i definately need a set also

 

Hemifever got back to me and a few email conversations later he concluded that the SCT really isn't for my driving style, he recommends sticking with the Hypertech. The first thing he did mention was getting 4.10 gears would be a big improvement.

Question: I know I will get better off the line performance with 4.10 gears over 3.55, but what about acceleration in general, and my mileage? Without changing driving habits, could I expect to see an improvement in mileage? Switching to 4.10 gears would increase my RPM's in comparison to 3.55 gears right?Wouldn't that equal more gas being used?

One of my friends dads a mechanic, I could try talking to him about it and see what he says, maybe he will help with the install if I go through with it, who knows :P

EDIT: I guess its all about what the mix is of city/highway driving that makes a gear upgrade worth it or not.

 

that is one of the most misunderstood concepts. Yes your rpms will go up, but generally speaking most of gas consumption occurs when the motor is struggling, when you bring the rpms up the motor begins to work less hard, meaning better gas milage. Also everything will last alot longer because there will be alot less stress on the entire drivetrain

 

As I said before, 4.10 gearing with those 285s you are running is going to be a very nice combination. A 285 tire isn't a huge offroad tire, but it is a very big road tire, and I think the 4.10 will be just right. I have 35" tires, and I want 4.56s gears. Sure, 4.10 gearing on my truck isn't the worse thing in the world, but it could also be even better than what it is now. Your engine and drivetain will have to work that much less hard to get the vehicle moving and to sustain speeds. And if your into the occasioanl street race, you are going to be able to light those tires up[8D]

 

I used the calculators on Randy's Ring and Pinion site and found that 4.10's will actually bring my engine RPM's up into the optimum area of hte torque curve for my engine. This will allow my engine to work easier thereby causing it to run more efficiently.

 

Thanks for the quick responses, it does make sense.Thanks turkeyhunter for the pricebreakdown as well. I just looked at your previous reply 01DodgeRam and saw you said Silver Dodge had the 285/4.10 combo, I'll try to find that and check out how he liked it.

Going to look into this a bit more and check out different companies.

 

Here's something to consider:

I currently have gear whine and it's driving me nuts. going to have to get it fixed (=replaced) soon.

My sugggestion is find a very reputable shop around you and buy everything from them. If you go through them and have any problems, they'll cover it 100% if they're a decent shop.

I made the mistake of trying to save about $100 by buying parts online and then having 4wheelparts install it. They whine now and 4wheel parts is blaming the gears and the gear vendor is blaming the install. Big surprise, and i'm stuck in the middle.

I went to an independant guy that specializes in only gears and axles and he told me that he couldn't fix it as the gear set already has a pattern worn in, but he could replace them for just under $1K and told me if their was any whine whatsoever, that it wouldnot be acceptable on a truck (maybe on a Jeep) and that he would eat the cost of repairing it. So that's my route, I just gotta bite the bullet at some point and pay to get the whine out. There's just other things I would like to spend a grand on. Maybe I'll take Bush's tax check and put that aside so the hit isn't so bad.

 

4.10/285 combo was great in my opinion. Good power off-line, but still very driveable at highway speeds (I was once getting 16mpg with that combo). I think 4.27/285 would be the best combo (unless you do a lot of highway), but they don't make a 4.27 for our axles. I run 4.56/35" now, and it is not quite as good as the 4.10/285 combo was, but it is close.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I will consider talking to the guy at the shop about the install and see what we can work out, my dad has been going to him for years, and I've always brought my truck there (except for the exhaust install).

 

Silver, I thought I remembered your truck from a few months ago :P Looks totally different now with the tires and is that a bigger lift? Looks awesome.