hey 2003 if your going to pull 12k , change to 4.30 or 4.56 will make a huge diff. . also you said your "toy" had a 5 sd that makes a the gear much closer . the ex only has 4 sd auto not a bad trany ,but only a 4sd . 12k has tobe about the limit for a ex ,bseg barry

 

When I sold Fords, this was known as the "poor mans diesel". It was supposed to move mountains. Maybe it did compared to the 5.4. I dont remember a 4.30 or deeper being an option. Like heroin or crack, I wonder how much a rear end swap will be... and what street corner I can find one...

PS the Tundra is a 6sp. She did gear down 1 to make the hill. No exaggeration either.

 

hi, gear change runs about 700-1000 per end, but worth every penny ,if your going to tow 12k. i have a f450 i tow almost 20k [4.88] ,barry

 

The V10 is a killer engine for towing and whatever else you need it to do. It was rarely geared correctly from the factory though. As Joe aka X_Hemi_Guy and be250 put it, 4..30s will get you up that and any other hill whole lot easier than if it had 3.73s. Towing performance dramatically increases when you have 4.30 gears as opposed to the 3.73s. As Joe put it, the V10 loves to rev so don't be afraid to open it up.

The gearing should cost you about the $700-$1000 a side depending on what shop you deal with. The shop I dealt with regeared me for $700 total. (rear diff only 2wd)

Shop around and make sure you find a quality shop with a good price. The shop I went to covered their work for an entire year. If I ever had a problem, they stood behind their word and warranty no questions asked. If you're in the Houston Area, it's Texas Truck Works off of Fm 2978 in magnolia.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I didnt expect it to be so little. Not that 1 1400-2000 is cheap, but how does going to the 4.30 affect the gas mileage. Real hard? I guess 14-15 is out of the question for the v10, huh...

 

Would 4.10's be ok, in all your experience...

 

Ok, well I finally was able to get more information on this vehicle and was able to drive it.

Here is what I found out-

2001 Ford Excursion
V10
115,124 miles
XLT package (I think)-It is the high end model
6 disc CD changer
All leather
bench seats in middle and back seat
Interior and exterior are in super good condition.
brand new tires
tow package

They have not had any problems with it and has been well taken care of. Current owner is the second owner and it had 87,000 when he bought it and those miles were highway miles. He pulled his 25' camper before he bought his new truck and said it pulled it just fine.

It drives really nice, doesn't pull when braking and shifts smoothly.
Price is $8000.00 but he said the lowest he will go is $7700.00. He said that if they don't sell it they are going to keep it and sell his wifes car.

So what does everyone think? Run away, think about it or look around????This is the first one that I have seen in a while. The high milage doesn't really bother me much.

Let me know guys.
Thanks for the time.

 

I bought my 03 Eddie Bauer with 31k for $8300. It was just detailed and the carpet mats didnt even have a footprint on them. no wear. Not even the gas or brake pedals. They are great to have. But he may be asking a little more than is realistic.

Review the KBB.com value. I entered for an 01 4x4 and came up with between good at $5800 and excellent (whick no vehicle is actually rated for) at $6300. you may want to print that out for your part of the country and talk candidly about that with your neightbor.

Keep in mind, banks may not even lend that much to you either. They may only be at 80% of that value.

He may have gotten his value figure from a bank or based it off of what he paid and what HE thinks it has depreciated.

Not such a deal in a car salesmans opinion. Or Kbb's either.

Good Luck

 

BTW, trade value is in the 4000-4500 range. Dont think of the "now" part. Think of down the road. Maybe he didnt when he bought it.

 

hi, 4.10 is not enough diff. to be worth the $$ mpg will prob. go up while towing , stay the same not . on my 250 did not even notice. bseg barry

 

I've not noticed much difference since I regeared to 4.30's from 3.73's simply because I spend more time in OD & 3rd than I used to.

4.10's is not worth the money to regear, IMO, unless it is a diesel and you go with 33" or less tires.

V10's with stock tires just LOVE 4.30's.

**************************
Wy-Rooster,

$7,700 for a 113K+ mile truck in this market is silly. Doesn't matter how clean it is. That's, unfortunately for most of us that still own them, a $5500 truck.

Look deeply. Do you really need to spend $6K+ right now on a truck that you'll use sparingly especially when you have one in your garage that is capable of doing the same job? The V10 Excursion and the 8100 Suburban are so closely matched in performance, it really comes down to brand loyalty even if an Excursion is slightly more stable and a bit larger inside.

 

Thaksn Monsta. I'll start getting quotes on the 4.30's. I really appreciate everyones input on the website.

 

Sorry I have been MIA on this thread...in the middle of a combined business/pleasure trip for the past week and this is the first real internet access I have had...

2003u45,

The V10 with 4.30's is as Monsta says...is a KILLER tow monster. The KEY though with this 4R100 trans is RPMs and approaching the grade in the right gear at the right RPM. 4th gear is OD and is useless on any hill of any grade.

In my experiences 3200 rpms is the 'magic' number for being able to motivate loads up hills with the V10. Unfortunately with the 3.73's 3200rpms means 2nd gear or way fast in 3rd gear. With 4.30's...3200 rpms in 3rd gear with stock tires means 70mph.

Many folks don't like to rev the Ex...a SOHC motor by its design LOVES to rev. I've towed at 17,000#'s combined thru the Rockies up and over 10,600' and 11,200' peaks at 55mph...I've also experimented with towing at various RPMs thru the 18,000 miles I've towed in the last 3 summers...3200rpms is the ticket with the V10 and 4.30's makes that so much easier to maintain at a comfortable speed.

BTW...80-85 mph while towing is an accident waiting to happen as ST rated tires on most trailers are only rated for 65mph. Plus even if you don't have a blowout on a tire...that fast while towing leaves NO room for error if something should happen...my unsolicited advice is slow down and enjoy the trip...

12000#'s is a load for an Ex though...the receiver is not rated for a properly balanced trailer of that weight. 10% is the minimum tongue weight you should carry with a tag behind trailer...at 10% you would have 1200#'s...you should ideally shoot for 12-13% tongue which will overload your receiver which is either rated at 1000#'s or 1250#'s in WD mode (depending on year of your Ex...check the receiver tag)

Wy-Rooster,

I cannot better the advice Monsta has given you...in today's economy and V10 priced Excursions...I think your neighbor is kind of living in the past on what his vehicle is worth (which really hurts saying since I OWN one!). If you have the 8.1L Yukon...you've got the ONLY other gas motor I would consider capable of towing a trailer of my size...why change would be my question/comment. I would love to have you join the Ex family...but it just doesn't make sense.

Good luck with your decision,
Joe.