Gears

[Motorider]

In my last truck ranger 4.0 w/8.8 had 456's, I am now putting gears in the same type of truck (now 2wd), but this truck will not be used for daily driver. I am wondering if I should put higher ratio gears in. I want it to do really good in the desert, mostly used in the sand. If I put 513's in what will the truck be turning in RPMs going down the freeway. What are you running? FYI Truck is fully caged, with deavers, fuel cell, camburg c/o in front.
Thanks

Also the truck is auto

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[Kritter]

4.56 is the largest gear you should put in an 8.8. Any larger, the gear has to be trimmed and will most likely prematurely fail. That is why you cannon get a FORD SVO gear set larger then 4.56 for an 8.8

Is the auto the A4LD? If it is you could free up some power and gain driveability by going with a C4, but you lose the OD. A C4 with 4.56 and 35s should rock.

Kris
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[phorensic2k]

We have a truck at work that has a really high (numerically) gear ratio in it and it isn't what I would consider ideal at all. Sure it has GOBS of torque and can accelerate like a banshee, but you burn through the gears so fast you are in 4th (automatic) at about 35mph and at 70 you are turning super high RPMS just to keep the same speed. Now the highway isn't the desert, but don't you think if you had a higher than necessary gear ratio that you would be all spin and no go? Just a thought. Sand might be a different story than dirt though. I have heard a phrase that is something to the effect of "In the sand the more weight you can displace backwards (in sand) the faster you can go". So for the sand it might be ideal. I would ask some sand car owners what they gear their cars at.

P.S. The truck hauls glass and when it's loaded down the gears help, but for a truck that isn't all that heavy you could get away with 4:56's and be O.K. I would think.

I run 3.73's in my Sonoma with 31" tires. Sure its not an ideal gear ratio for the size tire that I have, but I have removed so much damn weight that the truck feels like its just as fast as when it was stock, as if I don't need to regear it. People I know that own trucks with large displacement/high horsepower engines and large tires feel the same in that they don't feel they need to regear because they have enough power to make up for it. Almost a personal preference?

[tedmales]

the thing about gearing is that if you change tire size you change the final drive of the truck. to keep the power after larger tires you must change the gears. more power would help, but even if you took a stock truck, added tires that were 20% taller and added 20% more power it might feel about the same, but it would not be as good if it had the right gearing. its just basic leverage, how much leverage does the engine have to turn the tires. call one of the drive train shops listed in the back of any off road magazine, and they can tell you the formula to calculate what would work best. and do not forget about the weight of the new tires and wheels. you will need to add gearing to the truck just to make up for the extra rotational weight.
just my opinion.

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