1996 Ford F150 4.9L (300ci) I6 5MT 4x4

[nemesis]

Get a 2.73 rear, those 300 are torque monsters.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by nemesis

Get a 2.73 rear, those 300 are torque monsters.

If you can find me a 2.73 for a dana 44IFS and the Ford 8.8 rear, I'll swap 'em.

I bet you can't, and it's been covered earlier in the thread, so 3.08's it is.

[Milwaukee]

Originally Posted by nemesis

Get a 2.73 rear, those 300 are torque monsters.

Not WORTH IT. I try with my 79 F150. 3.08 gear ratio = WORST. It was hard on clutch.

You don't want put 3.08 it will make mpg worst. I used to get 18-21 mpg with 3.55 then I swap to 3.08. I see 13-14 mpg but engine was work hard it get overheat easy in summer on highway. It struggle to reach 70-80 mph to get rpm at 2,000 that where I used to get 21 mpg at 2,000 rpm. Try 55 mph with 3.08 is FAIL couldn't use overdrive gear in that speed. It need to be 65 mph to use overdrive but very underpower.


You don't have experience with that gear ratio it too much for truck that weight 5k pound.

I have try different gears I would say 3.38 is right for this truck.

[nemesis]

Originally Posted by Christ

If you can find me a 2.73 for a dana 44IFS and the Ford 8.8 rear, I'll swap 'em.

I bet you can't, and it's been covered earlier in the thread, so 3.08's it is.

It took couple of weeks to track down an 8.8 with 2.73 gears that was rebuild with new clutches for my mustang when my 7.5 rear decided to brake one of the spider gears. I paid less money for 8.8 than 7.5 was going to cost me to fix. I found a lot of them with 3.55 and 3.27 gears, there were couple of 3.08s and few 2.73. 3.27 was the most common though.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by nemesis

It took couple of weeks to track down an 8.8 with 2.73 gears that was rebuild with new clutches for my mustang when my 7.5 rear decided to brake one of the spider gears. I paid less money for 8.8 than 7.5 was going to cost me to fix. I found a lot of them with 3.55 and 3.27 gears, there were couple of 3.08s and few 2.73. 3.27 was the most common though.

And yet, you still won't find them for a D44 axle, unless you get them aftermarket.

3.55 is by far the most common ratio for the 8.8 that I've seen. 3.27 in a 8.8 truck axle only happened for a few years, that I'm aware of.

Remember, I have 4x4. Any changes to the front have to be changed in the back as well.

(Except in one instance that I have in my head, but we're not going to discuss that here, at least not now.)

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee

Not WORTH IT. I try with my 79 F150. 3.08 gear ratio = WORST. It was hard on clutch.

You don't want put 3.08 it will make mpg worst. I used to get 18-21 mpg with 3.55 then I swap to 3.08. I see 13-14 mpg but engine was work hard it get overheat easy in summer on highway. It struggle to reach 70-80 mph to get rpm at 2,000 that where I used to get 21 mpg at 2,000 rpm. Try 55 mph with 3.08 is FAIL couldn't use overdrive gear in that speed. It need to be 65 mph to use overdrive but very underpower.


You don't have experience with that gear ratio it too much for truck that weight 5k pound.

I have try different gears I would say 3.38 is right for this truck.

Did your '79 have a 300 I6 and a M5R2 trans? Nah, it didn't have that trans... it had a 4 speed.

Either way, I've had 3.08's in a 4speed OD (no granny gear) and never bothered the clutch at all, so unless there was something else working against you, you probably were just being too easy on the clutch pedal when taking off.

That's assuming you even had a 300, because if you didn't, this discussion is moot.

[Milwaukee]

You never have experiences with tons gear ratios. I log 40,000 miles in 1 year so I am say 3.08 will not work. I have try 3.08, 3.55, 3.73, 4.10, and 4.30. I am say 3.38 would be perfect for this.


Yes it have 300 with NP435 I get 21 mpg with 3.55 while cruise 60 mph.

I couldn't use 4 gear with 3.08 until I reach 50 mph or it lug bad. gear ratio in 4 gear is 1:1 while your MS50D have 0.68.



Your F150 didn't came with M5R2 trans it is Mazda M5OD which have very low gear ratio in 5 gear it is 0.68 which you would have hard time keep engine run with little on gas pedal.

I used to have 89 F150 with M50D with 3.55 it was perfect set I have. High mpg I gotten was 18.

You would keep your foot on gas pedal full way and not moving like you expect with stock 3.55.


Check Ford truck Enthusiast forum. Tons members there switch from 2.72 to 3.38 or 3.55 because it kill clutch so easy.

Here I am try tell you clear.

Put your hand on socket No ratchet image gear is 3.08. Can you turn bolt with just socket? NO you can't do without ratchet. You could turn bolt with ratchet then it is 3.38.

How many miles you plan drive per year. If it was city then you make big mistake go with 3.08.


I think you would be better get small car for that. Put 3.08 gear in F150 is big mistake.

[Christ]

Maybe you misunderstood when I said that I've already had 3.08 in an OD 4 speed, and it was fine for me, and never killed the clutch at all. I was quite happy with it in the other truck (which is where I'll be getting the gears from, actually), and I'm sure that it won't change in this truck, where I have a better gearing selection.

As it sits right now, I'm at 2k RPM at 60 MPH (thereabout). This is the torque peak of the engine, and that's unacceptable to me. The 4.9L will pull all the way down to 1,000 RPM without lugging, so I dunno where you got that idea from. I already drive in 5th gear through town... I'll lose that ability with 3.08's, instead I'll have to drive in 4th in town (35MPH). Big deal.

Also, yes, my truck did come with the M5R2 in it. The M5OD nomenclature signifies that it's a Mazda Overdrive manual 5 speed transmission, and the moniker was used to identify 4 different transmissions, including 2 ZF5's and the R1/R2.

The R2 was used in 1/2 ton pickups, F150.

Also, you have to remember that F150's came with 3.08's and OD 4 speeds in the 80's, before the 300's were making 265lbft @2,000 RPM, and they were perfectly fine on the highway as well as in town, and didn't weigh much less than my 1996 does.

It has a .75 fifth, best I can tell from looking around online.

[nemesis]

Originally Posted by Christ

And yet, you still won't find them for a D44 axle, unless you get them aftermarket.

3.55 is by far the most common ratio for the 8.8 that I've seen. 3.27 in a 8.8 truck axle only happened for a few years, that I'm aware of.

Remember, I have 4x4. Any changes to the front have to be changed in the back as well.

(Except in one instance that I have in my head, but we're not going to discuss that here, at least not now.)

Sorry, I forgot it's you, You're right I am wrong, end of conversation.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by nemesis

Sorry, I forgot it's you, You're right I am wrong, end of conversation.

If that's the attitude you want to have, you're more than welcome to it. Frankly, I think it's fairly improper, but that's your perogative.

The fact is, you're telling me to do something I simply can't do effectively. I'm not going to spend money to get a custom aftermarket gear set made, plain and simple, when I can get gears in stock axles to match what I need.

Before you get pissed cuz I don't like your idea, maybe you should take a second to realize why I shot you down.

I have a 4x4, and I intend to keep it that way.

So in this case, you can either "put up or shut up", as it were. Point out a 2.73 that fits in the Dana 44 (8.5") case, or get over it and move on.

Don't whine about it, though. It's very unbecoming.

PS - I was wrong about the 3.27 ratio, it comes in Rangers and Exploders with 8.8 rears. That would be why I said "That I'm aware of" in that sentence.

I should have noted a different gear ratio, 3.35ish, which is axle code 17, I believe, in F-series trucks.