Thinking about gears? DO IT!!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,293
Likes: 10
From: Parker, CO
Jeremy, it helps just enough.
When I moved to Colorado, I was surprised at how hard my engine was working trying to go up and over mountain passes. Speeds on I-70 westbound from Denver vary quite a bit, and when they dropped to around 55-60 mph, the engine was lugging big time. I'm sure traffic behind me didn't appreciate the huge cloud of black smoke I was chugging out the tailpipe.
Now with the 4.30's in, I'm sitting higher in the RPM band as I'm driving up the mountains. Not only did it help give me some low range power back, but the smoke is much much lighter now and the EGT's dropped. The only way I could keeps temps this low before was if I was doing 85mph + (which on some parts of I-70 that's not a good idea), or drop down to 3rd and eat the fuel mileage.
When I moved to Colorado, I was surprised at how hard my engine was working trying to go up and over mountain passes. Speeds on I-70 westbound from Denver vary quite a bit, and when they dropped to around 55-60 mph, the engine was lugging big time. I'm sure traffic behind me didn't appreciate the huge cloud of black smoke I was chugging out the tailpipe.
Now with the 4.30's in, I'm sitting higher in the RPM band as I'm driving up the mountains. Not only did it help give me some low range power back, but the smoke is much much lighter now and the EGT's dropped. The only way I could keeps temps this low before was if I was doing 85mph + (which on some parts of I-70 that's not a good idea), or drop down to 3rd and eat the fuel mileage.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 704
Likes: 2
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
well i have been calling around getting prices on gears and carriers. what do you think would be best for 35's?? i tow a little but i bought my truck in hopes of buying a fith wheel toy hauler. so i calculated that 4.10's would put me back to stock with 35's but if i start towing say a 12k trailer, i think 4.30's would really help pullin hills here in the rockies. the problem is the 4.30's are about $150 more than 4.10's for my front D60. (for the record:i installed a new/used D60 front axle when i broke my D50 a couple years ago.)what are you guys thinking??
here are some prices i have found that include shipping but NOT installation:
$1870--4.10 F/R w/true tracks F/R
$2000--4.30 F/R w/true tracks F/R
$1320--4.10 F/R w/true track front and reuse the stock rear posi
$1450--4.30 F/R w/truc track front and reuse the stock rear posi
$770--4.10 F/R just gears
$900--4.30 F/R just gears
should i stick with the stock carriers and just do gears?? i do 4wheel but not that much.
EDIT: all these prices include master install kits.
here are some prices i have found that include shipping but NOT installation:
$1870--4.10 F/R w/true tracks F/R
$2000--4.30 F/R w/true tracks F/R
$1320--4.10 F/R w/true track front and reuse the stock rear posi
$1450--4.30 F/R w/truc track front and reuse the stock rear posi
$770--4.10 F/R just gears
$900--4.30 F/R just gears
should i stick with the stock carriers and just do gears?? i do 4wheel but not that much.
EDIT: all these prices include master install kits.
Last edited by sean23johnson; Mar 15, 2007 at 01:12 PM.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 704
Likes: 2
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
well just got a quote from a local shop to install gears only front and rear. $1700 for 4.30 front and rear, $1570 for 4.10 front and rear. i decided to just go with gears, cant afford lockers and such. what do you guys think?? do theas prices sound reasonable??
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Thanks FN! that does sound like it makes sence, i think ill start off with the 4.56s, cause i dont need very good fuel economy as it is not my daily driver, however i do drive it frequently and dont want to totally kill my MPG thanks!
now any sites on where to get the gears?
now any sites on where to get the gears?
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,405
Likes: 0
FWIW
Well i had the 4.56's when i bought the truck. I pull a trailer occasionly, but mostly all highway driving then. I was averaging 11.5~12 mpg. Then i switched to the 3.73's and my mileage went up to 14~15. This is was all in the summer so there was no change in fuel, and that was with no new mods, just the gears. So the gearing on my truck back down to 3.73's gained me 2 mpg. I did notice a slight difference in performance off the line. When i am on the freeway, it actually pulls harder with the 3.73 than with the 4.56s did. This is all with 36's on it.
Well i had the 4.56's when i bought the truck. I pull a trailer occasionly, but mostly all highway driving then. I was averaging 11.5~12 mpg. Then i switched to the 3.73's and my mileage went up to 14~15. This is was all in the summer so there was no change in fuel, and that was with no new mods, just the gears. So the gearing on my truck back down to 3.73's gained me 2 mpg. I did notice a slight difference in performance off the line. When i am on the freeway, it actually pulls harder with the 3.73 than with the 4.56s did. This is all with 36's on it.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Bridger Mtns, Montana
John311t:
Can you describe a bit more by "it pulls harder" with the 3.73's? Do you mean for just pure accelleration empty or pulling a load up the hill? Do you have any gauge numbers (egt's, boost, trans) to go along with your experiences with both gear sets?
I'm on the fence right now with my rig. It pulls nice and hard with all of my mods and the the van turbo is going in there before the end of the month to eliminate the surge and hopefully get a little added HP. I guess I just don't know what I'm missing. I've never read a post where someone recommended the stock gearing with a lifted truck. I've always swapped gears in my gassers when changing to larger tires to get back into the power band, but this truck is a different monster with all of that torque and I really don't see the performance loss. I mostly want to swap in 4.56's to ease the stress on my auto trans.
Can you describe a bit more by "it pulls harder" with the 3.73's? Do you mean for just pure accelleration empty or pulling a load up the hill? Do you have any gauge numbers (egt's, boost, trans) to go along with your experiences with both gear sets?
I'm on the fence right now with my rig. It pulls nice and hard with all of my mods and the the van turbo is going in there before the end of the month to eliminate the surge and hopefully get a little added HP. I guess I just don't know what I'm missing. I've never read a post where someone recommended the stock gearing with a lifted truck. I've always swapped gears in my gassers when changing to larger tires to get back into the power band, but this truck is a different monster with all of that torque and I really don't see the performance loss. I mostly want to swap in 4.56's to ease the stress on my auto trans.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,405
Likes: 0
At speeds over 70ish, it seems to have more pull. Off the line suffered a little bit, but wasnt too bad. The 4.56s had a lower trans tempature due to less load on the tranny, the boost was the same, the egts also were lower. The egts and tranny i knew would go up due to more load.
