm. Averaged 12.5mpg to Steamboat Lake and back. Anyway, I'm glad i didn't get the 5.4L. My buddies SC 250 with a 5.4L and 4.10 gears searches between 2nd and 3rd on the same grade without a trailer.

 

V104Me, Yes everything is still stock as of now. Actually I’m usually running around 70 in Drive and am turning at least 2300 rpm’s. It seems like that when I see a hill coming if I help out the cruise control and help keep the rpm’s up it will keep it’s power a little better up the hill. But if I don’t do it just right then the power drops right down and I end up having to go to 2nd to keep it at 60 to 65. Right now I’m deciding what to do – gear swap, exhaust change or different truck.

 

If you have 3.73 diffs with an auto and stock 265's you should be turning around 2800rpm at 70 mph in drive, about 2000rpm at 70 in OD. I think some trucks came with 235 tires which look way to small. If they were changed to 265s maybe you would be turning 2300rpm in drive at 70mph.

 

I personally plan on adding some type of limited slip to my open rear end to keep from wearing out my passenger side tire,and while i am at it i am going with 4.56 gears, for perfomance reasons and for help pulling my big heavy boat.