Rear gears
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Zanesville,Ohio
Rear gears
Are 3.25's a good all around gear?
My truck 1981 F150 302 aod 9.50x30 tires is driven out on the highway as well as in the city.I do some hauling,mostly firewood for my inlaws but don't pull a trailer,the hill on the way to my inlaw's is very steep.
Jeff
My truck 1981 F150 302 aod 9.50x30 tires is driven out on the highway as well as in the city.I do some hauling,mostly firewood for my inlaws but don't pull a trailer,the hill on the way to my inlaw's is very steep.
Jeff
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From: Edwards Air Force Base
That is highway gears. If you are sure you will never put oversize tires on it, you might get by with that ratio but it is very low so torque will be low but you should get great highway milaige.
I have 3.55 gears and the hills around here make it an even fight. -ggg- I just swapped my front end to get 4x4 instead of my stock 2WD and mounted 33 inch tires so I am planning on attacking that hill again to see if it will now win. By my calculations, I am now at an effective gear ratio of 3.11.
Old tire/new tire * gear ratio = effective gear ratio
(29/33)*3.55 = 3.11
Lee
I have 3.55 gears and the hills around here make it an even fight. -ggg- I just swapped my front end to get 4x4 instead of my stock 2WD and mounted 33 inch tires so I am planning on attacking that hill again to see if it will now win. By my calculations, I am now at an effective gear ratio of 3.11.
Old tire/new tire * gear ratio = effective gear ratio
(29/33)*3.55 = 3.11
Lee
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Zanesville,Ohio
Thanks Lee,when I go up the hill to my inlaw's with a load of firewood,I have the throttle about 1/2 way down to stay at 35mph,of course the tranny downshifts to second.
Yes,highway mileage is indeed good,the tuck has dual tanks,at 70 mph on the freeway on our way to Pensacola,Fl (we go twice per year) from our home in east central Ohio we can get to Nashville,Tn before we need to get gasoline! about 450mi.At freeway speeds the truck will pull the hills on I-65 and very seldom downshift out of overdrive.This is with our 1981 F150 we bought brand new,engine has not been rebuilt yet nor has the AOD tranny.This has been a fantastic truck,very little mechanical problems.I replaced the valve cover gaskets Monday of last week,started to get oil on the exhaust manifold..phew.
We bought the truck new and it came with p215/75/15 tires,I now have 9.5x30 tires on it.
Jeff
Yes,highway mileage is indeed good,the tuck has dual tanks,at 70 mph on the freeway on our way to Pensacola,Fl (we go twice per year) from our home in east central Ohio we can get to Nashville,Tn before we need to get gasoline! about 450mi.At freeway speeds the truck will pull the hills on I-65 and very seldom downshift out of overdrive.This is with our 1981 F150 we bought brand new,engine has not been rebuilt yet nor has the AOD tranny.This has been a fantastic truck,very little mechanical problems.I replaced the valve cover gaskets Monday of last week,started to get oil on the exhaust manifold..phew.
We bought the truck new and it came with p215/75/15 tires,I now have 9.5x30 tires on it.
Jeff
Last edited by 1981 f150; Nov 26, 2004 at 07:25 PM.
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From: Coutts Canada
I have 3.25's (with limted slip) in my 82 flareside and i love them as 75mph is around 2600rpm, and the milage average's about 16, and i have no problems with hilss of any kind, but that could be do to the 350hp 351W torque monster sitting between the framerails 
. What gears do you have in the thing right now?
. What gears do you have in the thing right now?
Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Edwards Air Force Base
Yep, donor truck is the way to go. I have been writing about it on this thread
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=309629
I first asked if it was a good idea, then started into it 3 days ago. I would buy a truck like yours though. I bought a Bronco so now I have to get a drive shaft made. Problem was out here in California, nothing rusts so there were no donor vehicles and after a year of looking, I finally just grabbed this Bronco. I see tons of parts/donor trucks on EBAY in the mid west and north east so it would be much easier for people that are east of me.
I have the front axle done and am starting on the rear leaf spring brackets today. Grinding rivets is the worse part of this whole thing.
Good thing was I needed to change my rear main seal but kept putting it off, now that I am swapping transmissions anyway, I can do the seal. -g-
Lee
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=309629
I first asked if it was a good idea, then started into it 3 days ago. I would buy a truck like yours though. I bought a Bronco so now I have to get a drive shaft made. Problem was out here in California, nothing rusts so there were no donor vehicles and after a year of looking, I finally just grabbed this Bronco. I see tons of parts/donor trucks on EBAY in the mid west and north east so it would be much easier for people that are east of me.
I have the front axle done and am starting on the rear leaf spring brackets today. Grinding rivets is the worse part of this whole thing.
Good thing was I needed to change my rear main seal but kept putting it off, now that I am swapping transmissions anyway, I can do the seal. -g-
Lee
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From: Zanesville,Ohio
To Mustange70,I have 3.25's in it right now and at 70mph I am turning around 1850 rpm.The truck of course has aod.When my wife and I take it to Florida each year I can go about 450mi before we need gasoline,but it has dual tanks also.No problem on the hills on I-65,will maintain 70mph but sometimes it will drop out of overdrive on the really steep hills.
I was just curious about how good 3.25's are overall,thanks to everyone who answered.
Jeff
I was just curious about how good 3.25's are overall,thanks to everyone who answered.
Jeff
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Post Fiend
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From: Coutts Canada
In that case i would just keep them gears cause they give one a nice balance between highway and city, and since (from what you said) you don't use it offroad or where the slower gear would be needed.
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From: Rose City, MI
Originally Posted by Lee Lichterman
I have the front axle done and am starting on the rear leaf spring brackets today. Grinding rivets is the worse part of this whole thing.
My truck has 3.08 with the manual overdrive tranny, with stock tires, and its a dog outside of second gear until i get it up to about 60-65 in 3rd. On the highway at 75-80 i can go about 200 miles on about 13 gallons.
Last edited by 85F_150driver; Nov 28, 2004 at 02:05 AM.
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From: Edwards Air Force Base
Originally Posted by 85F_150driver
i found that drilling the centers out of the rivits then hitting them with an air chistle to drive the rest of the head of the rivits off then hitting the rivit centers with a pointed punch in the air hammer. i did each side on my ole truck in about 30 minutes.
My truck has 3.08 with the manual overdrive tranny, with stock tires, and its a dog outside of second gear until i get it up to about 60-65 in 3rd. On the highway at 75-80 i can go about 200 miles on about 13 gallons.
My truck has 3.08 with the manual overdrive tranny, with stock tires, and its a dog outside of second gear until i get it up to about 60-65 in 3rd. On the highway at 75-80 i can go about 200 miles on about 13 gallons.
I bought a better chisel point and some carbide drill bits last night because my drill bits were dulling after all this.
Didn't the edges of the rivets expand out though when you used the pointed air chisel to push them?
Lee
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From: Rose City, MI
when i drilled them from the outside about as deep as the rivit head then knocked the heads off i pulled the hanger off and kocked the business out of it they poped right out with out rolling or anything. I thought they would too when i first looked at it but they acutally fold in slightly as they get pused out. i did a few with a 3 lb hammer and chisle then i went and got a cheap air hammer and it went lots faster and easyer.
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