gear ratio

[dane]

I am ordering a new 02 F350 and would like an opionion between 4.30 or 3.73 gears. I have a cc F350 now with 3.73, please dont suggest a psd, been there and done that, does not pay. I looked thru old posts and dont see that much difference in mpg between the 2 gears.

[dan4x4]

The 3.73 seems to be quite adequate for most people. When the tranny starts to shift in and out of O/D a lot, you simply turn off the O/D and pull most anything you want.

The guys with the 4.30 gear seem to really love that lower gear. The tranny will not hunt in and out of O/D as much.

If you don't do much real heavy towing, the 3.73 would probably be just fine.

If the towing you do is frequent or in hilly areas and especially mountainous regions go with the 4.3.

The 3.73s seem to get a little better mileage over the 4.3, the usual difference being reported at 1-2 mpg. The V10 drinks a lot of fuel anyway...not exactly an economy car to begin with.

Hope this helps.

Dan

Do a search for gear ratio. There has been a tremendous amount of discussion on this topic.

[snomoman]

I have a 00 Crew Cab 4x4 with 3.73's and an auto tranny. I tow a 9k lb (loaded weight)5th wheel trailer about twice a month during warm weather. Most of the trips are 2-4 hours long. When I'm towing the 5'er I get a little over 9 mpg, and it will usually downshift when hitting a medium grade on the highway.
When the truck is empty it gets 12.5-13.5 mpg around town. Short trips KILL mileage. On the highway it gets great mileage. My last trip was at 65-70 miles per hour, and with a light foot I got 15.6 mpg on the gauge. When I tanked up I checked the math and I did indeed get 15.4 mpg's! I take it easy on the throttle and always get close to 15 mpg on the highway.
Sometimes I wish I got the 4.30's for towing but I don't feel I made a mistake in any way as the truck is driven "empty" 70 % of the time. When I tow my enclosed snowmobile trailer, I often forget it's behind. If I were to re-order, I would have a difficult time making up my mind. If my 5th wheel was heavier I definitely would go for the 4.30's.
I've got to tell you that the engine and drivetrain take a long time to break in on the gas and the diesel models. Many people buy the V-10 and only get 11-13 mpg when new. My mileage jumped big when I hit 6k miles on the odometer. It jumped a little more after I started towing the 5th wheel on a regular basis. The towing must have loosened up everything in the driveline, lessening the friction. That's my two cents, I hope it helps. Snomoman

[Stan Wright]

If you're planning on installing larger tires, or thinking you might, you should consider the 4.30 gears. Spending $335 for the 4.30 limited slip is ALOT cheaper than changing gears later on.