Notices
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel  
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: DP Tuner

gear ratio?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 12, 2008 | 06:58 PM
  #1  
solareclpse2000's Avatar
solareclpse2000
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: kingsland,ga
gear ratio?

how can i tell what gear ratio i have?i got my truck with a 8 inch lift and 37 tires so im not sure if the guy before me upgraded the gears or not.is there a way to telll the ratio without takeing the thing all apart? i know this might sound stupid but is it possible to cout the tire rotations with the drive shaft rotation turning it by hand?
 
Reply
Old May 12, 2008 | 07:16 PM
  #2  
F350-6's Avatar
F350-6
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
Likes: 50
From: Texas
Originally Posted by solareclpse2000
how can i tell what gear ratio i have?i got my truck with a 8 inch lift and 37 tires so im not sure if the guy before me upgraded the gears or not.is there a way to telll the ratio without takeing the thing all apart? i know this might sound stupid but is it possible to cout the tire rotations with the drive shaft rotation turning it by hand?
You're on the right track. Jack up the axle (tranny in nuetral & wheels chocked) put a chalk mark on the tire and a chalk mark on the driveshaft. If you have a large zip tie you can use it on the driveshaft. Leave the end pointing up at the 12:00 position so it's easier to count the partial turn. Rotate the back wheel 1 revolution & count the driveshaft spins.
 
Reply
Old May 12, 2008 | 07:24 PM
  #3  
solareclpse2000's Avatar
solareclpse2000
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: kingsland,ga
ok cool thnx gonna have to do that first thing when i get home......now how can i save this post so i can find it again in 6 weeks?
 
Reply
Old May 12, 2008 | 07:26 PM
  #4  
F350-6's Avatar
F350-6
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
Likes: 50
From: Texas
Bookmark it or save it to your favorites in whatever browser your using.
 
Reply
Old May 12, 2008 | 07:33 PM
  #5  
solareclpse2000's Avatar
solareclpse2000
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: kingsland,ga
lol that stay on the comp tho and its not mine.i can email myself the link
 
Reply
Old May 12, 2008 | 08:00 PM
  #6  
Markadeck's Avatar
Markadeck
Gone, but not forgotten
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,026
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte-Fairbanks-Bflo
Beyond me how you could forget this simple trick. I learned how to do it 40 years ago, and no matter how many billions of brain cells I may have killed with beer over the years I still remember one revolution of the tire compared to how many times the driveshaft turns determines your gear ratio no matter what size tire you may be running.
 
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2009 | 08:29 PM
  #7  
KMUL's Avatar
KMUL
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Digging up an old thread...
Ok, so I'm a noob and trying to understand this gear ratio thing. I have an '02 Excursion PSD, and supposedly my gear ratio is 3.73.
Simple trick means if I turn the tire once, the driveshaft should rotate 3.73 times right?

I've read other posts where dudes are changing to 4.3 gears or something like that, so having a higher number means more low end for towing? Conversely, if I have a higher gear ratio, less top end for highway cruising?

Thanks in advance for sharing some knowledge...
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 12:07 AM
  #8  
solareclpse2000's Avatar
solareclpse2000
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: kingsland,ga
yup thats what i did jus as i was recomended. i toof some flouresent orange paint i had laying around and sprayed a small dot on the tire at the 12 oclock posistion and then sprayed a small dot on my driveshaft and told the wifey to slowly spin the tire till it made one full rotation and jus counted how many times the driveshaft spun. real simple trick.

as for the gears. going to a..... say 4.10 ratio would give u a a$$ load of umph for the low end (assumeing u have stock tire size) but would increase the RPMS a lot when cruiseing highway...IIRC. most guys put lower gears like that on their trucks when they get a lift because of the larger diameter tires, the lower gear ratio ( low ratio = higher number) makes up for the loss of power and low end that the larger tires cause as well as gets the fuel milage closer back to stock because the larger tires eat more fuel.....if i remeber the larger tires on stock gears raises? rpm.... im not too clear on the reasons for the lower gears getting better milage with say 40 in tires but im sure someone on here will chime in who knows better than i do. good luck to ya
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-2

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

 Brett Foote
story-6

2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026

 Brett Foote
story-9

5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time

 Joe Kucinski
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
RyanSbigblue
1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
2
Mar 19, 2013 09:45 PM
fyrmn
1961 - 1966 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
4
Nov 2, 2012 03:49 PM
F-Superduty89
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
3
Feb 14, 2012 09:35 PM
ahha-retired!
1999 - 2016 Super Duty
3
Feb 10, 2011 07:48 PM
91dirtydiesel
Clutch, Transmission, Differential, Axle & Transfer Case
2
Dec 19, 2008 01:39 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:01 AM.

story-0
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-1
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-2
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-3
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

Slideshow: first look at the 810 hp 2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road!

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-12 12:50:07


VIEW MORE
story-6
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Everything You Need to Know about the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-07 17:51:06


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

Slideshow: 10 most surprising Ford truck options/features in 2026.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:17:22


VIEW MORE
story-8
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026

Slideshow: Here are the top 10 Fords coming to Mecum Indy 2026.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:49:49


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 worst Ford truck wheels of all time

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 16:49:01


VIEW MORE