What Does the Axle Gear Ratio Mean? The axle ratio is
the number of revolutions the driveshaft must make to spin the axle one full turn
. This number is shown in the ratio, which represents the number of the ring gear's teeth divided by the number of the pinion's teeth.
Is it better to have a higher or lower gear ratio?
A lower (taller) gear ratio provides a higher top speed
, and a higher (shorter) gear ratio provides faster acceleration. . Besides the gears in the transmission, there is also a gear in the rear differential. This is known as the final drive, differential gear, Crown Wheel Pinion (CWP) or ring and pinion.
What axle ratio should I get?
Two common base axle ratios for trucks are
3.08 and 3.42
. 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. A 4.1 ratio allows a towing vehicle to start moving without as much throttle.
Is a higher axle ratio better?
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.
Which is better 3.31 or 3.55 axle ratio?
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.
Are 3.73 or 4.10 gears better?
4.10s are going to accelerate faster and decelerate faster on lift. However the trade off is greater fuel consumption per mile driven and higher engine speed per given road speed. In basic terms the 4.10s will feel quicker and
3.73 will feel faster
.
What gear ratio is best for acceleration?
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.
What gear ratio is best for fuel economy?
For instance, a
3:31
gets better fuel economy than a 3:73. On the other hand, a 3:73 or perhaps a 4:10 will tow much more, while fuel economy greatly drops. The most popular rear end ratio in trucks today is the 3:55, which sort of averages towing power and fuel economy.
Are 3.73 gears good for highway?
Are 3.73 gears good for highway?
Rear end gears
(2.79's, 3.00's, 3.25's, etc) are great for freeway driving, bit not good for 0-60 MPH or accelerating from a dead stop. Shorter gears (higher numbers) are much better suited for accelerating, such as 3.55, 3.73, 3.91's, 4.11's etc.
Does gear ratio affect horsepower?
A higher numeric axle ratio (4.11:1) keeps the
engine running in the higher horsepower range
, thus improving performance.
Is 3.42 or 3.73 better?
The
3.42 is fine for towing
smaller boats, plus you will get better gas mileage for everyday driving. If I were towing frequently on hilly roads, I might would go for the 3.73 for better gas mileage while towing, but the 3.42 should be fine with a 205.
Can I change my axle ratio?
You can change the axle ratio
, and you can do it rather easily. Quite a few members here have gone from one ratio to the next. People with 3.21 and 3.55s are going up to 3.92 and even sometimes 4.10. A lot of the 4×4 trucks you see here with lifts and larger tires have gone with 4.10 or 4.56.
Are 4.10 gears good for highway?
Installing 4.10 gears
improves the car's performance on the track but with negligible effects to the highway driving
. … Switching from a gear set of 3.55 or 3.73 to 4.10 gears will affect your gas mileage slightly as your engine will be turning more times to rotate the rear wheels once.
Is a 3.92 rear axle ratio good?
But opt for the higher 3.92 axle ratio and that same truck packs a higher towing capacity of 9,930 pounds. … A higher axle ratio (like the 3.92 we mentioned earlier) will allow for higher towing capability, but it requires higher engine rpm for any given speed and then results in lower fuel economy.
How much can a 3.31 axle ratio towing capacity?
In 2WD models with the standard non-hybrid 3.5-liter EcoBoost, the F-150 Limited's maximum tow rating is 11,300 pounds, and in 4WD models the maximum tow rating is
11,200 pounds
with either the standard 3.31 axle ratio or optional 3.55 axle ratio.
What is a 3.31 ratio regular axle?
The 3.31 will allow you
to downshift to a lower gear at slighter greater speeds
some of the time and other times if a truck with a 3.73. it might downshift and be below the engine's sweet spot.
