Quote:
Originally Posted by ishoot308
"Unless you need the max towing, stick with a 3.55 rear end as a good compromise between towing and fuel economy."
I completely disagree with that...
3.73 gear ratio would be a good compromise. 4.10 / 4.11 gears would be used on most tow package vehicles. 3.55 gears can't get out of their own way! Most vehicles with 3.55 gears constantly shift going up the slightest incline even at highway speeds and in many instances are less fuel efficient in the real world because of this. EPA estimates are based off vehicle testing done on rollers and dynamometers not real world roads. I would never buy another vehicle (pickup / SUV) with 3.55 gears. Been there, done that, never again!
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Let me clarify. If you want to tow a 5000 to 6000 lb load occasionally, I think 3.55 gears are fine and you don't spend the other 99% of the vehicles life at higher RPMs and wasting gas.
If you want to tow an 8000+ pound boat with any frequency, then yes, you want (need actually) 3.73 or 4.10 rear gears.
What I am getting at is if you have to also consider the amount of times you actually tow the vehicle. I would never buy a truck with 3.08 gears. I also would not buy a truck with 4.10 gears that is also a daily driver unless my boat made it necessary.
I wish my truck had 3.55 gearing. The 3.73 is overkill for pulling my 5700 pound boat/trailer/gear (as measured on truck scale). That and the fact that I pull it about 400 miles per year, total.