Looking for an answer to the question: Are 3.55 or 3.73 gears better? On this page, we have gathered for you the most accurate and comprehensive information that will fully answer the question: Are 3.55 or 3.73 gears better?
There are obvious limitations in that a ratio of say 10:1 is illogical in rear end gears . The impact would be that the engine would run out past its maximum rpm limits. Potentially damaging the engine due to valves bouncing and the pistons and rods looking for a way to make their way out of the engine block.
There won`t be a whole lot of a difference between the 2 ratios. I'd say 355 for the street it's a good all round.I'm running 331 with a 402 and it's not enough for fun,I prefer 355's. either gear will work fine. There won`t be a whole lot of a difference between the 2 ratios. Click to expand... The difference would be negligible.
Then you want a bigger number and the 3.73 gears will work better for you. Do you want higher speed and better fuel economy for driving? Then a lower number and the 3.55 gears will work better for you.
The difference in towing mpg between the 3.42 and 3.73 gears at highway cruise speed, under the same conditions, should be less than 1 mpg because of the slightly higher rpm running 3.73s. Vehicle speed actually plays a bigger role in fuel economy than engine rpm. Can I change my axle ratio?
whether that's an auto or manual, 3.70's are fine. Rpm's average 2300-2500 for me with 3.73 at around 70-75 mph and a t5 5 speed. however, if you're running the stock trans and enjoy getting on the freeway at all, don't add gear until you update to an overdrive trans.
The most popular rear end ratio in trucks today is the 3:55, which sort of averages towing power and fuel economy. This is a good ratio for the occasional towing or hauling individual. For a person who tows more often, and heavier loads, the 3:73 or 4:10 may be more appropriate.
FACT: A 3.73 axle ratio is ideal for towing heavy loads on flat terrain and will produce increased fuel economy during steady-state, long-distance highway driving.
whether that's an auto or manual, 3.70's are fine. Rpm's average 2300-2500 for me with 3.73 at around 70-75 mph and a t5 5 speed. however, if you're running the stock trans and enjoy getting on the freeway at all, don't add gear until you update to an overdrive trans.
3.92 is about 10% lower than the 3.55 with the same size tire. With the same rearend ratio the standard 17" wheels and tires are effectively about 6% lower geared than the 20". So you can get about halfway between the two ratios depending upon what you choose for wheel and tire size.
The numbers 3.55 and 3.73 refer to Ford truck axle ratios. The axle ratio tells you the number of revolutions the drive shaft makes compared to the rear axle. For a 3.55 axle ratio, the drive shaft will turn 3.55 times for every one revolution of the tire.
A numerically higher axle ratio provides a mechanical advantage to send more of the engine's available torque to the rear tires (and front tires, in a four-wheel drive vehicle), but you pay the price at the fuel pump. So, a truck with optional 3.73 gears will tow a heavier trailer than one with 3.55 or 3.21.
Normally, the 3.31 would get you better gas mileage, on highway. But, with the 3.55 you will get a bit more pulling power so less time at higher RPM to get your trailer moving and when going uphill. If most of your towing is flat highway, the 3.31 should do you fine.
BEST TOWING RATIO: In general, the best towing axle ratio for most of the post-2010 pickups is in 3.55 or 3.73. Those ratios provide very good acceleration with gas V-8s and diesels.
But that gear ratio would most commonly be referred to as "3.55" or simply "three fifty-five." ... So, a truck with optional 3.73 gears will tow a heavier trailer than one with 3.55 or 3.21. But it will also use more fuel in all situations because the engine's rpm will be higher.
In the real world, typical street machines with aspirations for good dragstrip performance generally run quickest with 4.10:1 gears. Lower gears are required if the car is very heavy, or if the engine makes its power at the upper end of the rpm scale.
3.92 is about 10% lower than the 3.55 with the same size tire. With the same rearend ratio the standard 17" wheels and tires are effectively about 6% lower geared than the 20". So you can get about halfway between the two ratios depending upon what you choose for wheel and tire size.
Technically, the number should be expressed as a ratio, such as 3.55:1, meaning the drive shaft turns 3.55 times for each turn of a wheel. But that gear ratio would most commonly be referred to as "3.55" or simply "three fifty-five."
3.92 is about 10% lower than the 3.55 with the same size tire. With the same rearend ratio the standard 17" wheels and tires are effectively about 6% lower geared than the 20". So you can get about halfway between the two ratios depending upon what you choose for wheel and tire size.
A 3.73 ratio is suitable for regular light towing. If you plan on towing a fifth-wheel trailer or anything heavier than 5,000 pounds, you should consider a 4.1 axle ratio.
“Generally, if you have a higher numeric axle ratio – like a 3.55 – you're going to have better startability and gradeability by getting the engine rpm up,” adds Dana Director of Product Planning Steve Slesinski, “but at highway speed, you really want to slow the engine revs down so you're not wasting energy or fuel.”
Normally, the 3.31 would get you better gas mileage, on highway. But, with the 3.55 you will get a bit more pulling power so less time at higher RPM to get your trailer moving and when going uphill. If most of your towing is flat highway, the 3.31 should do you fine.
But opt for the higher 3.92 axle ratio and that same truck packs a higher towing capacity of 9,930 pounds. The extra towing capacity comes about because the increased engine spinning helps improve off-the-line acceleration and pulling power when carrying heavy loads.
Well, if you plan on doing a lot of freeway driving, you don't want to choose a gear that's too low for your car because you'll be going down the freeway at too high of an RPM. ... Shorter gears (higher numbers) are much better suited for accelerating, such as 3.55, 3.73, 3.91's, 4.11's etc.
If it's a daily driver, chances are you'll want to keep your gear ratio at 3.23 or below for optimal performance and lower cruising RPMs. For street and strip applications, a popular choice ranges between 3.42s and 3.90s, giving you that extra oomph on the track while maintaining a tolerable cruising RPM on the street.
none
Which is better: 3.55 or 3.73 gears? That depends on your goal. Do you want more torque for pulling a heavy load? Then you want a bigger number and the 3.73 gears will work better for you. Do you want higher speed and better fuel economy for driving? Then a …
ok im not going to argue with nobody on this one...i will just leave it up to you who you want to believe....but the 3.55 is more of a high way gear....you wont accelerate very fast but your top speed will be higher than a lower gear like the other gear 3.73.....the 3.73 is a low gear which gives you more rpm's which allow you to accerate much quicker but with the extra rpm's you will lose top …
A numerically high axle ratio means your drive shaft makes more revolutions and therefore the engine works harder and uses more gas. According to Truck Digest, going from a 3.55 axle ratio to a 3.73 will cost you a quarter mile per gallon in the long run. This manifests itself on long hauls. Hauling Ratios
There is not much dif between 3:55 & 3:73 gear,its approx 150-200 rpm between the gearsets. Its up to you how much cruise rpm you can put up with along with what you motor/car setup requiers,if its a real hot lrg cam'd motor the 373's will likely be better,but if its a mild setup go with the 3:55 or better yet IMHO 3:31(only avail used/ebay etc) or 3:42.
I feel that the 3.73's might create more work for me getting the power to the ground. Both my cars are street cars and don't see the drag strip. Both gears are still acceptable for the hwy but I prefer the 3.55's. It seems to be a nice gear for overall driving. Good Luck.
do the 3.55. I have had 4.56, 4.11, 4.88, 3.55, 3.73, and 3.08. all on the street. over all best was the 3.55 for driving. the car was a 70 dart 340 4sp with 3.55. was super on the street very good manners. 100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - …
Unless you drive a lot of highway, 3.73's are the way to go. Little better milage for combo driving in my experience and only 1-2 mpg difference in highway. For sure go with the 3.73 and consider 3.90's. BruceH said: ↑ The highway difference isn't very much. 5th gear is .68. 3.55 x .68 is 2.414 final drive ratio, 3.73 = 2.536 and 4.10 = 2.788.
The 3.55's are a good street option but for the cost involved, most feel it is too little gain for the expense. For stock sized wheel/tire combo (27" diameter) 3.73 still return ~2K rpm highway cruising at 70 mph. F fee5707 Registered Joined Jun 3, 2006 224 Posts #4 · Apr 2, 2009 love the 3.73 gearing =D frisco Premium Member Joined Jan 18, 2008
It's difficult to know exactly which is the best because there are so many variables that can affect results. I know drivers that can get better fuel mileage with a 5.4 engine and 3.73:1 gears than someone else that has 4.6 engine with 3.55:1 gears while towing or hauling.
none
11:00 AM. I get the feeling that you will be much happier with the 3.55's. There really wont be much difference in performance and the 3.55's are better for cruising the highway. The 3.73's are great street/strip gears as they give you nice performance and decent cruising rpm's.
I think you'll like the way the 3.73 feels as this will be a more pronounced difference than the 3.08.It's definately a torque multiplying gear but the 3.55 will be the more forgiving gear on the highway.So with the question being what will be the more important driving aspect ? Around town driving.... 3.73 or highway driving....3.55 ?
3.73 is nice for the power off the line but I think the 3.73 gears with the Mt82 is a lot of gear. 3.31 is nice for longer legs but the 5.0 does not have a lot of low end torque so it's nice to get up to the powerband quicker. 3.55 seems like it'd be a good compromise. But …
I have 4:11 gears (W/M-22), but my buds all say in order to cruise on weekends, I should put 3:55 gears in. Will I be sacrificing alot of low end grunt with these, or should I go with 3:73's. My intention is mostly "in town" cruis'in, but obviously our car club will be taking road trips too.
Not too much difference in performance with either 3.55 and 3.73. I switched to 3.55s due to the higher speed at 1/4 mile. You will also have an issue with weak Mustang torque boxes which will tear loose with a ProCharger.
1,743 Posts. #4 · Aug 22, 2020. The percent difference of those 2 ratios is so small as to be hardly noticeable, IMO. But with the Godzilla, probably want the 3.73 as gassers need to rev more to be in the better power band. I am considering the new 7.3 also as a replacement but yeah, going from diesel to gas seems backwards, lol.
3.55 vs 3.73 on F250 Power Stroke I am buying a new '08 F250 6.4L PS. I have two options in the truck (both are Crew Cab Lariats) One is better equipped with a 3.55 rear end and the other less equipment with a 3.73 rear end. I am retired and I tow a 13,000 LB …
i am wondering what would be better for all around driving, 3.55 or 3.73 gears. i need to use my 1998 Cobra to get to work, but i also want to use it on the drag strip. what gear would give me pretty good gas milage, but also a lot of power on the strip?
I went with the 3.55 and I am very happy with it. I also heard that 3.73 would make 1st gear short. I do not need to downshift to 4th on the freeway to have passing power. The car accelerates MUCH faster now and feels like 50HP was added to the engine. I think the rear gear swap should be considered part of the T5 conversion to be honest.
I can tell you that I'm having my gears changed from 3.55 to 3.73's as I write this. The benefits (hopefully) will be faster 0-60, and 0-100 times. The disadvantages will be slightly poorer gas mileage, and more shifting. Those I can deal with, but neither speaks to your particular needs.
As truck manufacturers produce transmissions using more gears, the axle ratios will also change. For example, a transmission with more gears might allow a …
I have a complete rear axle with 3.55's available to me for $100. So then i'll only have to buy front gears. I have found both 3.73's and 3.55's for my axles. Bigger tires would put me up to a 35" I have LT305/70's now which is about a 32"/33". The gear vendor's is the best idea but i …
By contrast, a numerically lower ratio has better fuel economy but worse torque and towing power. What axle ratio is best for towing? 3:55. Is 3.42 or 3.73 better? The difference in towing mpg between the 3.42 and 3.73 gears at highway cruise speed, under the same conditions, should be less than 1 mpg because of the slightly higher rpm running 3.73s.
their first. I have a 92GT convertible with 3.73 gears in it and I am considering going to 4.10's or 4.30's, if they make them. Even with my extra weight, (convertible) I am able to walk away from many sedans running 3.55's. My advice is go to the 3.73's or higher. Lastly, I must say, with no disrespect intended, I was shocked at the info that ...
I have 37's with 3.73's, which is close to 3.55's and stock tires (RPM and drive ratio), and it's much better than 3.73's and stock tires. Towing 7-10k every so often is no problem, thanks to Spartan 250, and highway RPM's are lower, 1/4 mile is right at the end of 5th gear so it …
3.55 is better than what you have now, but I love my 3.73s. I'm just worried that 3.73 will be too deep, where as 3.55 seem like a good medium. I'm not intending to drag race the car, but at the same time i want to feel a good amount of seat pinning on the …
I had an 01 Supercrew (F150) with the 3.55 limited slip and while it did fine, my new 05 Supercrew with the 3.73 limited slip is noticeably better. By the way, the 05’s with a 3.55 have a max towing capacity of 8,200 lbs while the 3.73 is max rated at 9,200. That’s for a …
3.55 vs 3.73 vs 3.31 Automatic. Jump to Latest Follow ... 3.73 better city mpg and great launch, ideal for those running 20s ... Will take off like 3.73 gears on a manual but has a slightly taller second gear that gets it to a higher mph at the top of 2nd gear than a manual 3.73
Poll 3.55 or 3.73 Gears 02-23-2011, 03:38 PM. Im in the process of a 8.8 overhaul for my 86 svo. Should I stay with the stock 3.73 ratio or go to 3.55 ratio for better freeway gas milage. My car is not stock it has a ported head and a hybrid turbo boosting up to 17psi so that should make up if i go to 3.55's. Here is my 8.8 build list ...
With the Gen III height rear tires on a Gen II 3.73 gears will have the effective ratio that 3.55 gears have with stock height Gen II rear tires. I have stock height Gen II rear tires and 3.55 gears with about 525 crank horsepower and love this gearing. Along with my shorter 5th and 6th ratios this is how the car SHOULD have come from the factory.
Building the third member for my 69 Super Bee, 727, 383 with mild build and wondering which gear ratio to go with? Original was a 3.23 sure grip. I’m wondering if a 3.55 or 3.73 would be more fun on the street and still allow me to hit the highway comfortably as …
If you already have 3.73's, adjust the tire height to better fit the application. Gear Ratio's are so close that a 2" tire growth would eliminate the difference in gearing. A 1" tire growth would split the difference between 3.55 and 3.73's. Just something to think about...
In the real world it will be a fraction of 1 mpg and there isn't any real downside to going with the 3.73's. But according to the EPA sticker on the truck it could be as much as 2 mpg. And for every truck Ford sells with 3.73 gears, they have to sell a bunch with …
I am going to swap gears at some point for the 3.55 myself. Running Conti slicks at about 25 inches really adds to the 3.73, in fact with these tires and the 3.55 I would be about the same as factory tires and 3.73's. Sounds like a different crowd here when I asked about the same thing last year everyone thought I was crazy.
3.31 vs 3.55 vs. 3.73 rear end ratio I am planning to order the electronic diff but have a question about the rear end ratios. Do they match the final gear in the tranny (although being a 10 speed I don't know if it would just be the 10th gear???) to the diff ratio, so that regardless of …
I find lots of people jumping from 2.73 and 3.08 gears to 3.55 gears with lots of success. But, I don't see the anyone touting a big difference or cost justification to go from 3.27 to 3.55 That said, I'm thinking about either going to 3.73 gears or just not changing the gear ratios at all.
I did find this site with a rpm calculater and found that a 3.55 gear may work better for us than say a 3.73 or 3.90. with a 3.55 and the wheels on it now I would turn 2569 rpms @60mph. with the 3.73 I would turn over 2700 rpms.
The gears are 3.73 times .7 (4th gear) and that gets you 2.611. Your max rpm is 5250 so divide that by 2.611 and you get about 2,010. Multiply that by 80.7 and you get about 162,285. Divide that by 1056 to convert that to miles per hour. Top possible speed on an auto with 3.73 is 153.
I think you will find 3.73 too steep for the street - IMHO. I have 3.55's and really like them. You have more hp than my Gen 3 and the 3.55 is about perfect for 3rd and 4th gear with 5th being right for highway cruising up to about 65 and the 6th for freeway use. 09-26-2014 #7. JonB ~ PartsRack.
Bottom line, the 3:55 was not impressive, the 4:30 was great and performed well. Keep in mind the Tremor has 35” tires, so this will raise the gear ration somewhat, meaning that the ratio will go down numerically ie 4:10 - 3:73 range.
and I would use a 3.73:1 rear gear with the OD as your 327 won't mind spinning the revolutions needed to make you happy (a 383, should you decide to stroke your 327 in the future, would be happier with a 3.55:1). Money can't buy you happiness, but it will buy you a lot of car parts. Larger Dave
3.55 to 3.73 gears. Have any of you guys ever looked into changing gear ratios. I will be installing 285/75R16 BFGs next spring and the stock size for my 2000 XLT 5.4 4x4 is 255/70R16 or 30". Based on my calculations, I will lose a considerable amount or power due to the larger tires. I was thinking of lowering the ratio to 3.73 from 3.55.
So here is the catch, only the F250 with the 7.3 has the choice between 3.55 and 4.30. The F350 7.3 only comes with the 4.30 gear. According to the tow specs I only lose 700 pounds towing but my payload stays the same. I want the payload more than …
I have the 3.55’s and rpm’s are around 1800 at 70mph on my DRW.Before this 6.7 I had a 13’ Duramax with a 3.73 and it was sitting at 1600 rpms at 70 mph with a lot better fuel mileage than the super duty.Why is there such a difference in RPMS between them I …
With the 3.55's you get that tad more power automatically at take off with normal driving but it costs you a bit in the MPG's. I can do a little something with 3.31's to compensate the difference in take off pull if I wanted but can't do much to reduce MPG's and the bit smoother highway with the 3.55's.
Overall first gear ratio is first gear in your transmission x rear end gear. From what I have read you really want a rear end gear between 8.0-10.00. Higher the number on your overall first gear ratio the harder your launch. Anything under 8.0 is going to be pretty slow. I have ran a 2.73 Rear End with a Th400 with an overall gear ratio of 6.77.
It appears from the numbers you posted, an 8 speed with a 3.21 has better torque multiplication than a 6 speed with a 3.55 or even 3.73 all the way up to 6th (gear to gear). It isn't until 7th gear that the 3.21 would be worse then a 3.73 in 5th gear. But …
With the 20" wheels and the stock 3.55 gears the engine would be at 2280RPM, and if you could get the 3.73 gears in this configuration it would be at 2396RPM. So according to this chart the final drive ratio of a 18" wheel with 3.31 gears is almost identical to the 20" wheels with 3.55 gears.
Hi everyone, my name is Stuart Morrison and I am the editor-in-chief and author of the Answeregy website. I am 35 years old and live in Miami, Florida. From an early age I loved to learn new things, constantly reading various encyclopedias and magazines. In 1998 I created my first Web site, where I posted interesting facts which you could rarely learn elsewhere. Then, it led me to work as a content manager for a large online publication. I always wanted to help people while doing something I really enjoyed. That's how I ended up on the Answeregy.com team, where I... Read more