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3rd Gen Ram Tech2002-2008 Rams: This section is for TECHNICAL discussions only, that involve the 2002 through 2008 Rams Rams. For any non-tech discussions, please direct your attention to the "General discussion/NON-tech" sub sections.
i'd just leave it with 3.55's with factory tires you don't really need different gears. By the time you paid to have the gears redone especially if you have 4wd it wouldnt be worth the small amount of mpg gain
4:56's really wouldnt help fuel economy if u stayed with your stock tire size because you will be reving out more. 3:55 to 4:56 is a huge jump, I run 4:56's and on the highway i noticed a huge drop in MPG, around town not so much but still alittle diffrence.
4.56's tend to increase performance and in town fuel mileage. Highway fuel mileage is generally lower, due to an rpm increase of 300-500 rpm, depending on your stock gear ratio. I don't know about you, but I drive a lot more in town that I do on the highway, so a gear swap would be beneficial for me. Make your decision based on how much performance means to you and how much you drive in town vs. highway.
if you REALLY wanna gear swap to higher, the cheapest way you could do is go to a junkyard and find one that came with stock 3.92's or find someone maybe planning on swapping their stock 3.92's out for a different ratio and throw those in your truck. They would help a little, they are fairly common so they should be easy and cheaper to come by