If you look in his sig, you'll see "3.73 Trac-Lok w/ an alum. diff. cover with cap support screws." So he's got some much lower gears and a limited slip. That is much mo-bettah. Lower gears for more torque multiplication and power going to both wheels instead of just one on the open diff. That obviously gives twice as much traction because if one slips, the other is still pushin power to the ground (and if both slip, they are both putting down much less power).

3.08 is an economy gear. Its meant to get you mileage with that OD tranny. Simply put, assuming you both had the same transmission, the guy with a 3.73 gear only needs 200ft-lbs of torque to put the same torque to the ground as the guy with 242ft-lbs and a 3.08 gear. And with a limited sliip or locked rear, he's trying to force each driving tire to put half of that power to the ground. The open diff is pushing all that torque to the ground through the one tire. You can see how this would be bad for towing or a tug-of-war.


-=Whittey=-

[edit] You can get your parts at MotorHaven (who supports this forum), or Summit, or Jegs or whoever.

 

Have someone throw a rug or a blanket over the tow chain/cable so that if it breaks, it won't snap back and decapitate you both.

Keep spectators clear!

 

The code charts are in the shop manual.

BTW the aftermarket diff cover with the support screws gives some added strength to the ring and pinion under high towing or pulling loads. I picked my R&P ratio with only one consideration: towing. I am running at almost exactly my torque peak of 2000 RPM at 65 MPH in OD. I've got a ton of extra cooling built into my tranny, with the big gears and running in the fat part of the torque curve it tends to hold in OD rather than downshift, so I can tow in OD with no problem. For zero speed pulling, like you're talking about, the more gear the better. 4.56s would be ideal, but you couldn't affords to drive it.

 

It really doesn't matter what engine you or they have - all you have to do is get more traction than them, regardless of how fast you're going. They might have a blown 460, but if they have no weight on the rear wheels, it won't do them any good. If you're on dry pavement, a locker or L/S will have no effect, either. You're not going for wheel-spinning speed; just enough to move yourself forward.

I've dragged trucks with my 4.9L 3.08 8.8" because I have a Bronco, which has MUCH better weight distribution than any unloaded pickup, AND because I know how to win.

1. To get the odds in your favor, put all the weight you can in your bed - the farther back, the better.

2. Next, shift to the SLOWEST ratio you can get in 2WD, which means if you have a 4WD: put the t-case in 4L and the transmission in 1st, but DON'T lock the front hubs.

3. When you hook the trucks together, make SURE your point of attachment is HIGHER than his. This robs him of any weight HIS rear axle is carrying, and transfers it to YOUR rear wheels.

4. Hook the trucks as CLOSE together as you can, for SEVERAL reasons:
a) if you've managed to hook up higher, a short chain/rope/strap will give you the most benefit;
b) a short chain throws less schrapnel if it breaks;
c) it allows you to double (or more) a long chain so it's less likely to break.

* If you're questioned about why, say it's for safety, but don't tell them about "a".

5. If you're hooking up LOWER than your opponent, you want as MUCH distance between you and him as possible, so he steals less of your traction. (Never mention the real reason WHY you're adjusting the distance - just make up a line about not wanting him throwing rocks at your back window, or something.)

6. Make sure your tires are on the cleanest, flattest, & roughest (gritty, not bumpy) pavement you can find, and try to put his wheels on sand, gravel, oil, water, or lumpy pavement. This minimizes his traction.

7. When you take off, don't try to spin the tires - it's the worst thing you can do. Take off smoothly, keeping engine revs as low as you can without stalling. If you have a manual, try to get the clutch fully released quickly, WITHOUT stalling the engine or chirping the tires. If you have an auto, put it in the lowest gear and leave it there. Even if you start rolling back, follow those guidelines - if he hits a slick spot, you might get him rolling back and kill his engine.

8. Make sure your truck is in good general repair - tires inflated to max pressure so they can take the weight, carb tuned, timing set, air filter clean, trans fluid topped off, brakes working, bumper/hitch bolts tight, etc.

 

hey,

You were looking for a chart. well there you go.

I got this from my truck owners manual

towing capacity for a 4.9 L with different ratio is

Ratio pounds

3.08 0-2100 Lb
3.31 0-2800 Lb
3.55 0-3500 Lb


Of course this is the Chart for a 5 speed overdrive manual transmission.

So like you can see. with 3.08 axle you can't haul that much. I got 3.08 axle ratio in my truck too. and I don't like that. not enouph power. I'm changing the axle for 3.55

If I can give you a really good advise , Don't try to Pull another truck with 3.08 gear ratio. It's probably gonna cost you more in repair. And I garanty that you'll lose the fight. Change axle ratio , then you're in business.

Hope this was helpfull

see ya

 

just remeber the most important thing is safty not breaking things, if you think your trucks had enough it probly has and shut it down at least to let it cool off. And put a think blanket over the the chain to keep a break more contained.

 

^ i agree with the above statements and GET PICS of u winnin or losin, but still i wanna see...PS: the chevy i wanna hook up to is higher than mine (frame height) looks like i might be at an advantage...we'll see...good info steve

 

I would never pull axle to axle, that's asking for something to get broken. Same with the bumper. You should buy a good frame mounted hitch for several reasons. 1. It's the safest way to do this. 2. It adds some weight to the back of the truck. 3. You can pick your receiver to your advantage. A 4" drop hitch can just as easily be a 4" raised hitch. A 4" hitch height advantage goes a long way. If the guy your pulling doesn't have a frame hitch, tell him you won't go by hooking bumpers. I would try suggesting that he use his axle housing because it should be much lower than your hitch. Also, try to block your rear suspension solid temporarily so it can't hunker down as the load is applied. If you do all this and get them to hook to their axle housing, you will almost surely win and probably tear up their trucks too. The only other real variable is tire size. If you don't have enough rubber on the ground you can't get it done.

If the other trucks have shorter wheelbases than yours you will probably have trouble because they will have more weight over the rear wheels. There's nothing you can do about that, but you could use it as an excuse.

 

No, the HIGH truck has the advantage.

 

guess i should read my posts before postin, meant dis-advantage.

 

Thanks guys for all the advice. So if I get a hitch, which I am pretty soon, itll allow me an advantage? I'm not really willing to give up my top end, as said in an earlier post, for a couple of pulls when switching to bigger gears. Will I lose top end by getting a locker or limited slip dif.?

Ill probably go after I get my hitch.

My friend will take pics with my little digital camera and i'll post them on my webpage and put up a link.

Anybody else have any advice, tips, safety concerns(truck or human), or good ideas for my Truck-of-war?

 

You will not lose top end speed with bigger gears. The 300 won't run to its theoretical max. speed of 118 MPH. It doesn't make enough power and AFAIK you've got a speed limiter built into the PCM at somewhere around 95 MPH. Even if yuo could exceed 95, given the handling and braking capabilities would you really want to on a regular basis?

You will be turning more revs at a given speed with bigger gears but that's generally necessary for better acceleration, and quite useful for in-town driving. Unless your truck lives on the highway 90% of the time 3.08s have very little to offer.

Lockers and or limited slip differentials have no effect on speed in gears whatsoever, they merely improve traction by splitting the available tractive force between both wheels.

 

So where can I get these items StrangeRanger? Is it an easy instal?

 

What a new differential or a ring and pinion or both? The parts can be had at any decent speed shop or truck shop or an line from any number of sources. I use Summit a lot cause I live near them, but Jeg's is just as good as are some of the truck places.

How difficult an install? Depends. From the questions you've been asking, I'm pretty sure you're not an experienced mechanic, but I may be wrong. Regardless of your skill level, it's not a job you should attempt the first time without some experienced guidance. You'll also need a good shop manual, preferably the Ford factory manual, normal hand tools, including a standard torque wrench and a DIAL torque wrench in inch-lb increments, a slide hammer, a dial indicator on a magnetic base, a set of calipers or a 1" micrometer, a variety of tools for installing seals, bearings and side shims, access to a bearing press. It's not a particularly difficult job, just time-consuming.

The important thing about rear end work is that there's no such thing as close enough. It has to be exactly right and you may need to tear it apart several times to get it right.

 

Changing your gears will not affect your chances of winning a pull-off, but it's expensive, difficult, and time-consuming.

Neither will a locker or L/S.

If you want to buy something to improve your chances, get a good ClassIII or IV hitch reciever and a long-drop draw bar, but install the draw bar upside-down so it goes UP. That'll raise your point of attachment, giving you an advantage.