3:73 to 4:10 cost

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

Just my opinion, however, in the end, I dont believe you will be happy spending that much money to go from 3.73s to 4.10s. I'd go to 4.30s minimim, or 4.56s with stock tires. If your worried about your warranty, if you have the work on the diffs done by an independent shop, the warranty on those will be toast if they discover the regear was done by a 3rd party shop. I think around $1,500 per axle all in, is the current rate, but shop around. Cheaper isn't always better but you probably already know that.

I've heard of folks who test drove a 73 and a 10 geared truck back to back and couldn't tell any difference. I wont get into why you want to tow a nearly 10k trailer at 70 plus mph and all of the potential consequences of doing that here, you are probably already aware and have made the choice to do so, but I wouldn't suggest it as a general practice for others reading this thread. Its been covered at length several times before in the towing section. At nearly 10k loaded your on the edge of Cummins territory, especially with a 6 speed truck, so towing performance will be reduced at those weights.

If your set on the 10s, I agree that finding a good independent 4x4/jeep shop is best and one that has done a few Ram diffs in the past. You'll get better work and a better price than the stealership. Most dealer techs these days are parts swappers who don't set up diffs regularly and if you dont have them right they will be noisy, or worse, go bang. I suggest you use AAM gears also, they built the axles in our trucks.

Good luck with your decision.

Nope!

Go with Revolution Gear and Axle ... Mac who's the current VP of Revolution used to work at Randy's, G2 and superior so he knows a thing or two about gears ...

A while ago I was told that AAM gears are actually circle k gears the same people who make Yukon, Revolution, G2 and a bunch of other gears .... ever since AAM's co-founder died they have been getting their gear sets from overseas lol ..

 

[JerryETX]

Just my opinion, however, in the end, I dont believe you will be happy spending that much money to go from 3.73s to 4.10s. I'd go to 4.30s minimim, or 4.56s with stock tires. If your worried about your warranty, if you have the work on the diffs done by an independent shop, the warranty on those will be toast if they discover the regear was done by a 3rd party shop. I think around $1,500 per axle all in, is the current rate, but shop around. Cheaper isn't always better but you probably already know that.

I've heard of folks who test drove a 73 and a 10 geared truck back to back and couldn't tell any difference. I wont get into why you want to tow a nearly 10k trailer at 70 plus mph and all of the potential consequences of doing that here, you are probably already aware and have made the choice to do so, but I wouldn't suggest it as a general practice for others reading this thread. Its been covered at length several times before in the towing section. At nearly 10k loaded your on the edge of Cummins territory, especially with a 6 speed truck, so towing performance will be reduced at those weights.

If your set on the 10s, I agree that finding a good independent 4x4/jeep shop is best and one that has done a few Ram diffs in the past. You'll get better work and a better price than the stealership. Most dealer techs these days are parts swappers who don't set up diffs regularly and if you dont have them right they will be noisy, or worse, go bang. I suggest you use AAM gears also, they built the axles in our trucks.

Good luck with your decision.

Thanks. To be clear I do like to pull the TT around 65 but don't get over that unless I'm dropping off a short hill with a hill climb or mostly when I'm on straight highway and need to accelerate a little to get around a slower driver. I don't stay at 70 long.

It's not about speed it's about power I just used speed as a reference to the lack of power. Also I didn't mention but running around 65 mph with a 9200 lb travel trailer on flat highway to slightly rolling hills I got 5.8 mpg computer showed 8. That was over a 200 mile trip.

I came from a half ton that had a lot more towing power than my 6.4 Hemi does. When you go from a half ton to a 3/4 ton and surprisingly take a step down in towing power it's sucks. At least for me it does.

I think the jeep shop advice is solid. I'm going to reach out to a couple of them for pricing.

 

[GsRAM]

Thanks. To be clear I do like to pull the TT around 65 but don't get over that unless I'm dropping off a short hill with a hill climb or mostly when I'm on straight highway and need to accelerate a little to get around a slower driver. I don't stay at 70 long.

It's not about speed it's about power I just used speed as a reference to the lack of power. Also I didn't mention but running around 65 mph with a 9200 lb travel trailer on flat highway to slightly rolling hills I got 5.8 mpg computer showed 8. That was over a 200 mile trip.

I came from a half ton that had a lot more towing power than my 6.4 Hemi does. When you go from a half ton to a 3/4 ton and surprisingly take a step down in towing power it's sucks. At least for me it does.

I think the jeep shop advice is solid. I'm going to reach out to a couple of them for pricing.

Good deal, thanks for clarifying that. Suprising though, your 9200lb trailer was better behind a half ton truck? Or just power? I understand the power because the 5.7 is close enough in power to the 6.4, and your slugging around about 1500lbs or so more in chassis weight right from the half to 2500 series.

Yours is a great example of why I've always thought that north of 10k loaded trailer weight is Cummins territory, although I understand the new 8 speed 2500s are much improved at higher weights.

Yeah, 5.8 mpg is not good, I averaged 11 to 12 towing my 6k TT. One time on an open highway, I tested it to 75mph for a few miles and it was rock solid stable even at those speeds, a big advantage of 2500 series towing higher weight trailers.

I'd just encourage you to do a lot of research on this before you spend your hard earned money. Lots of folks who have regeared have posted back that while improved, they wish they would have gone with an even steeper (numerically higher) gear than they did. It's all personal preference in the end.

If you could, please post back with the results of whatever you end up deciding to do.

 

[GsRAM]

Nope!

Go with Revolution Gear and Axle ... Mac who's the current VP of Revolution used to work at Randy's, G2 and superior so he knows a thing or two about gears ...

A while ago I was told that AAM gears are actually circle k gears the same people who make Yukon, Revolution, G2 and a bunch of other gears .... ever since AAM's co-founder died they have been getting their gear sets from overseas lol ..

Good info if accurate, thanks for sharing that. Appreciated Sir.

 

[JerryETX]

Good deal, thanks for clarifying that. Suprising though, your 9200lb trailer was better behind a half ton truck? Or just power? I understand the power because the 5.7 is close enough in power to the 6.4, and your slugging around about 1500lbs or so more in chassis weight right from the half to 2500 series.

Yours is a great example of why I've always thought that north of 10k loaded trailer weight is Cummins territory, although I understand the new 8 speed 2500s are much improved at higher weights.

Yeah, 5.8 mpg is not good, I averaged 11 to 12 towing my 6k TT. One time on an open highway, I tested it to 75mph for a few miles and it was rock solid stable even at those speeds, a big advantage of 2500 series towing higher weight trailers.

I'd just encourage you to do a lot of research on this before you spend your hard earned money. Lots of folks who have regeared have posted back that while improved, they wish they would have gone with an even steeper (numerically higher) gear than they did. It's all personal preference in the end.

If you could, please post back with the results of whatever you end up deciding to do.

I never pulled my current TT with the half ton. All I have as far as apples to apples comparison is roughly a 4k lb boat and a 6k lb cargo trailer. The half ton had better towing power than my 6.4 Hemi especially when I needed to accelerate while already underway.

My 2500 handled my 9200 lb TT beautifully. The TT is 38 feet long which is why I went up to a 3/4 ton. I wouldn't pull that TT with a half ton. I went through a stretch with about 20 mph cross winds that were pushing hard against the side of the TT and the truck was rock solid never moved. I love that part about the truck.

If I had to guess the reason many don't go lower than 4:10 is fuel economy which is where I'm at. I only pull my TT a few times a year 200-400 hundred miles each trip. Empty daily driving I get about 13.5 mpg calculated (truck is usually around 15-15.5. 13.5 daily isn't good. I won't tolerate 10 mpg which is what I'm afraid I would get by going lower than 4:10. At that point seems like it would be cheaper to move up to a Cummins.

 

[Toddz]

I never pulled my current TT with the half ton. All I have as far as apples to apples comparison is roughly a 4k lb boat and a 6k lb cargo trailer. The half ton had better towing power than my 6.4 Hemi especially when I needed to accelerate while already underway.

My 2500 handled my 9200 lb TT beautifully. The TT is 38 feet long which is why I went up to a 3/4 ton. I wouldn't pull that TT with a half ton. I went through a stretch with about 20 mph cross winds that were pushing hard against the side of the TT and the truck was rock solid never moved. I love that part about the truck.

If I had to guess the reason many don't go lower than 4:10 is fuel economy which is where I'm at. I only pull my TT a few times a year 200-400 hundred miles each trip. Empty daily driving I get about 13.5 mpg calculated (truck is usually around 15-15.5. 13.5 daily isn't good. I won't tolerate 10 mpg which is what I'm afraid I would get by going lower than 4:10. At that point seems like it would be cheaper to move up to a Cummins.

With the 4.10 I have an overall average of 11.5. 45% of my mileage is towing the toy hauler, 40% is hitting stop signs around town every block, and 15% is freeway miles. On freeway trips I average 16.5, and all miles are hand calculated.
I think most who are not happy with the 4.10 are either towing 12,000+, or came from a diesel and feel the truck shouldn't shift into 2nd gear on hills when towing heavy.

 

[JerryETX]

With the 4.10 I have an overall average of 11.5. 45% of my mileage is towing the toy hauler, 40% is hitting stop signs around town every block, and 15% is freeway miles. On freeway trips I average 16.5, and all miles are hand calculated.
I think most who are not happy with the 4.10 are either towing 12,000+, or came from a diesel and feel the truck shouldn't shift into 2nd gear on hills when towing heavy.

Good info that's for sure in line with what I've heard from others. I don't mind the shifting when towing and I just don't tow often enough or enough weight to justify a diesel in my mind.

 

[Toddz]

I have always towed gas (except when assisting someone else towing with their truck), so with this truck when going up hills I try to keep it in the sweet spot of 3,500 to 4,500 rpms and around 55mph to 60mph. Whatever gear puts me there is fine by me.

 

[JerryETX]

I have always towed gas (except when assisting someone else towing with their truck), so with this truck when going up hills I try to keep it in the sweet spot of 3,500 to 4,500 rpms and around 55mph to 60mph. Whatever gear puts me there is fine by me.

When you switched to 4:10 did you have to have any reprogramming done to the truck?

 

[Toddz]

No, nor have I reprogrammed either of my last 2 trucks I regeared. I never experienced any issues and I always used online calculators to see how it affected my speedometer.

 

[dhay13]

I have a 2018 with 4.10's and towed a 2021 Grand Design Imagine 3250BH about 100 miles home from the dealer for my step-son (he had a Tundra). Pretty flat roads but the trailer weighed 9300lbs (CAT scale verified). Truck towed it great and I got 6.7 MPG hand calculated. EVIC read 7.4. My son had an identical truck and towed his 2018 GD Imagine 2670MK that weighed 8100lbs CAT scale verified. He towed it all over the country but on his trip from Pittsburgh to Baytown, TX I went with him and over 4 tanks he averaged about 8.0-8.5 hand calculated.
This was with the 3250BH on the truck with 3 adult males (about 650-700lbs between the 3 of us).

The truck alone with us 3 was just over 8000lbs. We had 1100lbs of tongue weight

 

[SeppW]

All good stuff, but regear requires somebody that knows WTF they're doing. Otherwise, you'll be repeating the process and likely buying another set of gears and install kit. If you're going the dealer route, you need to vet dealer with a great deal of scrutiny or find a reputable axle shop that guarantees the work and will correct if they F it up.

 

[pacofortacos]

I also don't think you will notice enough of a difference going from 3.73-4.10 to justify the cost.

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

I also don't think you will notice enough of a difference going from 3.73-4.10 to justify the cost.

I wouldn't waste money going from 3.73 to 4.10s myself ... to 4.56s I would but then again he wants it just for towing so might suit him well to do so, but yeah I wouldn't lol ...

 

[GsRAM]

I wouldn't waste money going from 3.73 to 4.10s myself ... to 4.56s I would but then again he wants it just for towing so might suit him well to do so, but yeah I wouldn't lol ...

Yeah, as I said initially gents. My truck with 3.73s empty, running around town in stop and go driving, minimal back roads gets 10 to 12 mpg average.

I honestly think going to 4.56s would improve my around town mpg and from reports I've read, if accurate would only hurt my highway mpg one or two mpg.

If I was towing a nearly 10k TT with a 6 speed gas powered truck, I'd have installed a 4.56 gear,. But that's just me. I don't tow that much weight. If your looking for towing power\higher weights and mpg, your in diesel land. Only way that's going to happen.

Mpg is not a concern for me personally, I bought a 2500 truck, a piece ot equipment compared to a half ton, to do work and it does that very well... But you gotta pay to play as they say.....

Op research the difference between 3.73, 4.10 mpg, 4.30 mpg and 4.56 mpg, I think you'll be surprised at the small differences overall.

If I understand, your after notably better pulling power without significantly decreasing mpg. I don't believe the 4 10s, after spending 2500 plus for them is going to get you the real world (not placebo effect) notable improvement your after.

Maybe you'll be happy though, again everyone is different... I just don't want to see anyone make a mistake or be disappointed aftrr spending that kind of money.

If the auto market wasn't so crazy as it is today, I'd encourage you to look at new 8 speed 2500s with 4.10 for a true improvement and put that 3k into the new truck, but prices now are just insane.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yeah, as I said initially gents. My truck with 3.73s empty, running around town in stop and go driving, minimal back roads gets 10 to 12 mpg average.

I honestly think going to 4.56s would improve my around town mpg and from reports I've read, if accurate would only hurt my highway mpg one or two mpg.

If I was towing a nearly 10k TT with a 6 speed gas powered truck, I'd have installed a 4.56 gear,. But that's just me. I don't tow that much weight. If your looking for towing power\higher weights and mpg, your in diesel land. Only way that's going to happen.

Mpg is not a concern for me personally, I bought a 2500 truck, a piece ot equipment compared to a half ton, to do work and it does that very well... But you gotta pay to play as they say.....

Op research the difference between 3.73, 4.10 mpg, 4.30 mpg and 4.56 mpg, I think you'll be surprised at the small differences overall.

If I understand, your after notably better pulling power without significantly decreasing mpg. I don't believe the 4 10s, after spending 2500 plus for them is going to get you the real world (not placebo effect) notable improvement your after.

Maybe you'll be happy though, again everyone is different... I just don't want to see anyone make a mistake or be disappointed aftrr spending that kind of money.

If the auto market wasn't so crazy as it is today, I'd encourage you to look at new 8 speed 2500s with 4.10 for a true improvement and put that 3k into the new truck, but prices now are just insane.

I wonder why such low mpg? Mine gets 14.5 mpg (summer) empty mixed driving with aggressive tires - got 16 mpg with all season tires prior.

 

[dhay13]

Mine is 100% stock and about 75% of my driving is in town and I'm averaging about 12.0 in the 17,000 miles I have put on mine. See my 'fuelly' below

 

[GsRAM]

I wonder why such low mpg? Mine gets 14.5 mpg (summer) empty mixed driving with aggressive tires - got 16 mpg with all season tires prior.

Not sure honestly. It's mostly all atop and go and back roads driving to and from work. I don't expect great mileage out of it in those conditions. Even my wife's 4cyl equinox is in the high teens in similar conditions. Heavy stop and go traffic, lots of lights, etc.

 

[GsRAM]

Mine is 100% stock and about 75% of my driving is in town and I'm averaging about 12.0 in the 17,000 miles I have put on mine. See my 'fuelly' below

Thanks for posting this. This is a perfect example of what I was trying to get at. Our trucks get basically the same mpg, yours with 4.10s, mine with 73s. I'd expect similar with 4.30s or 56s at least around town. With low rear gears your main penalty is highway mpg and I dont believe it's a great one if you look at the numbers.

 

[jaerbaer1]

That's about what I paid 3 years ago on my 3500 dually. Tows much better now, I live Colorado.