Hey all,

About to pull the trigger on my Superduty. Think I'm going to wait the 8 weeks and order it to spec. It seems that all the available ones have the Tow Boss Package, which I don't think we want.

This will be my first truck and can use some advice on options.

2008 F350 Dual Rear Wheel
Lariat
4x4
Crew Cab
6 3/4 bed
Auto Trans
Captain Chairs up front
Not going to do NAV, would rather add an aftermarket head unit.
Tailgate Step
Reverse Vehicle Aid
Upfitter switches
power moonroof and rear window
heated seats
traction control
tow command system
4x4 electronic shift on the fly
adjustable pedals
-Dark Shadow Grey w/ stone leather


1) 4.10 or 4.30 Axel Ratio ? - We will probably not use a 5th wheel at anytime in the near future, so we are leaning towards 4.10 for fuel efficency and it's a bit faster, i think.

2) Heavy Service Suspension or Tow Boss Package ??
-- Right now leaning towards no, we can always add an air suspension later and get rid of the leaf spring. We can also change the gearing later if we need to.

3) Going to go Diesel vs. V10 for better resale and gas mileage when towing.

4) Which tire package is most recommended?
a) BSW A/S (7) -- (there seems to be two of these options that are both the same, but one is a $150 upcharge???)
b) OWL A/T (4) -- (and what are the differences?)

5) Any recommendation on alternator packages and why? Dual or Heavy Duty?

Price -- I am planning on paying $500 north of invoice.

Thanks in advance,
B

 

Just my opinion, would go with 4.10 ratio, Diesel, and just a single heavy duty alternator. Not sure what BSW and OWL tires are (Black side wal, vs white lettering?), would just go with the cheapest and run it. Then put some nice aftermarket tires on when they are shot.

 

Don't forget the factory trailer hitch. It isn't part of the Tow Command package (for some reason).

I don't think there will be any major difference between the fuel consumption with 4.10 or 4.30 gears. A 4.30 gear may even help if you're into a lot of stop-and-go driving.

 

Sounds like a great ride. I am waiting on my 08 to come rolling in. The only comment I really have is the tailgate helper step thing. I deleted that option and here's why. I have never hesitated to haul stone or sand or mulch. Strictly for our own yard and small projects. Not for commercial applications-mostly. It would really be a thorn in my side to know that debris was getting down inside the mechanism and into the void area created by the handle. As long as we have been using PU's has there really been that kind of outcry for assisstance getting into the bed of our trucks?
I ordered a KingRanch with the 6.4, power roof, nav, and quad seats. Man I am excited.
Good Luck!

 

Thanks for the replies everyone..

Can someone be a little more specific with me.
What are the trade off's of a 4.30 vs. the 4.10.
In the real world enviornment, what are the pros and cons of each.
Specifics would be great. For example,
4.30 is better for driving when towing, but sluggish when empty. 4.10 has better acceleration but doesn't climb hills as well under very heavy load. etc.

Also, I thought the tow hitch was standard equipment. I don't even see that option on the Ford build site.

PRICE.. Is $500 over invoice the most reasonable, BEST PRICE? Or is it possible to negotiate the price below invoice. We all know Ford dealers get the trucks for less than "invoice", especially with roll backs, etc. But has anyone heard of a 2008 being sold under this price?

Thanks,
B

 

I personally would do away with the reverse aid and instead spend the money on a back up camera when you get the aftermarket Nav unit. I would probably also go with the manual tranfer case and hubs over the ESOF because of all the issues with the factory auto hubs.

I agree with the others on the single heavy duty alternator. It's crowded enough under the hood no need to crowd it up even more.

As someone else mentioned the BSW and OSW is just the color of the sidewall lettering.

 

I stand corrected. For 2008 Ford started putting the hitches on as standard equipment.

It's about time!

As for the gears, the number (4.10 or 4.30) means that when the driveshaft turns 4.10 times, the wheels turn once, it's expressed as the ratio 4.10:1 or 4.30:1.

A 4.30:1 differential will accelerate faster and tow a little easier, but will also spin the engine a little faster at highway speeds.

Conversely, a 4.10:1 differential will accelerate a little slower, will have just a little more trouble towing heavy but the engine will spin slower at freeway speeds.

If you do a lot of highway driving I would select the 4.10 gears. If you are mostly towing or hauling a heavy load then select the 4.30 gears. Either way, you are talking a difference of 5%, which isn't much. Neither choice would be wrong. It's just that one would be better given certain conditions.

 

B-Line, There is other factors that I think you should take a closer look at before you buy. I traded my 99 F350 DRW V10 for a 450 6.4 that I really like. The reason I went to Diesel is our next fifth wheel we are planning on is going to be about 16,500 loaded. My present one is 13,000# loaded. Pulled it with 3.73 gears in my 99. Averaged 7.5 to 8.5 towing and about 11.5 – 12.5 city and rural non towing driving. So the point is if you do not plan to purchase a real big fifth wheel that is over 15,000 and do not plan to tow a lot, A V10 SWD might be worth taking a look at. Use to be a chevy V8 person and did not care for my V10 at first until I towed with it. It proved to me it is a great motor. Prefer a DRW myself for looks and stability, but a lot of owners of SRW do great towing too. In New England there are a lot of windy bumpy roads so the DRW feels better. SRW will get a little better mileage, less tolls, more options for different rims & tires. A 350 DRW V10 with 4.30’s will tow a 15,500 fifth wheel. A 350 DRW 6.4 with 4.10’s will tow 15,200 and 4.30’s 17,700. From what I have read the 350 DRW 6.4 4.10’S are getting 9.0 towing about 15,000# and about 13.5 to 14.5 none towing. My 450 is only getting about 12mpg so far. So not a lot of difference than the V10. My advice here is being open-minded and do a lot of research for what will work best for you. The cost of owning either the v10 or 6.4 is not as big of a factor now than it was before unless you put on a lot of miles. On the other options, I really like my tailgate step. Reverse aid sensor backing into my garage lets me know when I am 6” away from the back wall. Never cared for the Power moon roof. My wife’s Armada came with it and we never use it. Heated seats I have this time. The supplemental heater is even better to warm the vehicle up, throws heat when 20* out when I am up the road 100 yards. Always have liked the shift on the fly better, than the shifter on the floor. My wife’s Armada has adjustable pedals and we do not use them. The 8' bed is better for towing a fifth wheel. The new 6.4 is really quiet and coupled with the Auto is really smooth. For myself I would not go back to the V10 for towing reasons. But with a smaller (under about 14,000# Fifth wheel and average driving the V10 can not be beat. You will hear from some real die hard diesel guys and the V10 gassers. Be open mined both are great motors. Good luck and good hunting.

 

Go with the A/T tire. It's a BFG Rugged Trail T/A which is a great tire.

 

In my experience anything lower than a 3.73 is a waste of money unless you plan on doing alot of off-roading, or you never drive faster then 55 mph. I have had qite a few of both 4.10 and 3.73 equipped trucks over the years and can say that the 3.73 is far better for overall fuel economy. When I had my 96' f350 cc lb 4x4 psd w/4.10's my dad had the same exact truck except he had the 3.55's. We both pull big TT's (9000 lbs) when we would be on a trip at 70 mph I would be in od at about 2800 rpm's and he would be the same rpm's, but only in drive!!! Then he would put it in od and drop down to 2100 rpm's!! He would constantly get 2 to 3 mpg better than me. When we would race up a hill I would take the lead, but I could never lose him. An addtional plus to 3.73's is that at any givin time you are running at less rpm which helps prolong the lifetime of the engine imo. I WILL NEVER own a truck with 4.10's or lower again!!!!!! I even had a 92' Dodge with a CTD it had 3.07 gears and it was awsome!!! It would pull almost as well as my 96'. Plus going down the highway I was at like 1600 prm's at 70mph!!! My 03' has 3.73's and I tow 15,000 lb fifth-wheels on a regular basis and never have a problem. Yeah sometimes on a large hill I have to floor it, but I am not always driving up hill . I think that your needs don't justfy the 4.30 or 4.10's (unless that is all you can get on a drw now). I think that you will kick yourself down the road if you do, Anyway good luck with your new truck!!! I know that you love it!!! Dale

 

I'm going to weigh in re the gearing as well. Regarding 4.10 versus 4.30 versus 3.73's, if all you do is pull very heavy loads with the truck (max rated capacity), then go with the lower (4.30) gears - especially if you will be in mountainous areas. Your mileage will be very poor though - probably in the 13 mpg range empty and 9 -10 towing.

Yamaguy makes some good points regarding the 3.73's. I have an '03 Excursion with 3.73's (6.0 PSD), and have had both an '03 and '05 F350 DRW's with 6.0's. Both of the dually's had 4.10's, and the dually's averaged about 2MPG less than the Excursion (16.5 versus 18.5 when operating empty at 65mph or less). All three vehicles are frequently used for towing.

If I could design my own truck, it would have something like a 4.30 for towing but with two additional overdrive ranges on the tranny,, so that I could achieve something in the neighborhood of a 3.4 final drive ratio when operating empty. This would provide great towing power (easily move a 10 ton plus load) while allowing for fantastic fuel mileage w/o the load (I would estimate 20MPG).

 

BLine
BSW = black side wall and OSW = outside white letters
I did not get the tailgate step on my 08 because some tonneau covers won't fit with this option. If you aren't planning on getting a cover than I would get it. If you want a cover than I would make sure that the cover that you want will fit with this option.
I paid invoice for mine. I would talk to multiple dealers if you are going to order it to see what is the best price you can get.

 

We make a soft tonneau cover that will go with the tailgate step. If you have a long bed Super Duty the part number is 569601 and a short bed is 569101 for the Truxedo Lo Profile. We had to shorten the 2008 covers to accommodate the thicker tailgate.

 

Do you make a roll up hard top like the Pace Edwards Jack Rabbit?

 

When I ordered my 2008, I ordered the LT275/70R18 BSW AT. The reason I choose these tires was I didn't want white lettering this time, and the AT= ALL TERRAIN. These are more for off road/snow conditions. If you don't go in the dirt or are in an area where there is no snow go with the AS=ALL SEASON. These are better for highway driving and rainy conditions. I also highly recomend the tailgate step. We are not getting younger, and the little corner of the bumper just isn't enough anymore to get up into the bed. Escpecially on a F350. I also went with the heavy service suspension. I didn't need the snow plow package, but if I had read the brouchure better, I would have ordered the staibizer package. This gives you the same upgraded springs as the heavy service package, but adds a rear stabilizer. And as far as the back up sensor. Why do you need it in a pick up truck? Can't you tell how far you are by looking out your rear window?