What axle ratio? Poll.

[david85]

What rear end are you running in the rig with 3.08 gears???

I'm still running the factory original sterling 10.25" rear axle assembly which is theoretically available from factory with 3.08s (though I've yet to see a stock original sterling with 3.08s). When I bought the truck years ago, aftermarket gear cutters like Motive Gear still offered a 3.08 ratio for this differential. I think it came in at $330 delivered to my door. Fuel savings paid off the investment in less than three months since it was (and remains) a long distance highway rig.

However gear cutters have determined most guys want lift kits, and bigger tires. For that, you need lower gears, not taller gears. So 3.08s are not available anymore. Sometimes you can still find an online webstore that shows a listing and price, but if you call them they will tell you the same story - not available anymore. I've even contacted a few suppliers to ask them if there is any plan to start selling them again. Basically, they produce a large run at a time, and only of the ratios they know they can sell in quantity. In their opintion (and mine), 3.08s will never be as popular as 4.10s, 4.11s, or 4.56. 3.33s can sometimes still be found but its not much of a drop from 3.55. Believe me, you're not the first guy to ask me about these gears and I wish I could give you a better answer. It may have changed since I last looked but I doubt it.

The one option you may still have is to find the rear end out of a light duty F250 from the early 1980s. Supposedly those were actually produced in small numbers with a 3.07 ratio dana 61 semi-floater. Its not as strong a differential, and still very rare though.

Anyone with 4wd (or aspirations of 4wd) also need to be aware that only the dana44 front axle is available with 3.07 ratio gears. This is again very rare and since most guys aren't interested in a wheeling rig with tall gears, there is little motivation for aftermarket support. The Dana50 and Dana60 only go down to 3.54. The exception is the low pinion dodge dana61, which is available with 3.07s. Unlike the ford 6.9/7.3IDI equipped trucks, many dodge cummins equipped trucks did come from factory with 3.07s.

 

[Can30Diesel]

3.55 if you commute
410 if yer towing lots
3.73 is THE best all around.

It all depends if you have bigger tires, what trans etc at the end of the day, cause that can change everything.

 

[fx4wannabe]

I like my 4.10's for turning the big tires. I had an old F150 with 3.55's once and I swapped them out for 4.10's as well. I had 36's on that truck if I remember right.

 

[ToughOldFord]

4.10s from factory. Swapped to 3.08s less than three months after buying the truck and never looked back.

I couldn't imagine running 3.08s, 3.55s tow like crap, 3.08 must be like towing with a Ford ******.

 

[IDIoit]

Looks like 355 got a good start then 410s passed by.

isnt that usually the other way around?? lol

 

[direwulf23]

isnt that usually the other way around?? lol

Usually. Lol

 

[david85]

I couldn't imagine running 3.08s, 3.55s tow like crap, 3.08 must be like towing with a Ford ******.

You're not the first one to say that.

Empty there is no noticeable difference and I have to be careful on wet pavement. With a trailer, you do notice the difference below 20 MPH. Once the RPM gets up, the truck simply upshifts later in the speed range. I considered 3.55s instead of 3.08s but when I plotted the RPM range, I noticed that in the 50-60 MPH range, 3rd gear would be too tall, and 2nd gear would be too low if on a steep hill. With 3.08s, my 2nd gear gave a similar final drive ratio to 4.10s in 3rd gear (assuming C6 or E4OD trans). So, yes it was slightly slower off the line, but once rolling I gained performance where I needed it.

My 302 powered F150 has 3.55s and an AOD....now there's a bad combo!

 

[laserjock]

Unless you wanted to drive at 90 mph. [emoji6]

 

[opusd2]

4.10 and doing good

 

[david85]

Unless you wanted to drive at 90 mph. [emoji6]

To this day I don't know where my F250 tops out. Apparently its somewhere beyond the trip meter reset button
Never tried for much more than 80 in the F150 when it was still insured. It was always fairly underpowered.

 

[Ford F834]

Pole asks what originally came in the truck... mine came equipped with 4.10's and a T19 a condition that is being corrected with a wide ratio ZF plus GearVendor overdrive giving a final drive ratio of 2.43:1.

 

[IDIoit]

Pole asks what originally came in the truck... mine came equipped with 4.10's and a T19 a condition that is being corrected with a wide ratio ZF plus GearVendor overdrive giving a final drive ratio of 2.43:1.

nothing about this.
theres a set up for everyone!
some people dont care about doing the speed limit on the freeway, i just hope they stay out of the fast lane lol

 

[Blind Driver2]

I don't see an option for my 5.88s

 

[Clb]

Both of mine were/are 4:10's

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

Pole asks what originally came in the truck... mine came equipped with 4.10's and a T19 a condition that is being corrected with a wide ratio ZF plus GearVendor overdrive giving a final drive ratio of 2.43:1.

My 86 6.9 C-6 truck came with 3.55. It was fine on the bottom but tiresome on the top end. Mostly highway not towing miles. So I added a Gear Vendors. Picked up 1 mpg and 500 RPM reduction. But, the best part is being able to split 2nd and run in 2nd overdrive. In the mountains or towing heavy I have ran for miles this way, big improvement!