gears for 4x4 5 speed
05-12-2014, 03:55 PM
#1
gears for 4x4 5 speed
considering the vast majority of threads i find involve automatic trucks, i'd like to get some opinions from guys who drive sticks & have regeared. i get that the principles are the same, but we're essentially in lockup 98% of the time
mine's a 4x4 '99 RCSB 1/2 ton with a 5.3 / 5 speed & 3.73s
engine's only got headers, CAI, & tune - cam will eventually get thrown in (something 216/224 -ish).
with the 265/75-16s i had before, it was right in the sweet spot for torque vs highway mileage. now that i've got some 8ply 33s that weigh 20lb more each, it really feels like a dog. the 4.02 1st gear is actually useful now, but it's definitely more of a slug in every other gear... especially when i occasionally pull my car (5000lb car/trailer combo). i'd say my driving is about 50/50 - mostly interstate for my drive to work, but everywhere else i go is in town.
that said, i've been looking at 4.30s to get a little better gearing than stock 245s with 3.90s. Motive seems to be the only ones offering them & are thus a little more expensive. 4.10s don't seem like enough of a difference to justify the change, but 4.56s might be a bit much for all the highway driving i do.
thoughts/suggestions?
mine's a 4x4 '99 RCSB 1/2 ton with a 5.3 / 5 speed & 3.73s
engine's only got headers, CAI, & tune - cam will eventually get thrown in (something 216/224 -ish).
with the 265/75-16s i had before, it was right in the sweet spot for torque vs highway mileage. now that i've got some 8ply 33s that weigh 20lb more each, it really feels like a dog. the 4.02 1st gear is actually useful now, but it's definitely more of a slug in every other gear... especially when i occasionally pull my car (5000lb car/trailer combo). i'd say my driving is about 50/50 - mostly interstate for my drive to work, but everywhere else i go is in town.
that said, i've been looking at 4.30s to get a little better gearing than stock 245s with 3.90s. Motive seems to be the only ones offering them & are thus a little more expensive. 4.10s don't seem like enough of a difference to justify the change, but 4.56s might be a bit much for all the highway driving i do.
thoughts/suggestions?
Last edited by _zebra; 05-12-2014 at 04:01 PM.
05-13-2014, 05:14 PM
#3
4:10s are definetly a difference on the highway, to do 70-75 the engine is at 2500 rpm, this is pretty close with both my trucks, one has 285s the other 265s, I wish I had a 5th gear (4l80e) but I dont do highway much so i shouldnt complain
05-13-2014, 07:02 PM
#4
i used to average 70 on the interstate (and just doing the simple math, is about 1950rpm)
since i moved about 2500' higher in elevation with constant 30+mph winds, i started driving 60 (1675rpm) - mainly for the 2mpg difference (that & the limits up here are only 65... which everybody else seems afraid to get up to anyway). 4.30s only turn 15% higher, so i'd be cruising around 1930rpm@60 & 2250rpm@70 when i move back south.
my 5th gear is roughly the same as your 4th: .73 vs .75 (or .70 for 4L60e). also with your turbo, you'd benefit from slightly higher gears like a 3.73 to load it up a little more. i'm looking at a medium-sized cam on a N/A setup, too, which also factors into my choice.
since i moved about 2500' higher in elevation with constant 30+mph winds, i started driving 60 (1675rpm) - mainly for the 2mpg difference (that & the limits up here are only 65... which everybody else seems afraid to get up to anyway). 4.30s only turn 15% higher, so i'd be cruising around 1930rpm@60 & 2250rpm@70 when i move back south.
my 5th gear is roughly the same as your 4th: .73 vs .75 (or .70 for 4L60e). also with your turbo, you'd benefit from slightly higher gears like a 3.73 to load it up a little more. i'm looking at a medium-sized cam on a N/A setup, too, which also factors into my choice.
05-15-2014, 12:47 PM
#5
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I was getting 19 with boltons 275/55/20 and now I get 22-23 with 210/218 .584/.584 116 Lsa I have 3.42s though....great for mpg terrible for digs haha
If you are cruising around 60-70 I'd say go with the 4.30s, but if you were doing more 75-80 I would stick with the 3.73s
Are you changing the gears yourself or paying a shop?
If you are cruising around 60-70 I'd say go with the 4.30s, but if you were doing more 75-80 I would stick with the 3.73s
Are you changing the gears yourself or paying a shop?
05-16-2014, 10:31 AM
#7
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Oh that makes the decision tougher ha. If you were doing it, then if you decided the 4.30s were to much just spend $150 plus your time to put the 4.10s in.
The 4.10s might not be enough of a difference and the 4.30s might be to much lol I'm in the same boat, I have a set of 4.10s lying around, but love the highway rpms of my 3.42s, and I'm scared of not properly lining them up and hate to spend $500 for the shop to do it.
The 4.10s might not be enough of a difference and the 4.30s might be to much lol I'm in the same boat, I have a set of 4.10s lying around, but love the highway rpms of my 3.42s, and I'm scared of not properly lining them up and hate to spend $500 for the shop to do it.
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05-17-2014, 09:07 AM
#8
Well to be honest Ive driven the truck on the highway once with the turbo and that was on the way home from it getting tuned so I was ***** footing...
But But what I was saying is I thought at least with 4:10s your mileage will go down cause you got to rev the engine up more, like when I let off the gas turning 2500 rpm I get engine braking lol
I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a front diff and a rear end with 4:10s then buy new gears and pay for a shop to put them in, and if you dont like them you can easily change it back
But But what I was saying is I thought at least with 4:10s your mileage will go down cause you got to rev the engine up more, like when I let off the gas turning 2500 rpm I get engine braking lol
I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a front diff and a rear end with 4:10s then buy new gears and pay for a shop to put them in, and if you dont like them you can easily change it back
05-18-2014, 07:03 PM
#9
glad you reminded me of that because i'd considered it a while back & forgot. thing is... i'd either have to find one with a truetrac already in or still pay somebody to put in the one i just bought.
either way, it's still hard to justify this much trouble for such a small gear change as 3.73 -> 4.10
either way, it's still hard to justify this much trouble for such a small gear change as 3.73 -> 4.10
06-07-2014, 09:02 PM
#10
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I just installed 5.13 on my 285's LOL (going to 35" soon)
My 3.73 was *** to drive on hwy as speed limit is 65 here. I would always drive in 3rd gear to get my RPMs up to around 2,000 on HWY as my cam hates me under 2500. I would at the very least get 4.56's, Maybe mileage is a big concern to you tho. **** Im hoping to get better mileage with my 5.13 as I was only getting 10MPG with the 3.73.
Cam Motion Cam 222/230 112+3
My 3.73 was *** to drive on hwy as speed limit is 65 here. I would always drive in 3rd gear to get my RPMs up to around 2,000 on HWY as my cam hates me under 2500. I would at the very least get 4.56's, Maybe mileage is a big concern to you tho. **** Im hoping to get better mileage with my 5.13 as I was only getting 10MPG with the 3.73.
Cam Motion Cam 222/230 112+3
Last edited by NuckenFuts; 06-07-2014 at 09:13 PM.