I'm considering buying a '94 F-250 that appears to have the 4.10 ratio (2wd/5-speed).

The thing is, I really would have to change it, since I use my truck on long drives pretty often. I would have a few questions...

1) what other stock ratios are there? 3.55 I know could be had from the factory on an IDI 7.3. Is there anything even slightly higher that you'd recommend?

2) what kind of fuel economy should I expect? I currently have a '95 4x4 Z71 K1500 with the 6.5 turbodiesel and I can get close to 20 mpg... this Ford's probably heavier, but I would hate to give up 4x4 and not get any kind of gain in mileage in return.

3) I've never done it, but I'm usually a pretty decent DIY mechanic and I've done plenty of other things... would you recommend doing the rear end gears change? Or should I just swap? Or not buy this truck at all? (I don't want a 4.10 ratio).

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

swap the whole rear axle.
takes an afternoon,and you can consider it a good time to put the aux spring in,that should have come stock like the f350's.
head to the local salvage yard for both.
head to your local heavy duty shop for new U-bolts and hardware.
next day,rip her apart,and set your new axle in.
easy as pie.likely only set ya back 300$ max.
sell your axle for 100$ (if your in a hurry) and your total price is now 200$.

before long,the swap wouldn't cost anything,and start putting you ahead of where you would have been in fuel savings.

that's how id do this.
with a 4wd,id do the same thing,and then pay a shop to swap gears for the front.

state where you are,and perhaps someone will trade with you.

your looking for 3.55's.
if you decide to have a shop swap gears,you may want to consider a set of 3.08's.

with a overdrive and 3.55's though,you'll likely be happy.
do you plan on running stock tire size?
cus if you wanted to go a little larger,this would make more of a cruise truck too.
you loose more multiplied torque though.don't expect to grab a hold of something and expect it to haul it like it does with the 4.10's.make sure you don't need 'em,or you'll wish you had 'em back.

for ease and price of the swap,i wouldn't pass up a good deal on a 2wd truck if the gears were not right.
but i wouldn't go driving it at all before the proper gears are in.you know how things can get put off.this would just cost $ in extra fuel.
prepare for the price and work,and do it directly after purchase or keep looking for the truck with 3.55's to meet your needs.

 

The seller told me this F-250 had the optional extra leaf "like the F-350s". I looked at the rear suspension and it does have another leaf in addition to the "regular" leaf spring. Is that what you're talking about when you say "aux spring"? And is it true that it was an option on F-250s in those years? (The seller bought this truck from the first owner and told me everything was stock.)

I'll probably keep tire size close to stock, yes.

Wouldn't the engine run at a less-than-ideal number of RPM at normal (65-70 mph) highway speeds with 3.08s, though?

 

yes the auxiliary (overloads) springs could be ordered from ford on the f250's from the factory.that's a plus.

David85 runs 3.08's in his f250.
i don't know what his actual average mpg is.but he has the highest fuel economy peaks iv read about from an idi:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ing-25mpg.html

 

oh yeah.
something else for you to read before your purchase:
Cavitation Article

you should be aware,there where 3 diesel engine options offered in a '94 f250/f350 truck.
a) 7.3l IDI n/a (non turbo)
b) 7.3l IDI turbo
c) 7.3l powerstroke turbo

actually,all idi's might have been turboed in '94.i can't recall now.but if so,no biggie lol.thats not what you'll find then.

 

This one has the 7.3l IDI turbo, that is certain.

Thanks for the cavitation issue link...

I'm really thinking about it, what still makes me hesitate is that I have land I'm not sure I can access with a 2wd truck. I've been weighing the pros and cons of changing trucks for a few days and are still undecided...

 

if you feel,your going to need a 4x4,then don't settle for a 2wd truck.
make 4wd your primary focus when buying your next truck.
yup.it's going to cost more than the 2wd equivalent.so really you should save up and just get the 4wd.if not,your not going to be happy.
almost anything else to a truck can be modified with ease.trying to convert a 2wd truck into a 4wd truck latter,not only will cost more than if you just saved up and got the 4wd now,but it's a lot of fabrication work.
a lot of people figure its just a matter of bolting in a front D50 or D60,adding a transfer case,and sliding in a front drive shaft.
not the case.the 2wd truck frames are not the same as 4wd truck frames.
if you need a 4wd truck.buy the 4wd truck.save up a little more now,and keep looking.otherwise,you'll be sorry latter.
4wd is so drastic, that it makes the rig, really a totally different animal from the 2wd truck.this ones the most important decision when looking for a new truck.
once your in off the road and start spinning,you hop out,lock the hubs in,and drive away,it all becomes clear why you payed more.you'll be smiling all the way out to the road.

 

But there is some appeal in a lighter vehicle with less moving parts and complexity...

I wonder if I could manage living with 2wd. For 95% of my truck use 2wd is sufficient, and there are advantages to 2wd when most of your hauling and driving is done on highways.

Everything else is exactly as I would have ordered it from the factory except for the 4.10 rear end gearing. I'm specifically looking for a '94 or older since they're exempt from my province's large engine tax overcharge (began in '95 and will forever apply to all vehicles '95 and newer). I pay it every year on my Chevy and the savings on a '94 will pay for themselves in no time.

I don't think it's realistic to keep looking for something even closer to perfection... it's either I change my current truck for that one, or I pass and keep mine.

 

is your current truck 2wd or 4wd?
if 2wd,just know there is nothing in addition to offer over your current truck,and you'll need to stick with the roads like you do with that one.
if its 4wd,just know you can no longer go places you did with your chevy without getting stuck.

as for less moving parts.
remember these are 4wd's not all wheel drives.
the front only works when you lock the hubs in,and engage the transfer case.
when you don't need them,you won't be using the extra moving parts.
if they're needed.the last thing on your mind when stuck (or want to go somewhere a 2wd can't) will be if your wearing out more parts when locked in.

if your using a 2wd now.nothing is lost,nothing gained.
if your using a 4wd now,just know you can't go off road,unless you know the ground is firm.even then,be careful.these are heavy trucks,2wd or 4wd,with heavy diesels.they'll sink out of sight on ya in a moments notice.


% wise,i drove something like 15k this summer.all of 5 miles max was used in 4wd lo probably.so not even 99.99%? lol or something.
making my % look as if i didn't need 4wd.
what i was doing while locked in,surpassed the ability of the 2wd,making it possible to do a job at hand.i use the 4wd more of a tool,than a means of a transportation aid in the summer though (tree service truck.so think,locked in to crawl over lawns without spinning and making ruts.think,hooking onto a tree and pulling it,to assist it goes the right way.think, twitching logs up steep banks,while on lawns.etc.etc.i wish i took my cam with me more over the summer.you could see some cool stuff done with ropes/pulleys,and 4wd used as a "tool".)

only you know if it's needed or not.

 

It's a 4x4. I know there are a few places I will no longer be able to access.

The thing is, 2wd with 4.10 gears might actually be geared low enough for me to pull the trailer (when loaded) up my very steep driveway. That would be great, as it's what I mostly use 4x4 for.

In other words, the main use for 4x4 is the low range in my case. The Chevy hubs lock automatically, but if that truck were like my previous 4x4 F-150 that it replaced, the hubs would usually stay unlocked...

First speed with that 4.10 on my test drive of this '94 F-250 felt exactly like a 4x4's low range compared to what I'm used to.

I would LOVE to be sure 3.55 gears in first speed would still give me enough wheel torque to climb that slope...


Thanks for the advice...

I pretty much already know all this, I'm on the fence because 4wd is pretty useful but not mandatory and this truck is just about perfect except for that little detail. Especially since the main use I have for 4wd isn't front wheel power but the low range.

In fact the perfect truck for me would be a 2wd with a > 4.xx rear ratio and a sixth gear for the highway...

 

im getting the impression,the truck your looking at is very clean/solid/safe and needs little work.
likely with a spotless interior as well,making the truck look much more attractive and is priced very comfortably for you.



"I wonder if I could manage living with 2wd.

I'm on the fence because 4wd is pretty useful but not mandatory and this truck is just about perfect except for that little detail.

I know there are a few places I will no longer be able to access.

pull the trailer (when loaded) up my very steep driveway.

Everything else is exactly as I would have ordered it from the factory except for the 4.10 rear end gearing.

I'm really thinking about it, what still makes me hesitate is that I have land I'm not sure I can access with a 2wd truck. I've been weighing the pros and cons of changing trucks for a few days and are still undecided...

I don't think it's realistic to keep looking for something even closer to perfection... it's either I change my current truck for that one, or I pass and keep mine."

take your time.
it appears to me you need another 4wd truck,but your starting to lose focus on whats important due to the very attractive price,and near mint condition appearance of a 2wd truck you found.-this is just a guess.
i take it,your chevy is a gas engine,and your looking for fuel savings with a diesel.but not liking the initial price of a diesel 4wd.

just take your time.
iv had 2wd's and 4wd's.
i know what your looking to hear.but based on the info provided,your not going to hear it from me lol.
personally,i say keep your truck.save up some more,and perhaps next year get the 4x4 diesel w 3.55's.

 

Exactly. You're pretty good at psychology! Thanks again for the advice in this thread.


Pretty good guess...

My first work vehicle though was a 2wd 1-ton Dodge. It did the job pretty well for the five years I've had it, and I never regretted not having 4x4.

But I didn't have this steep driveway back then.

Nope, my Chevy is a 4x4 with the 6.5 turbodiesel.


Money isn't the problem, but I hate not getting a good deal on what I buy. And I have a pretty long list of criteria, making it very hard to find the exact truck I want.

Thanks for the honest opinion, it's much appreciated.

 

If you need the low range, but not 4x4, there is a possible compromise. You can add a transfer case to a 2wd truck, swap driveshafts, and have a low range option. It just doesn't have anything hooked to the front driveshaft of the transfer case.

 

Interesting idea!

A 2wd truck with a transfer case and 3.08 gears would be pretty much the perfect all-around truck for my needs...

 

i dont know how steep your driveway is or what you tow but i have a 94 F250 4x4 IDI (soon to be turbo) currently N/A.

more than once ive had my trailer on empty or loaded on grades of 3% and above sometimes solid ground sometimes grass sometimes mud and sometimes gravel and the back wheels just spin in 1st gear in 2x4 pop in the lockers hit 4 lo and off i go.... i would kick myself in the nuts over and over if i had settled for a 2 wheel drive. i would listen to FORDF250HDXLT if i were you and just wait tell you find a 4x4. it doesnt matter the gear ratio if the load is offset