Anyone have this combination? Do the tall tires kill the power and/or gas mileage? I bought my truck with 3.73 gears because I didn't plan on putting on larger tires...but you guys with the lifted trucks are making my mouth water! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I have the 315's which I believe are equivelent to 35's. There is a noticable difference between these and stock tires, but the engine doesn't have a problem turning them. Pulling a trailer is a different story, depending on how much it weights. I have pulled a trailer that weighted about 5500-6000 and part of the time i had to pull out of overdrive. If I were to do it over, i would get the 4.11's. They give the engine a considerable amount more power and with those big of tires will help out alot. In fact i just bought a new set of summer tires to i can pull a larger load(I do more pulling in the summer) and dont want to were the BFGs down either. If you don't pull a huge trailer around then don;t hesitate on the 35's. I couldn't be more happy aside from wanting the lower gears. And as far as mpg's, less in town(-1 or 2) and more on the highway(+1-1.5)
As of now its not lifted, but I plan on putting on the 2-1/2 inch leveler in the front and the F-350 4 inch rear blocks. This should give the truck a little better appearence, I love the the way the F-350s sit.
I highly recommend that you get some gears to go with the 35" tires. The 4.10s will put you back to almost where you are now. The 4.30s will give you just a tad more "power" than stock.
Check with the manufacturer to see what size rims they recommend for the tires you want. I doubt the OEM 16x7s will work with such beefy meats.
I agree about the new gears and wheels. That's where the dilema sets in for me. A 4" lift kit and a set of BFG 315's will set you back around $2000 by the time it's all said and done. If you add new wheels that's another $500. I'm guesstimating $400 per axle for new gears. While the rearend is apart you might as well put in a good limited-slip or locker...another $400-500.
I think the factory aluminum wheels look nice, so I hate to get rid of them. I've also already spent almost $300 on Edelbrock shocks that I couldn't use on lift kit. It's about this point in my thinking that a set of 255/85's or 285/75's start to make more sense. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
Call around to some of your local off-roading shops. I bet they'll have a package deal. I know some of the advertisers in 4 Wheel & Offroad have lift kits w/shocks and there are also tire & wheel combos. I don't know if there is any kind of gear pkg, though.
If you increase tire height by more than 1 inch you should think about changing your gear ratio in the back. 4 Wheeler Off Road and Petersons 4 Wheel Drive all suggest this. It'll bring you back to normal or close to factory RPM spec's. I have a chart some where that shows tire height and gear ratio matches.
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2001 F250 XLT 4X4 V-10 CC SWB 5-Speed 4.30LS with lots of
addums on it, dipped in Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic. Oh Yeah still temporarily assigned to california.
Spoon - I like the Gibson exhaust. Sounds good, and the motor revs quicker and stronger with it. When I get home at night I park at the end of my driveway, and walk across the road to the mailbox. When I walk back to the truck I love the low rumbly sound of the exhaust. Another mod I did that helped, too, was a Zoodad-type opening of the intake. It helped the throttle response. I also have a Superchip, and I think these three mods complement each other.
Idaho BMW - Agreed. Theoretically, since I have 3.73 gears I really should change them if I went to taller tires. In 1987 I did the exact same upgrade to my Jeep...4" lift, 2" body lift, 4.10 gears, rear limited-slip, 35" tires, etc. It was ALOT of work, especially replacing the gears. It had a 6-cylinder and 2.73 gears so the 4.10 gears were a must. A few years later I swapped in a 401 V-8. With the big motor I think 3.73 gears would feel better during normal driving. That's why I wanted to hear from people with the V-10/3.73/35" tire setup on their Superdutys. If that setup was acceptable it would save me the work and money of a gear swap. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
On the other hand, if it looks like the 3.73 gears wouldn't be a good idea with taller tires I might wait a few years and order a new truck. Perhaps an F-350 with the snowplow package and 4.30 gears. That way Ford could do the gearing and lifting for me. All I'd have to do is slap on some new wheels and tires. Maybe by then they'd have a nice 5-speed automatic and more/nicer options.
Stan, If your thinking of a new vehicle in 1-2 years, hold off on gearing. Go with the ford dealer idea. Don't see sinking money on gears and not getting any time/use on them. Had an 89 F-150 4X4 with a 302 and 3.55 i believe and when I went with 4" lift and 33's it ran like a dog. Had to sink a little over 2 grand for 4.10 front and rear to get it back to spec's. Also kept the truck for 5 years with lots of use hunting and fishing. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
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2001 F250 XLT 4X4 V-10 CC SWB 5-Speed 4.30LS with lots of
addums on it, dipped in Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic. Oh Yeah still temporarily assigned to california.
Spoon - Don't feel lonely. I'll be eyeing the new diesels, too. By the way, I noticed in your signature that you have an F-251. Is that a special Colorado model? [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
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