I thought i had my mind made up... 4.10's or 4.56's
#1
I thought i had my mind made up... 4.10's or 4.56's
So i'm going to do a gear swap to my '02 FX4 screw here in a few weeks. I'm running some 285/70/17 Pro-comp All-terrains (about 33" tall tire), 6" Fabtech suspension lift with the current stock 3.55 gear's.
My gas mileage is horrible at 11 to 12mpg around town (over-drive off, or on, doesn't matter it still sucks). Highway mileage is about 12.5 mpg. The area i live in is Very hilly since i live in the valley between 2 mountains. Going up a small grade under 65mph, the truck has to down-shift out of OverDrive to get up the hill without slowing down. I pull a 6x12 enclosed trailer (2,000lbs max) and will probably end up pulling a 7x14 enclosed trailer as well (3,500lbs max), Highway speeds around here are 70mph and I routinely use them and slightly over when pulling the trailer.
I thought i had my mind made up to go with 4.56's as I plan to run 35" tall tires sometime (no sooner than 2 or 3 years). But reading through some threads, it appears this may be to much gear for my current 33's.
Waiting to re-gear is not an option as I really need to take the strain off the trans, and upgrading to 35's isn't either right now.
So, should I go with 4.10's or just keep with my decision of 4.56's?
80% of my driving is City driving, with towing happening every weekend between march and november (about 20 miles one way), with a monthly road trip of 400 to 1000 miles round trip.
Suggestions,comments?
My gas mileage is horrible at 11 to 12mpg around town (over-drive off, or on, doesn't matter it still sucks). Highway mileage is about 12.5 mpg. The area i live in is Very hilly since i live in the valley between 2 mountains. Going up a small grade under 65mph, the truck has to down-shift out of OverDrive to get up the hill without slowing down. I pull a 6x12 enclosed trailer (2,000lbs max) and will probably end up pulling a 7x14 enclosed trailer as well (3,500lbs max), Highway speeds around here are 70mph and I routinely use them and slightly over when pulling the trailer.
I thought i had my mind made up to go with 4.56's as I plan to run 35" tall tires sometime (no sooner than 2 or 3 years). But reading through some threads, it appears this may be to much gear for my current 33's.
Waiting to re-gear is not an option as I really need to take the strain off the trans, and upgrading to 35's isn't either right now.
So, should I go with 4.10's or just keep with my decision of 4.56's?
80% of my driving is City driving, with towing happening every weekend between march and november (about 20 miles one way), with a monthly road trip of 400 to 1000 miles round trip.
Suggestions,comments?
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I would go 4.56. While tire diameter is a big factor in choosing gears, think about the added weight of those tires/wheels, increased air resistance from the lift, and towing on top of that. Guys with lowered trucks run 4.10 with tires smaller than 32-33", and their tire/wheel combo is generally lighter than yours. Their trucks are also stock height or lower. Just food for thought. Post back after the swap!