4.10 gears

[SRehberg]

I just bought a '96 2wd CCab, that has 4. 10 gears in the rear. I didn't realize it at the time I test drove it, as I never went on the freeway. Anyway, I had another '96 with 3. 54 gears, which cruised at 65mph at 1750 RPM, with a quiet cab. Now at 63mph the truck turns around 2050 RPM, with a rise in cab noise. I plan on pulling a 27ft 5er, so it should help with that, but will mileage/noise drive me nuts? Anyone pulling with the 4. 10 gears and what is your experience? Thanks

 

[LJones]

I got em too. Only pull 8K with the back loaded with a combined

wieght in the 15-16K. Yeah I know it's light for a Cummin's, living

out here in the West they work great. I run around 13-15, depending on where my right foot is. I love them (the 4. 10's) for

passing with a load, up hill to get around some guy who just

had to pass me just prior to the hill. I have the over valved

cummin's which has some more rpm's than it's under valved

brother. I know these aren't apples to apples, but after 4 year

I would do it all over again... . Hope this helps...

 

[bmoeller]

Even though it is used as a daily driver mostly, I would get 4. 10's again. With the O/D, it turns lower RPMS than my 6. 9L w/C-6 and 3. 55's. The Dodge is MUCH quieter in the cab (b4 5" ex. ) than the Ford.



I get 14-16. 5 mpg empty w/ the Dodge and 13-15 mpg w/ the Ford. The Dodge is about 1000-1500# heavier also with everthing in it. Have never seen less than 13. 5 mpg with mixed driving (trailer or not on same tank).



IF I decided to get a different ratio, other than 4. 10, I would go with 3. 73's.

 

[SRehberg]

I appreciate the replies and it makes me feel more comfortable knowing the 4. 10's are desired rather than hated. I've only had this truck a week, so getting use to the difference in noise/rpm probably will help.



My 5er weighs 8800lbs loaded according to the mfg. so I hope the gears are good for that. The mileage of 13-15 seems a little on the low side, is this with the trailer? If it is, that's great. I ran about 23-24mpg with my 3. 54 gears in the other '96, lightly loaded. I hope this one does almost as good.

 

[ZR600]

4.10

My 97 4WD dually gets about 18-19 empty and 12-14 pulling an enclosed trailer weighing about #8000. My truck is all stock right now with an outo transmission. Hope this helps... ... ... ... ... . Brian

 

[SRehberg]

That sounds great to me, and the weight is about the same I would be hauling. I'm hoping with the lower gears it gets the load moving easier, as the 3. 54's, the truck struggled some getting the load moving. Both trucks are bone stock. Thanks for all the help.

 

[klenger]

I have 4. 10's with an HO 6 speed and pull a 27' 10K 5er. The 4. 10's are perfect for this combo. Towing at 65 MPH puts me right at about 2200, which is nicely in the power range. Driving empty around town, the 4. 10's are not a problem as it get's you into OD quicker.



I had a few minutes to kill a couple of days ago, and calculated my total MPG and MPH for the last 32,000 miles. Average milage was right at about 15 (~25% combined towing and 75%daily driving). Empty around town taking it easy I get about 19 MPG. Towing I get 10 - 11 MPG.



Interesting number is to calculate average speed if you keep track of running time. In my case, my average speed for 32K was about 35 MPH (again, city, highway, and towing). Given an average speed of 35 MPH, the 4. 10's don't hurt me at all in the milage dept.

 

[Gunny]

This gear ratio thing can be befuddling. I have two 3500's both are 6 speed HO's one is a 2001. 5 the other a 2002. I owned the 2001. 5 with 3. 54's for almost a year and a half before I bought the 2002 with 4. 10's for the wife. I love the 2001. 5 truck it was my second 3500 Dodge Cummins it has been without a doubt the best damn truck anyone could ever ask for. It pulls my 34 ft. 5er that loaded weighs 11,500, I would not have thought that towing could be any easier. I also have a 10. 6 Bigfoot Slide in and this also has never been any problems at all with this 2001. 5 truck.



When I bought the 2002 with 4. 10's I thought I had made a huge mistake. I never liked the high RPM's at highway speeds, this alone drove me nuts. It was load at highway speeds due in fact to the added RPM's I am sure. It just wasn't the same as my 2001. 5 and I didn't like it. That was until I towed with it, WOW what a difference. Everything about towing was better. I have never had the Slide In on this new truck but I am sure I would like it as well.



And there was another difference that to this day I can not understand. The 2002 with the 4. 10's has always gotten better mileage than the 3. 54 truck. It makes no sense to me how two trucks almost identicial to each other but one turning a additional 300 or 350 RPM at almost any highway speed will get always an addtional 3 or 4 MPG better mileage. Some one that understands all of this maybe can explain this to me it is befuddling.



Gunny

 

[Fireman]

If I had an automatic and was towing a big 5w I would opt for the 4:10 gearing.



JMO

Fireman

 

[RustyJC]

We pull a 36' 13,500 lb 5th wheel RV and hit the road at 21,180 GCW. We specifically ordered our truck to get the 21,500 GCWR that required the 4. 10 gears - 3. 54's only got a 20,000 GCWR.



The 4. 10's are great for towing - 2350 RPM is 70 MPH, and I don't have to come out of 6th gear for any grade I've encountered. Having said that, if we didn't need the GCWR, the 3. 54's are much "friendlier" for running unloaded. When empty, I keep reaching for that darned 7th gear that I wish was there!



Rusty

 

[BigMike]

I have the 3. 54. Can't compare it to 4. 10, but I'm certainly satisfied. I think having a manual transmission might make the 3. 54 a bit more tolerable.

 

[CJ Lagos]

Originally posted by RustyJC

When empty, I keep reaching for that darned 7th gear that I wish was there!



Rusty

I do it too, it always makes me laugh.



I bought my truck because I wanted a bad ass tow rig with enough style to sport around town. If there was an option that increased the towing capacity or ability, I got it. 4. 10's rule.



CJ

 

[Boondocker]

7th gear

Originally posted by RustyJC:

When empty, I keep reaching for that darned 7th gear that I wish was there!

Originally posted by CJLagos:

I do it too, it always makes me laugh.

I've reached for 7th gear more than once, and I have 3. 54s .

I originally wanted 4. 10s, but became convinced that 3. 54s were perfectly adequate, even for towing, unless you are heavy all the time such as a work truck or full time camper. With the Cummins torque monster under the hood, the higher gears are just fine for my daily driver / occasional tower.



On the other hand, by all accounts I've read on these forums, 4. 10s are by no means overkill. Bear in mind also, tire diameter. Eventually, you will have to replace your tires. So you can still adjust your final drive ratio by increasing or decreasing your tire diameter.



Neil

 

[klenger]

Ah yes, 7th gear. For some reason my shifter is marked with an "R" there.

 

[Midnite]

Originally posted by klenger

Ah yes, 7th gear. For some reason my shifter is marked with an "R" there.

That stands for "Race"--that's the tallest gear in the transmission, and only for use when you're doing faster than 90mph, and at full throttle!

 

[y-knot]

I think the 4:10 gear thing is about like every other option. People don't know what they are missing, till they have it. And then there is this whole generation of people that went thru the gas wars in the late seventy's, and have been scared of high fuel cost and low mileage trucks. I remember 4:56's and 4:88's being very popular till he gas prices went thru the roof. I think alot of this carrys over into the present thinking. Taller gears do not seem to hurt the diesels as much as the gassers. Also I think the guys that haul heavy (people that move 10,000lbs or more) not only benefit from the more power (torque is multiplied by the rear gear) but get better mileage also. The engine isn't lugged down, and I think better fuel economy is the result. It also seems to be biased on there you live, people that live in flat open country do not fell the effects of the smaller gear, like people that live on hilly areas. The rockies and the smoky mountains come to mind, and usually the guys with the 3:54's are in the slow lane smoking like a freight train, going 45 mph. I bought my truck for it's power, any 3/4 or 1 ton can tow a trailer, and most gassers will do a pretty good job of it. But I didn't want to just get by, or do a "pretty good job", I wanted to master it! Take no prisoners and rub there face in the dirt, and that is what the cummins and 4:10 will do. I can't count the number of times we have been going down the road, pulling a large and heavy trailer, when I look in my mirror and see this ford trying to catch up. He's pulling some small travel trailer and wants to play. He will run his guts out trying to catch you, and I'm pulling at least twice his weight. I don't exactly no why, but there is a " competition", "rivalry" between DODGE and FORD owners, the chevy guys don't seem to bite. I would say to anyone ordering a new truck, the 4:10's would be my first option checked, HO second. Why just pull a trailer along, when you could "earth jerk" the mother, yell now were talking.

 

[DLBurns]

12K Fiver

I too have the 4. 10's... don't need to pull my fiver faster than 65 so I am right in the power band.

Around town mileage is 14-17 and towing 10-11.

The increase in cab noise ( if there is any ) doesn't bother me as I am deaf in one ear and can't hear out of the other

 

[dlange]

I had 3. 54 and switched to 4. 10, the truck is much more responsive. And it really helps when trying to drag 400 bushel of corn out of a field! GVW. I dont need no stinkin GVW!

 

[Diesel&Donuts]

Add me to the 4:10 list of happy campers. I tow a 12,000 fiver very nicely.

Harold

 

[Grayhackle]

I bought a 1990 5 spd DC with 4. 10 gears and drove that sob for 13 years. I was fine when the speed limit was 55. That was perfect for that truck. That truck would either push a tree down or climb it. In lo range compound low, it was unstoppable the power was awesome. Then the speed limit went to 75 on the interstates and that truck had to be pushed to do 70. I did not have a tach, put it had to be doing major revs. I will say this, it got 20 mpg in the summer and 18 mpg in the winter consistently!