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DRW - 3.55 vs 4.10

17K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  DonWarkentin 
#1 ·
Thinking of moving up to 19 F350 Dually trading a 13 DRW with 3.73 rear axle. Just curious thoughts on 3.55 vs 4.10 axle. I do not see a option for a 3.73. Little concern with fuel mileage if i go with 4.10 which is what most inventory shows around Raleigh, NC.



I understand the axle / wheel rotation multiplier with 3.55 - 3.73 - 4.10 and its effects on engine RPM's. Just curious what real world experience is with the 2017 and up truck owners.


I average towing 10-11 mpg with 2013 DRW 3.73 axle. Thinking a 4.10 will be 9 -10 mpg? Not sure what a 3.55 axle would give me.


Thanks
Gary
 
#2 ·
What do you tow? That could help. If you are under 10k, then I think you could do 3.55's, but anything heavier and I would consider the 4.10's. I am surprised they don't offer the happy medium 3.73
 
#4 ·
I'll let those who tow that heavy to weigh in on this, but I would tend towards the 4.10's as well, after I made absolute sure the 3.73's were not avail.
 
#5 ·
WHen I go to ford.com and configure I see 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10 for DRW F350 diesel
 
#7 ·
I was going by Ford Website and I just configured another f350 4x4 crew cab XL STX package, 6.7 diesel :


Your Super Duty

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$39,605 Base MSRPS1
$18,585 Total of OptionsS4
$1,595 Destination ChargesS17
$59,785 Total MSRPS16
-$1,000 Available IncentivesS3

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$821 Monthly PaymentS6 Purchase based on $5,979 down payment, 84 month term and 7.9% APR, $0 trade-in-value
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$39,605 2019 Ford Super Duty F-350 XL, Crew Cab®, 8’ Box, 6.7L 4-Valve Power Stroke® Diesel V8 (B20) Engine, TorqShift® 6-Speed SelectShift® Automatic with 6.7L engine, 3.55 Limited Slip Axle Ratio, 4X4, DRW

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#8 ·
SO which Ford provided information source is wrong?

Your Super Duty

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Payment
$39,605 Base MSRPS1
$18,585 Total of OptionsS4
$1,595 Destination ChargesS17
$59,785 Total MSRPS16
-$1,000 Available IncentivesS3

$58,785 Estimated Net PriceS5
$821 Monthly PaymentS6 Purchase based on $5,979 down payment, 84 month term and 7.9% APR, $0 trade-in-value
Get an Internet Price
Search Inventory
Special Offers
Look up Trade-In-Value
Pricing Tools

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Calculate PaymentsS6
Available Incentives
Estimate Your Credit
Apply for Credit

Edit
Model
$39,605 2019 Ford Super Duty F-350 XL, Crew Cab®, 8’ Box, 6.7L 4-Valve Power Stroke® Diesel V8 (B20) Engine, TorqShift® 6-Speed SelectShift® Automatic with 6.7L engine, 3.55 Limited Slip Axle Ratio, 4X4, DRW

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$0 Race Red
$0 No Secondary Color
 
#9 ·
4.10 can make it up the hills faster when towing 17k-18k. 3.55 gets better mpg when not towing. Which is more important to you?
 
#10 ·
I wanted the 4.30 so got an F450. A 4.10 may get better mileage, but not by much. A higher ratio like the 4.10 or 4.30 will let you get a load going with less strain on the engine and transmission and may even get better fuel mileage except for long, long highway miles on level ground. If you're doing any stop and go, and I don't mean constant stop and go like city driving but every few miles going through small towns, or going anywhere but level ground you'll appreciate the lower ratio and won't suffer meaningful differences in mpg.
 
#11 ·
No matter what rear gear you get from the factory the transmission will make up for it in the higher gear. Any gear your truck comes with will work just fine. I have 3.31"s in mine and I have no problem towing my 13,000 5th wheel. I didn't think it was going to work and was surprised at how the truck handled the trailer.
Fuel millage will basically be the same no matter which gear you chose.
 
#12 ·
I messed up when I ordered my 2019.
I thought the same on the gears and mileage so I did the 3.55.
Towing up 6% grades with a 17,000lb 5er, I wish I had the 4.10.
Shifts down into 4th to maintain 60mph.
My 2012 with the 3.73 would hold 60mph in 5th up the same hills.
I see no difference in unloaded mileage between my 2012 with 3.73 and my 2019 with 3.55.

Go the 4.10.
 
#13 ·
The best analogy I can think of concerning a gear ratio intended for fuel mileage is trying to pedal a 10 speed bike up a steep hill in high gear. Get your truck equipped for towing & let the fuel mileage take care if itself. The mileage probably won’t be affected that much anyway. My ‘13 dually does fine with the 3.73 gears towing my 16,400 pound 5th wheel, but I wouldn’t want to do it with the 3.55. My next truck (if I live that long☺) will probably have the 4.10s. Heck. It may even be an F-450!
 
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#14 ·
High gears are not intended for going up steep hills. Low gears are for that. High gears are for level ground. High gears will not help you to make it easier to get up a steep hill. Try riding the ten speed on level ground with the lowest gear. Then you will agree that the higher gear is better for level ground. The reason why Ford offers different gears is that some people drive on level ground with light loads. Others drive up steep hills with heavy loads. A higher gear is better for some people, while a lower gear is better for others. It depends upon how you will use your truck.
 
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#17 ·
Well, you could just find a truck you really like regardless of the gearing, and have a shop swap out to 3.73 gears. I found them to be a compromise gear for better MPG empty while still having a good ratio for getting up a hill. While my 99 had a different transmission with a far different final drive compared to the 6 speed in the 19, it is still a fair comparison for this.

Mine came with 4.10's and got 18 MPG, the engine was running at 2100 RPM @60 MPH. I had bought a new tuned PCM ( want to say it was from Troy, but I could be wrong since it was like 14 years ago), it had an 80 HP Tow tune on it. Well me in my BRILLIANT wisdom decided to put the pedal to the metal and wound up bouncing the rear duallies(don't do that) and shattered the spider gears in the rear, poking a hole in the diff cover, destroying the speed sensor and eventually chewing up the ring and pinion.

So I went and repaired it all, putting 3.73 gears in, and also did the front, Total parts came out to just around 2K with me doing all the work(that price included a few tools for setting up the gears). When done, the truck still accelerated well, didn't really notice much difference, but got better over all MPG as the RPM's were around 1900 or so at the same speed and was seeing around 20 MPG(empty). I never did get a chance to really see what it did towing because I had only towed with the 3.73 gears, never with the 4.10, so nothing to compare to, and I didn't calculate the MPG when towing.
 
#19 · (Edited)
First of all i tow a 13,000# 5th wheel and I have 3.31's. My truck has no problem with any hill or mountain I have ever encounted. I have been over just about every mountain range in the country. I have towed coast to coast twice both northern ans southern and across the middle. My truck never had any problem maintaining any speed. I never had to floor it to keep up. From California to Maine. From Texas to Michigan. and many roads in between.
With the 10 speed transmission gear ratio means nothing. The transmission will keep you in the gear that you need. I would however just go with the 3.55 unless you are going to hook up a plow you wont need 4.10's.
As for fuel millage. You are driving a truck that has 6 tires and punches a hole in the wind like a 747.
You like me didn't buy our truck for fuel millage but because it will do a job. Fuel millage never came into the equation.
Your truck wil get the millage it gets. Wind and load road conditions dictate fuel millage. That is why there is no fuel mill;age standards for Diesel trucks.
 
#21 ·
First of all i tow a 13,000# 5th wheel and I have 3.31's. My truck has no problem with any hill or mountain I have ever encounted. I have been over just about every mountain range in the country. I have towed coast to coast twice both northern ans southern and across the middle. My truck never had any problem maintaining any speed. I never had to floor it to keep up. From California to Maine. From Texas to Michigan. and many roads in between.
With the 10 speed transmission gear ratio means nothing. The transmission will keep you in the gear that you need. I would however just go with the 3.55 unless you are going to hook up a plow you wont need 4.10's.
As for fuel millage. You are driving a truck that has 6 tires and punches a hole in the wind like a 747.
You like me didn't buy our truck for fuel millage but because it will do a job. Fuel millage never came into the equation.
Your truck wil get the millage it gets. Wind and load road conditions dictate fuel millage. That is why there is no fuel mill;age standards for Diesel trucks.

100% spot on. That 10 speed is a game changer. My 2018 F150 has the 10 speed and 3.55 with the EB, and effortless towing to GVWR and 12,500 GCVW. It pretty much negates the need for low gearing since final drive with higher gears is actually lower than the 6 speed with lower gears.
 
#22 ·
I recently bought a fifth wheel and towed it about 150 miles to get it home. I think my truck has the 3.31 gears (I know it's not 4.10) and the 10 speed. The transmission stayed in 9th gear most of the time with downshifts to 8th for hills and an occasional upshift to 10th on flat areas using the tow/haul setting on the transmission. My fifth wheel is about 12,500# empty. Mileage was about 11.5 mpg average for the trip. The truck never felt short on power and hills only took a little bit more pedal to maintain speed.
 
#23 ·
Bought my 2017 new with 4:10s.
You won't be disappointed.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
I already have 4.10 rear end; so I'm sticking with this one. No need for a new truck!!!!!!
 
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