I got a 1997 Dodge 1500 5.9 L.

The man I got it from didn't know much about the truck as it was his fathers truck and he had recently passed away. The only info that he knew was the gearing had been changed.

A little more info on the truck:

1997 5.9 L 1500 4x4
6 inch lift (i am guessing at that number)
Stock size tires
269,680 miles

As far as the gearing in it now goes I have no acceleration and when i put my foot to the floor the RPMs go up but speed does not increase.
i was told that the previous truck owner used to tow a mid size boat to the lake and that he change it to possibly lower gearing to make up for the hills that would go up while taking his boat out to fish.

My questions are:

1. Is there an easy way to learn what the new gearing is?
2. How hard would it be to change it back to stock myself?
3. How will if effect MPG?

Those are just to name a few.

I guess in the end i really what to know if it is worth it to change them back to stock and if so how would I find the info on what the stock gearing was?

Thank you


For now I will keep wading through the info I find online and try to decipher it.

 

Get the VIN number and get the truck build sheet HERE

 

Look at the sticker under the hood.

 

1. Two options you can take the rear diff cover of count the ring and pinion teeth or you can turn the drive shaft and see how many times it turns to make the wheel turn once.
2. Need a lot of specialty tools you can try it but there is minimal room for error. If you are off by just a few thousands of an inch and you go to drive the truck in less then 3 miles you will have chewed up the gears.
3. Higher the gear number usually equals less MPG

 

Are you saying you floor it and it literally doesn't go any faster while the RPMs go up or do you mean that figuratively? I ask because if you are flooring it and it does exactly as you say then it's possible the transmission is slipping? I mean typically higher gears = faster acceleration unless he is running insanely high gears.