doggy pulling
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New User
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Ohio
doggy pulling
i have a 93 E-150 conversion van with a 5.0, AOD tranny, and 3.55 gears. I tow a trailer atleast 2 weekends a month in the spring thru fall, would changing the gears to a 4.10 or even a 4.30 help me with my weakness of getting up the hills. The trailer weighs in about 5500 loaded... Thanks for any info!
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: WA
It would help, but it's not going to solve all your problems and probably isn't worth the money.
It's going to be a tought time hauling that with an already heavy conversion van, 5500 is a lot for a 5.0 and your going to be having problems on hills. If you haul very often you might think of upgrading to something bigger.
It's going to be a tought time hauling that with an already heavy conversion van, 5500 is a lot for a 5.0 and your going to be having problems on hills. If you haul very often you might think of upgrading to something bigger.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 743
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It would help enormously. Picture an engine turning 2200 rpm at 60 mph trying to pull 10,000 lbs. Now picture the same engine with 4.30's pulling at 2800 rpm ( give or take, I don't have my calculator handy and It's 3 a.m. here right now.) Your gas mileage may go up while towing and your engine will love that it gets to spin up to where it starts to make some power.
Don't let the negative people here sway you away. The 5.0 is a good engine. Unless you already have plans to get rid of it you will be way money ahead to fix what you already have. A set of gears and an install will run you about 500 bucks. A lot less if you do it yourself or have a friend do it for you.
I've pulled a lot of loads with 5.0's, they may not have torque like a big block or a diesel. But once you get them wound up they pull pretty hard.
Good luck and enjoy.
Don't let the negative people here sway you away. The 5.0 is a good engine. Unless you already have plans to get rid of it you will be way money ahead to fix what you already have. A set of gears and an install will run you about 500 bucks. A lot less if you do it yourself or have a friend do it for you.
I've pulled a lot of loads with 5.0's, they may not have torque like a big block or a diesel. But once you get them wound up they pull pretty hard.
Good luck and enjoy.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 5,228
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From: Running Springs CA
Get the 4.10 gears. You are probably at or above your maximum GCWR for the 3.55's with that engine and trans. How heavy is your loaded van by itself? Gears are the cheapest upgrade that will reallly help. The 5.0 needs to rev. If you waste the same money on engine mods you will only make more power at even higher revs, worthless for your application.
Jim
Jim
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From: Ohio
ive never weighed the van by itself, but im guess its about 5500-6000#, the trailer is 3800# dry and i expect with the family and all the things to go for a weekend camping trip should put it up to about 5500# or so. so with that guess in mind that would be a total weight of around 12000# van and camper. Talked to my mech. said going with the 4.10's would make pulling around here great. since northern ohio doesnt have a real big hills.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: USA
You might be overweight on the combined load of the van and the trailer if your van weighs that much and your engine is small and gear ratio high. May want to weigh the whole thing, loaded, then look up the weight information for your engine/axle configuration. If you change the gears, it will help with power, but you may still be overweight. How is braking and handling with that combination?
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From: Ohio
braking and handling are fine, no sway, and camper has electric brakes and a weight distrubution hitch.
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Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: USA
If you're happy with the van and the way it handles the load, then change the gears and save yourself some money from not buying a new vehicle. 4.10 should be fine. Unless you're running larger tires, 4.30 will probly be too low.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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My Friend has 4.30's in his f-350 with a v-10 2wd with 235/85/16 tires. It pulls really hard and gets good mileage. His tires are probably a lot bigger than yours in diameter, so I would lean toward 4:10. Look around a little, the original lightning trucks came with 4:10's and a limited slip. There is a guy here that is trying to sell one for 450 bucks. It might bolt right into your van. Not only do you get the gears, and the limites slip. The lightning housing is supposed to be stronger.
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