Why such low rear axles ratios on new pickups?
03-05-2013, 11:36 AM
#21
Many of us use our trucks in different ways. Some tow a lot; and frequently. Some tow lesser amounts less frequently. There is room for everyone to be "right" for their own situation. I can see people that are happy with 3.31's and I can see people for whom that would never work. We are lucky that the F150 can be configured in so many different ways to suit all of us.
The following 2 users liked this post by acadianbob:
18screaminwheels (03-05-2013),
schrod (03-05-2013)
03-05-2013, 12:30 PM
#22
Senior Member
The way I see tow ratings is that that's the capacity the engineers figure the truck can tow on a regular basis. There's no where in a manual or tow chart that says a truck with 9200# limit can only tow that amount for X amount of time or Y distance.
Now, that being said, if I was going to be towing that limit on a regular basis I would have to realize that it will wear the truck faster than one with a higher capacity. So it all depends on what you want to spend your money on. Do you want to buy into the HD/ Max tow unit and have weight capacity to spare or save a bit and maybe repair a few parts at 100000 miles but also save some gas when not towing.
Same goes with the Super Duty argument. I don't see a need for one unless you are going above the 1/2 ton ratings. However, if I owned a business making money with towing 11300 lbs regularly, then I certainly would consider the SD. At least then the extra cost of the SD is justified and can also be written off.
Make sense?
Now, that being said, if I was going to be towing that limit on a regular basis I would have to realize that it will wear the truck faster than one with a higher capacity. So it all depends on what you want to spend your money on. Do you want to buy into the HD/ Max tow unit and have weight capacity to spare or save a bit and maybe repair a few parts at 100000 miles but also save some gas when not towing.
Same goes with the Super Duty argument. I don't see a need for one unless you are going above the 1/2 ton ratings. However, if I owned a business making money with towing 11300 lbs regularly, then I certainly would consider the SD. At least then the extra cost of the SD is justified and can also be written off.
Make sense?
The following users liked this post:
schrod (03-05-2013)
03-05-2013, 01:01 PM
#24
I guess I am of the mind set that 3.15,3.31,3.55 are more designed for highway traveling and not as stout on the same realm as the towing gears of 3.73,4.10. Like Bob said, it just depends on how much weight and how often your gonna be towing to find the right truck for you. Like said before we should be glad that Ford offers so many way to configure your F150 to meet everyones needs. Can you towing with any of these gears, sure, some just have more giddy-up from the starting line.
03-05-2013, 01:16 PM
#25
Senior Member
...getting a 4x4 with 3.73's also lets you add a bit taller tire without having the expense of gearing changes...like a posted noted earlier...there are plenty of combinations for each individuals style/type of driving
03-05-2013, 01:48 PM
#26
I guess I am of the mind set that 3.15,3.31,3.55 are more designed for highway traveling and not as stout on the same realm as the towing gears of 3.73,4.10. Like Bob said, it just depends on how much weight and how often your gonna be towing to find the right truck for you. Like said before we should be glad that Ford offers so many way to configure your F150 to meet everyones needs. Can you towing with any of these gears, sure, some just have more giddy-up from the starting line.
03-05-2013, 05:27 PM
#27
Buy a Silverado if you want a 6 speed transmission and 3.08 gears?
Maybe with the new Chevy direct injected V8s they will drop down to 2.xx gears.
Ford already offers a wide variety of gears with some pretty smart people to design them and through marketing figure out which are best to offer to their customers/what their customers want. Ford has the most gear options available on any half ton last I checked.
I don't know if I have read in any reviews what the rear axle of the 8 speed hemi Ram will be. That should be pretty interesting.
Maybe with the new Chevy direct injected V8s they will drop down to 2.xx gears.
Ford already offers a wide variety of gears with some pretty smart people to design them and through marketing figure out which are best to offer to their customers/what their customers want. Ford has the most gear options available on any half ton last I checked.
I don't know if I have read in any reviews what the rear axle of the 8 speed hemi Ram will be. That should be pretty interesting.
Last edited by astraelraen; 03-05-2013 at 05:30 PM.
03-05-2013, 07:52 PM
#28
Senior Member
I guess I am of the mind set that 3.15,3.31,3.55 are more designed for highway traveling and not as stout on the same realm as the towing gears of 3.73,4.10. Like Bob said, it just depends on how much weight and how often your gonna be towing to find the right truck for you. Like said before we should be glad that Ford offers so many way to configure your F150 to meet everyones needs. Can you towing with any of these gears, sure, some just have more giddy-up from the starting line.
03-05-2013, 08:35 PM
#29
Member
I really don't understand the reasoning behind New Cars and Trucks especially pickups needing such a low rear end ratio. My 2008 Mustang had 3.55 rears and that was considered a slight performance upgrade. Loooking back I wish I would have got a higer ratio in that car, I rarely drove it like a madman.
(snip)
(snip)
(Partially unrelated, but the effective ratio of first gear in the Mustang GT with the automatic transmission (and stock 3.15 rear) is almost as aggressive as the effective ratio of first gear in the manual (Getrag)transmission Mustang with a 3.73 rear... meaning that first gear in the truck is roughly equivalent to first gear in a 3.73 geared manual Mustang, while 6th gear is roughly equivalent to a 3.15 geared manual Mustang.)
03-05-2013, 08:41 PM
#30
Iowa Farmer
You should probably consider the tire height difference between a Mustang and a 4x4 F-150. A stock 2011-2014 Mustang GT has 3.15 gears in the rear with an automatic transmission. A 2009-2013 4x4 F-150 with 3.73 gears in the rear spins the motor at roughly the same speed as the Mustang to travel at the same speed down the road - the end result is that the engine is turning 1500 RPM at about 52 MPH and 2000 RPM at 70 MPH in both vehicles. The Mustang GT with an automatic and an F-150 both have 6R80 transmissions. The gears in the truck compensate for the larger tires.
(Partially unrelated, but the effective ratio of first gear in the Mustang GT with the automatic transmission (and stock 3.15 rear) is almost as aggressive as the effective ratio of first gear in the manual (Getrag)transmission Mustang with a 3.73 rear... meaning that first gear in the truck is roughly equivalent to first gear in a 3.73 geared manual Mustang, while 6th gear is roughly equivalent to a 3.15 geared manual Mustang.)