Gearvendors overdrive/underdrive works incredibly had one on my 89 7.3 idi and auto 4x4. now ive got one on my 97 f250 and 2000 f350 both have manual trans on those trucks. its like having inbetween gears, then when your not hauling you have the overdrive to switch back to save some fuel. the gear vendors runs about $3k installed but worth every penny

 

So the Heavy Duty body style didn't change until 97. Didn't realize that.
Matthew I may well take you upon that. Gotta check into the gear vendor and I have a line on a wrecked 97 F350 that I need to go look at so I will get back to you.

 

I'm not sure if this means anything in texas but up here in washington our local Randys Ring and Pinion service told me that if I wanted to change out the gears in the rear end of my 2 wheel drive 99 f550 from 4.88''s to 4'10's it would cost around $700 dollars.So I 'm not sure if you can just double that for a guestimate on a 4x4 like yours or not.You might be lookin at 1500.00 or better to change gears front and back. Good luck figuring this out.

 

All I know is that the gears for the front end cost 3X as much as the gears for the rear end. Labor is a whole different story,

If he was gonna charge you $700 to change them and he supplied the gears almost $500 of the $700 was labor because Ford sells them for a little over $225 a set. I bet you can beat that by going to a gear maker like Spicer.

 

After a lot of consideration and research I have reached a few decisions.

1. Scrap the big tires idea

2. Install the Gear Vendor gear splitter.

3. Vow to always ask for help here whenever I come up with one of my "brilliant ideas"


Thanks for the advice guys I think I made the right, albeit the most expensive, decision

 

I don't think there's many of us that wouldn't want to add the GV overdrive, how cool would that be! Take plenty of pictures and keep track of prices so we might live through you.

Please keep us posted, and also pass on the info for that wrecked 350. The dana 60 swap is another frequently drooled over prospect.

Matthew