Can someone please tell me what gears the 88 f150 4x4 had? I also heard somewhere that some trucks have different gears in front and rear. Example: Rear: 3.50 and front 3.51?? But thats not right, is it?
thanks

 

Katt,
Your 88 F150,should have a Ford 8.8 rear axle.You can look on the Bill of Materials tag,(should be a little stamped metal tag bolted to one of the diff cover bolts),call that into a Ford Parts Dealer,(as long as the guy is competent),he should be able to tell you what gear ratio, or Limited slip axle options you may have,(this is important because if you have a limited Slip device"LSD",you need to use special lubricants or additives). If there is no tag you will have to unbolt the rear cover and count the cogs on the ring and pinion,then devide the ring gear by the pinion gear. The reason for the difference in gear ratios is due to the need(at least perceived on a drawing board) for a lower ratio in the front to allow it to spin faster and more readily assist the rear. There is really no detectable difference between a 4.10 or 4.11 gears,there can be more variation than that in tire diameters just between running new tires in the front and 3000 mile older tires in the rear.It is just the way each manufacturer or axle has been designed,and you will only be able to use whatever is available for your axle anyway. With everyone mixing and matching components in the 4 X 4 aftermarket nowadays there are many combos being used. For example in my 91 F250 I am converting to a Dana 60 front axle which I will run 4.56:1 gears front and rear (Sterling 10.25).

 

Jeff's right. I know that a 1989 F-150 4x4 with a 3:55 rear gear has a 3:54 front. The inside axle number was 18.......