gear swap question

[Mhannink]

ok so i want to put 3. 54's inplace of my 4. 10's do all i need is the gears or do i need the carrier too?

 

[klaybus]

ok so i want to put 3. 54's inplace of my 4. 10's do all i need is the gears or do i need the carrier too?

No carrier swap required! I went from 3. 5s to 4. 10s no problem. I hope you don't tow & or have oversized tires... . It will be noticeable.



Clay

 

[Mhannink]

actually i do tow and do have 33's on there but the 3. 54's are better in my opinion then the 4. 10's. 4. 10's are just to low for me.

 

[Morsed]

You may want to look at 3. 73 as a compromise. My 03 with 265/70-17s and all stock works well with the 48RE and tows a 26 ft Arctic fox tailer very well.
Dave

 

[Mhannink]

you know for the amount of towing i do (little) the 3. 54's work fine and ive driven the other in a truck thats simalar to yours and i still want the 3. 54's

 

[klaybus]

actually i do tow and do have 33's on there but the 3. 54's are better in my opinion then the 4. 10's. 4. 10's are just to low for me.

To each his own. I tow about an #8500 5vr & in the Pacific NW we pull ALL of the passes & 3. 5s, tall tires & an auto trans is trouble! I would never go back to 3. 5s but it's a personal preferance & my truck now is a pullin machine & the difference in fuel mileage is insignificant in my eyes with the gain in performance! Whatever works, thats why we've got choices... .



Clay

 

[surfbeetle]

No carrier swap required! I went from 3. 5s to 4. 10s no problem. I hope you don't tow & or have oversized tires... . It will be noticeable.



Clay

Nonsense! I went from 4. 10s to 3. 54s on my truck after having a top speed of 85 mph for 10 years. I tow a 11,500# fifth wheel with no problems. I do have 265's for the tires and also have a tst plate in it. Yes, the lower gears would help you get moving easier, but IMHO, I have found the higher gears to be more driveable.

 

[klaybus]

Nonsense! I went from 4. 10s to 3. 54s on my truck after having a top speed of 85 mph for 10 years. I tow a 11,500# fifth wheel with no problems. I do have 265's for the tires and also have a tst plate in it. Yes, the lower gears would help you get moving easier, but IMHO, I have found the higher gears to be more driveable.

With the auto trans the difference is huge! I just noticed you both run a 5 speed. Probably not as significant as anyone pulling with an auto trans. I stand corrected!



Clay

 

[surfbeetle]

Yes, I have a standard trans. But as you said before, to each his own. The first Cummins I ever drove was my father's. It is a 1990 Dodge D350 with 354 gears. We loved the way it pulled with those gears and got great mileage (for a truck). When I bought my 95 new, I opted for the 4. 10s thinking it would be better for pulling. Top speed was just under 85 and best mileage was 18.
I changed my gears after 150,000 miles to the 3. 54s as I was fed up with the low top speed here in Southern Ca. The added bonus was the best fuel mileage empty was 24. 5. At about the same time, I added the larger exhaust and TST #5. At that point, my pulling and drivability was better than it was before. As I said before, my fifth wheel is 11,500 lbs and I am happy with the pulling up steep grades. I can do 60mph uphill with no issues. I also drive in the twisty mountain roads here as well. When I mention my top speed, it is in reference to being on the highway with no trailer. When pulling, I usually stick to the speed limits on the highway, it's less stressful if you aren't trying to speed with a trailer. With a Class A license in CA, the potential ticket isn't worth it either.

 

[klaybus]

Yep, We're comparing apples & oranges. With a manual trans you can easily pull with 3. 5s because you've got choices... (5 gears) vs the guy with an auto who has drive only to maintain lockup. Without lockup, ALL you get is HEAT & quick... . Been there & done that & hence my choice for the 4. 10s! And yep, my mileage with 3. 5s averaged 20+ empty.



Clay