I have no idea what this even means, but people are talking about changing their gearing ratio to 4.56 or something like that when they get bigger tires.

Basically what I am asking is should I be changing my gear ratio?

I am on 35's getting a 4" lift kit on a 1997 F150 XLT 4x4 automatic trans, with the 4.6L V-8.

 

I'd change to 4.56's easy way to gain back lossed power "tourque"

 

I'd also put in better axel shafts, "more durable" idk how to spell but chromali is a good one to luck at

 

so what brands would you recommend on the gearing ratio or do I just walk into a les schwab and tell them I want a 4.56 gearing ratio?

 

superior and nitro (brand names) are good, you can also ask your local parts store too

 

tackle knows about gears, maybe he will chime in

 

Yukon, G2, Richmond or Detroit are great brands.
4.56 is good if you're not driving all highway.

You will have less strain on your drive train by changing them for 35's, and help retain take off power and mpg. Since it's a 4x4 you need to change them in the front and rear.

Any reputable shop will be able to recommend what to go with if you tell them your driving style. Also would be a good idea to get a tuner of some sort so you can adjust the PCM to reflect the gear and tire size change. SCT, edge, or superchip.

Please search Google and learn a bit before you get them installed!

Also, look at spending anywhere from 1-2k for the parts and labor.

 

Ok, have you had this done? The reason I ask is I see the gears are fairly expensive, and I want a rough estimate as to what labor costs would be to see what I need to save aside.

 

I did my own front and back 4.56 gears Detroit gears for around only $230 cause my buddy got me a deal and it's rather easy to install

 

But for your yeah I'm a summing maybe $700-$1000 depending on what deals you can find, and yes if it's a 4wd truck make sure you do front and back gears