I am debating on wether or not too put a 3:08 rearend. I have a 1995 f150 with a 302 v8 and a 5 speed with 3:55 gears. I get 18.9 on the highway doing 65. Do you all think that even putting a taller gear would help?

 

What size tires are you running?

 

Ford engineered & configured your setup, to give you the best overall performance, drivability & mpg blend.

Be careful what you wish for, it may not be exactly what you desired in the end.

 

+1

 

Suggest that the cost of conversion would push any payback out several years, if at all. Consider that a pickup truck has the aerodynamic properties similar to pushing a brick wall down the road. If changing gears were a slam-dunk win-win, there would be a lot more chatter about converting.

In my warped world of reality, changing gears only affects the friction of the driveline - a potential for less engine friction, gearbox friction, etc by turnng at a slower speed. Still have to push against the same amount of wind, haul the same amount of load, and so on. Suggest cheaper alternatives would be to clean the truck out, dump the heavy broad, and drive more conservatively, knowing that these are incremental gains - the truck will never be a 30mpg darling, unless going down a greased hill with a tornado at your back.

In short - it's your truck, do what you wish - but IMO changing gears will be a disappointment.

 

He can very easily change the size of his tires and change the effective gearing.

 

You get 18.9!!! Lucky I get 12 on a good day:P

 

Thinkin the same thing. Nothin ta bitch about. Although my 87' 302 get's 19 PMG @ 65mph too.

 

I was just kidding around I bought a truck for it power and not for the mpg:P ive got a stang. That does good in both, 95 gt with a 5.0 HO. I love taking that for trips I get like 25 highway going 75, 55/60 ish is closer to 30.

 

Thats pretty good gas mileage and the 3.55 gears seem to be the highest ratio that works with the 302 for most of the owners that run stock tire sizes. The 3.73s seemed a great match with a co-workers 94 F150 4x4 with 31s and it would be the ratio I would want for hauling.
I had an 83 with a 302 AOD and 3.55s and it was the ideal ratio with the stock 235x75x15s. At 60 mph it would get 18 but most of the time it hovered around 16. It hauled a 4500 lb Rv and it was a decent performer stock and much better with a carb change and free flow cat and exhaust. I don't think the 302s torque band would fit well with the 3.08s, its really too high with my 300.
Regards
rikard