I've searched and don't really understand the significance of either.

The junkyard has 2 rangers with a lsd 8.8, one has the 3.73, the other has the 4.10 gearing.

Which should I go with? Currently have a 7.5 with 3.73, one wheel wonder.

My plans are to use the truck 'occasionally' on the highway, mostly commuting to work and around town. I'm going to put on a 3" lift and 31" tires eventually, as well as a locker. Thats the extent of my modding.

 

truck is 4x4? or 4x2?

if its 4x4 id go with the one with the same gearing so u dont have to regear the front axle.

if its a 4x2 id go with the 4.10 gear if u plan to get bigger tires.... but its a personal choice...

 

Go 4.10s

 

It is 2wd.

Why 4.10s? What is that going to do for me performance wise?

 

I have the 3.0 and recently changed from 4.10 to 3.73. I felt a little more torquey you could say off the line with the 4.10, but in the end I prefer the feeling of the 3.73s to the off the line movement of the 4.10. Your rpm's with the 4.10 are much higher and gas mileage suffers as a result. I didn't see any decrease in power with the 3.73s, just different times when the power comes in, but then again its the 3.slow and power isn't there to begin with, haha.

 

Go 4.10 for the pure fact that I read '31's. Which also leads me to thinking that you'll upsize again down the road some. Gas mileage won't suffer too much if any at all, there's the possibility it'll increase....at 80mph with my 4.88's and 35's, i'm pulling about 3100 rpm and get 19-22mpg on the freeway doing so. My setup is geared 4% lower than factory.....rpms are 4% higher than stock at the same speed.



Please create a signature for us. It'll tell us your year, engine, trans, drivetrain(2wd or 4x4), etc... It really helps us help you.

 

If you are going 31's then I say go with the 4.10's

 

Ok, I'll make a sig...

So basically 4.10 is going to give me higher rpm driving and possibly worse gas mileage? The advantages must be pretty good then, but what exactly are the advantages? So far all I've heard is more off the line torque.

 

Sorry, I forgot you said you were going to upgrade to 31s or bigger. If you stay with the 3.73's it will rob you of some power most likely so I would consider the 4.10s in that case.

 

Off the line torque, fun around town driving, no downshifting for a small hill on the freeway. Higher RPM's are NOT a bad thing.....trucks/cars are efficient when they're in their powerband making power....this comes to play on the freeway/highway. When the gear ratio(or effective ratio when considering larger tires) is too numerically low, you could be downshifting on hills, lugging the engine in top gear, etc. My truck was a DOG with 4.10's and 35's and with it being a manual, it's even more apparent. Barely in 5th on the freeway, and when I was in 5th, I was going upwards of 90mph just to keep the thing in it's rpm range where it's makign power to keep the thing moving on the highway in that gear. All while getting a whopping 13mpg with smart driving. It's all about having enough power to keep it going. Now with me geared properly and close to 'stock' feeling overall, I'm now getting almost 20mpg average on the freeway....because i'm geared properly.

Overall....it'll be more driveable. And most likely, you'll gain mpg in both city and freeway driving. Those seem like good advantages to me.


Use this calculater....
Gear Calculator

 

That gear calculator helped alot, and thank you for explaining everything so well. I understand now.


Ok, well if I do go with 4.10 gears, how is it going to drive on the stock tire size?

 

So whats your motor size and tranny?

 

3.0 5spd, sorry just got that sig made

 

Put smaller tires on it and drive it. lol. All the "downsides/upsides" would apply....zippier in city, higher rpms on the freeway which right now, may be getting you less mileage until you go to bigger tires if you do the 4.10 axle swap.

 

I have pretty close to the same set up. I had stock tires and 3.73's and then moved to 31" tires. You could feel the lose in power and mostly on the highway. I did the explorer axle swap and went with 4.10's and a LSD. The power was incredible. Sooo much different than with the 3.73's. Even so that I still have the axle and the front end has 4.10's now too. Go 4.10's or you'll regret it.

 

Ok, cool.

I'm really hoping that LSD is going to help this thing out in the snow a little. Today it snowed here, and I put 500lbs in the back, and it still did really badly getting me home from work.

I hate to say that I'm going to have to park the truck and drive the car until the snow is gone, lol.

 

I wouldnt take it off-road, lift it or put big tires on it. 4x2 in the mud is no fun at all man especially if its wet stay with the same gearing and keep it stock. If you wanna off-road then buy a 4x4. Even with bigger mud tires your still gonna say !@#$ when you get stuck lol cuz I know you will unless you drive it on dry grass with no hills or anything, I have an open diff. in the rear and I hate it thank god for the 4x4.

 

I might have missed it but what motor do you have? Ford’s OHC motors are happier with taller gears. Really will improve the vehicles responsiveness and keep the motor in the right RPM range. My Cadillac has a lot of low end torque so it is happy with 2.71 gears. Its all about finding a happy medium with your combination. That being said in almost any ranger will be better with 4.10’s compared to 3.73’s (not a real big jump but enought to notice)

 

whoops double this is what happens when the phone rings in the middle of a post

 

you thought you had it bad i went from 235s and 3.27s to 3.27s and 31s. i could barely hold 5th gear on the highway. now i have 3.73s and 31s and its much nicer. but i wanted 4.10s couldnt find any. i would go 4.10s tho

 

You must have totally misunderstood me. I am in no way interested in off-roading this thing at all. BUT... it would be nice to be able to drive it when it snows, and to take it hunting on dirt roads and not have to worry as much about getting stuck when that one tiny wheel decides to start spinning. Also retail on it would go up a little if people could be less scared that it would get stuck everywhere they go.

 

Well either way you go on the gearing, having the LS will definitely help a bunch. It did for me on my '86 when I did the V8 conversion. Until I installed a 8.8" 3.73 LS it was useless. Afterword, I put weight in the back and with good tires it does surprisingly well (although obviously not as well as my '07 4x4). My only suggestion would be to check the condition of the LS you intend to get before you buy it. Just because it is LS doesn't mean the clutches aren't worn out. I had to put new discs in my LS before I installed it 'cause I could overcome the clutches too easily (now it's tight and smooth).