I didn't even know that ratio existed for my 1996 4.9L 5-spd. Was it a special order or something? Most discussions I've seen are about the 3.55:1 or 3.08:1. This makes me want to upgrade everything under the back end -- springs, shackles, housing -- the works. If only I could figure out how to do it and keep the new 5-bolt alloy wheels I just got ....

 

Yeah.. it was a special release thing from Ford.. apparently the motor got a slightly different cam and these gears so it could get really high fuel milage... as long as you only drive on flat roads with a tailwind in both directions. Of course it makes the overdrive gear completely useless and reduced the rated towing capacity to zero but it's a pickup after all.. who uses them for working anymore?

If you couldn't sense the sarcasm in there I'll have to try harder next time, but the bottom line is getting the gear ratio that ALL 4.9 trucks should have come with(3.55) is pretty easy and not too expensive. Trucks with that ratio are very common in the scrapyard and all these trucks use the exact same axle with the same wheel bolt pattern so swapping in another complete unit is literally a bolt-in affair.

 

Wow. So this was Ford trying to turn this into a commuter vehicle?
The other stuff I posted was from where I had given some thought to an HD 250ish upgrade. I know that there's more involved than just what I listed, but while I'm wishing, I might as well wish for the moon ...

 

More than likely they were intended as fleet vehicles for meter readers or a similar activity.

 

How did you figure out your rear end gearing? Are you sure 2.73 is correct?

It's possible that the R&P gears are aftermarket, hence the oddball ratio. Maybe the prior owner swapped them in trying to build a commuter vehicle? Maybe his commute was downhill? lol.

Another possibility is local delivery service vehicles... since they generally just putt-putt from house to house maybe your vehicle was part of a fleet at some point.

Anyway, people do very strange things to their vehicles from time to time.

Back in college I bought an 81 Reliant (which overall was a cheap, reliable car) with dual exhaust. Yes, that's right, a 4-banger with a custom fabricated dual exhaust. Two cylinders out the left, two out the right. I left it like that until the exhaust rusted out and put the original manifold back on and did the exhaust the right way with "Walker" parts. Performance-wise, it made no different but was much quieter. 2 cylinders droning in each muffler sounds very odd.

I bought a very used 80's Chevy dually crewcab with a big block and no overdrive, and it wasn't much fun to drive. Because of the rectangular hole in the center of the bed I knew the truck was at one time used for towing a 5th wheel trailer, and I didn't worry about it since the asking price was essentially a bag of peanuts.

But, it was somewhat undriveable. Sneeze on the throttle and the tires spun endlessly. Take it on the highway and the tach is far above what I would consider reasonable. Why? It had aftermarket 5.xx gears out back and no overdrive. Maybe that's great for towing a 35,000 lb fifth wheel trailer full of rocks but wasn't overly useful to me. I ended up swapping the dually axle with a friend for essentially the same thing with 4.10 gears. Still, without the overdrive, MPG stunk. It generally got 8-9. I eventually sold it because there is only so much room in the driveway and I was driving this one so infrequently because of the gas consumption, loud exhaust, and other things that were just annoying.

 

This is an Eddie Bauer edition, XL, if it matters.

 

You say that as if it were a bad thing..

Thats about right for a carb'd big block.


Back on topic, I suppose the 2.73s are fine for flat highway driving and towing very light loads.
Everybody complains about 3.08s, that they don't give you much towing performance, my truck tows 8K damn well (flats and small hills) and that's a bit overloaded for a F150. The 300 seems happy lugging it out.
Dads '85 K10 Chevy had a 305, automatic, and 33s with 3.08 gears when we got it. It would roast 1 back tire like there was no tomorrow. I never thought a 305 could do this, especially how the truck was set up.

 

I had an '84 F-150 custom 4x2 with the 2.73.1 axle. What a frickin sloth!

My '86 had the 3.08.1. A little better but still no pulling power. The 3.55.1 axle is the perfect axle for the 4.9L IMHO.

Tim

 

The deep first and second gears of the M5OD, and the lame fifth probably promted the use steep axle gears.

It would be cool if they offered the cable operated T5 in half tons instead.

 

It most like was a fleet vehicle, just to keep people form hot-rodding of them. Just about every E-series van my company got had that ratio, so the f-series probly did the same.

Did you have photos of that Reliant!?!?! I never heard about dual exhaust but was it homemade or aftermarket(chrysler k-cars are my 2nd toys)?

 

You guys would love the old US spec Dodge Spirit RT a guy I knew had, he was a Dodge mechanic and weekend drag racer. He brought this Spirit up from the US with the 2.2 turbo motor and 5-speed stick, and then built a hybred motor with a fully ported Mitsubushi 4-valve head on a 2.2 or 2.5 turbo bottom end(can't remember) with all forged bits and strapped on a big-assed bower.. like big enough to generate 20+ PSI boost! The exhaust was a 3" mendrel bent piece from the blower back and nothing else.. no muffler.. nada, and needless to say it sounded nasty. It ran high 11's in the 1/4 mile and really pissed off all the local mustang and camaro guys. Sadly it was lost in a rollover accident on the 401 in Toronto while being trailered to a drag event.

 

Yep, those are hidden hot rods even in stock form! I have all parts execpt a turbo head and I'll get my 85 Caravelle scooting! BUT 1st I got to get the B2 running to get my wife out of MY CAR! hmmm wonder how a twin turbo 300 I6 would be...... spool up the turbos in the mud!

 

Well, I wasn't after tire spinning. While I towed a few things I mostly used it as a daily driver on the highway. The rpm's and gas mileage got old real quick! I bought it with the desire to repaint it, lift it, and clean it up as I happen to like the look of lifted crewcab dually's however after several months I put it on a lift and the truck bowed quite significantly. Ruh-roh. I ended up selling it as the work necessary to repair it would have taken to many years of my life.

Not in digital form. They're in a shoebox in the attic somewhere. It was definately a homemade exhaust and not aftermarket. I didn't really notice this "quirk" because every clunker I owned previously had dual exhaust. It just didn't occur to me that this was odd while buying it. Afterwards, it did.

I can't complain though, that car was dead nuts reliable. I was working full time and going to college full time so reliable transportation was very key. I had a '66 gto ragtop as well but that was so overbuilt it was not reliable enough to ensure I could get where I needed to go. The GTO was more of a date/weekend car, if it started.

An acquaintance of mine is almost done his Grand Caravan V6 twin-turbo 5-sp conversion. The engine part is done and he's working out the flywheel/clutch now with a local machine shop. At least he was the last time I spoke to him.