I am curious why Ford used a 14J 3.00 Gear ratio on a 150 with a factory 460.
It seems to be a bit noisy and I was wondering if I should go with a 3.55 or something.fuel mileage is decent for a 460 but is long legged, yet kick down on passing tends to wind the engine pretty good. Any thoughts?

 

Original purchaser may have used the truck on the highway far more than on city streets.

14J: 14 = Ford 9" Rear Axle / 3.00-1 / 3,600 lbs. Rear Axle Capacity // J = Power Steering.

 

There's no factory 3.55 ratio for a Ford 9-inch rear end. The closest factory ratio you'll get to this is a 3.50 ratio.

There are no factory 3.73 gears for a 9-inch either. Closest 9-inch ratio to this is 3.70.

 

Ok thanks, good to know... and I will probably just stick to the 3.00 ratio for better fuel economy.

 

Thanks good info because I was not sure the significance of the J

 

The 3.00 gears will likely get you good mileage if your going 65 on a regular basis. If you only take it on country roads (40-50 speed limit) you can drop the gears to 3.5

 

Usually 60-65 MPH on mostly 2 lane state highways,it could use a little better take off in heavier traffic when pulling onto the highway from country roads.

 

If your looking for more torque down low and you don't have one already a towing cam may be a good idea, you'll get more push where you need it without ruining your fuel economy. Before the cam you'll want a free flowing exhaust so you can take advantage of the power

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cc...view/make/ford

Maybe something like this

 

I have to reach into this differential and change some bearings, maybe gears as well , it's got that pre and post throttle whine and growl going on.

 

An E4OD automatic 4-spd overdrive transmission, a stand-alone transmission shift controller and a set of either 3.50 or 3.70:1 rear end gears would give to you the best of both worlds.

Lower gearing for better in town acceleration or pulling a heavy load or, an overdrive gear for cruising the highway to keep the engine RPMs in check.

Final drive equivalent, in overdrive with a 3.50:1 rear end ratio, would equate to having a 2.49:1 ratio ring and pinion in the rear end.

With 3.70 rear end gears and in overdrive, the final drive equivalent would be 2.63:1. --both of which are even higher ratios than what you currently have with the 3.00:1 ratio.

(final drive equivalent is figured by multiplying the high gear/overdrive ratio by the rear end ratio). The E4OD overdrive ratio is .71:1.


E40D Transmission Swap - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

 

Ultra Ranger, this is an interesting read, that would be a perfect set up for someone who travels long distances or uses their truck a lot. Its worth looking into.