Thank you for making me aware of a specific forum.

 

A huge thank you to all of you for the feedback. It's exactly what I was looking for, especially those of you who are involved with the fleet trucks. The fleet trucks are where the problems will show up first!

 

My only recommendation is, if you’re going to use this truck in higher elevations or run bigger tires, do not get one with 3.55 gears.

 

I don't think they offer 3.55 anymore, if what I've read is accurate. I believe its 3.73 or 4.30. My 2020 was 3.55 and, empty, had plenty of zip. My 2022 has 4.30 and I prefer those gears, but all three will work.

 

3.55’s are not available in any gas SD for 2023. The OP isn’t buying a 2023. I test drove a 7.3 with 3.55’s at sea level with the stock size tires, it did drive ok. Made me change my 4.30 order to 3.55’s, received my 3.55 truck here at 5,100 elevation and what a LAZY PIECE OF SHXX that truck was!

There’s a good reason Ford doesn’t offer gas SD’s with 3.55’s anymore. That combination SUCKS!

 

Our yearly mileage is over 90% towing so your advise it valid in our case. If it was the other way around the 3.55 would probably suffice. I have no plans to go to a taller tire, as well.

That said, if I can find one with low enough mileage I will change the axle ratio out for a 4.30 or even a 4.56. I've been through the regearing deal with our present truck and the cost to regear was the most effective money I've ever spent in regards to towing performance enhancement. I went to 4.30's on our '09 F-250 SD and it transformed our little 330 c.i. (sorry I don't do liter's) gas into a much better tow vehicle than I ever dreamt it could be. Our empty-not towing mileage is so little that fuel mileage is a non-factor.

 

My 3.55 truck with stock 33.2” tires would only tow my less than 5k lbs TT in 8th gear max. My 4.30 truck with 34.5” M/T’s tows that same TT in 10th easily.

 

Hundreds of thousands of 7.3 with 3.55 and 3.73 over 3 model years out there you are the only person I have ever seen being this vocal about the 7.3-3.xx combo, and I highly doubt the 5% difference between 3.55 and 3.73 made the 23 trucks that much more driveable. Hell, imagine how screwed are all those 6.2 gas owners with 3.73 and the old 6 speed and much higher 1st gears much be and dumping their trucks at any cost

Maybe you should get your signature permanently tattooed on your forehead so people can be educated about the perils of the 3.xx gas trucks wherever you go.

 

Ha ha haaaa… I hated that lazy 3.55 POS, what a disappointment! I bought it thinking the 10 speed would makeup for those gears, the three overdrive gears just made it worse. Constantly shifting gears, lugging itself around at a gutless, powerless, unresponsive 1500 rpm. If you like that more power to you!

That’s a diesel gear ratio and doesn’t belong in a gas powered SD and that’s why Ford doesn’t offer them anymore.

 

Putting 3.55 half ton gears in a 3/4, 1 ton truck probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

 

It sounds like an operator problem if there are millions of gas ford SDs with 3.xx on the road and only you feel so strongly about it. If 3.55 is that bad, 3.73 would be just as bad, and the old 6speed on the 6.2 with the 3.73 would be even worse.

 

Overall for the majority of my use im between sea level and 3,000ft elevation and even my 4.88 geared 7.3L F550 gets sluggish with enough weight behind it waiting on the automatic transmission to automatically do what it does too late as usual. Using the gear lockout for the gas trucks is the way to go. Instead of looking for an even higher numerical ratio I just lock out the unneeded gears prior to the ascent and there's plenty of power to be had.

All four of my 6.2L trucks are paired with 3.73 gears and tow at minimum 16k, max 17.6k. I had a 4.30 geared 2013 6.2L to compare with my current 2015 6.2L with 3.73. Both trucks if left in automatic drive the same. When I lock out the gears and get into the appropriate gear prior to the ascent again both trucks act the same. I also have had a 2022 7.3L with 4.30 to compare to my 2022 6.2L with 3.73 and its the same old story. Never had or operated a 3.55 ratio 7.3L, but I bet if I locked out the unneeded gears prior to the ascent it would function all the same as the 4.30 and 3.73, just not in the same gear but certainly at the same RPMs.

Not at all against the highest numerical ratio available, but a lot can be overcome with the lockout and manual mode of the transmissions it just requires an operator that wants to pay a bit more attention and actually operate the truck. Steering wheel holders that just want to put it into D and nothing further are better off in a diesel, but even that gets to a certain weight where again locking out gears is better than what the automatic function can provide.

 

I'd say if you can find a 4.30 or 3.73 truck get it. You might love a 3.55 7.3 coming from a 5.4 cuz the 7.3 is strong but you'll probably like a 3.73 or 4.30 more with towing but you already know that since you've been down that road. I'd hate to spend 3k on a regear when the factory option for a 4.30 is like $400. Alot of people are going to fight against the 3.55 because that's what the dealers stock and that's what people often buy. I'd almost guarantee the 3.55's are gone for 23' because running 1500rpm at 70mph in a 7k gas hd truck doesn't really make sense for those towing often like the OP.

 

then why offer 3.73 at all? If 3.55 can’t get a job done then 3.73 would just get you a few feet further up the hill befor the truck dies from exhaustion.

Funny how you don’t hear throngs of drivers with 6.2/6 speed/3.73 coming on here complaining that the truck is a total POS, yet a few here insist that the 3.55 with the 10 speed, and a more powerful motor, and lower gear ratios at the lower range is just downright unusable. If the 7.3/3.55/10spd is truly a mistake then the ford should be hearing a massive uproar from at least 1/2 of the 3.73 7.3 owners since only 5% difference exists between the 3.55 and 3.73. Where is the angry mob at with their pitchforks?

 

at the time I ordered I opted against the 4.30 also because ford was not forthcoming with the extent of Dana M275 problem and they never really explained if the gas trucks with the M275 were affected. I figured, why take a chance, stick with the sterling axle and I still have better gear ratios than anyone with the 3.73 6 speed ever had.

but the idea that 3.73 for the 7.3 is a-okay now but 7.3 3.55 are magically basically half tons, is just comical.