Gears and info??

[meistermash]

Hello friends, I have a 2001 1500 shortbox 4x4 that I would like to re gear. I'm not looking to turn big honking tires but to improve towability and will have stock size tires and wheels. I believe that the gears in the rear are 355. Please advise me what gears I should be looking for. Also where is a good place to buy them. The thing to do may also be to add a posi or locking carrier in the rear since it would be all torn apart anyway. Also what kind of a job is it to put those gears in, ie do I have to remove both axels to do this? Thank you for your time.
I must now use this smilie because it's funny.

 

[dodge dude94]

What tires are you running?

Stock size tires as in 265/75, or 245/75?
It makes a huge difference.

How much weight are you towing and how often? If it's not that often, I'd suggest 4.10 gears. If it's fairly often, 4.56's.

As for the install procedure, I do not know. But I do know that Dodge axles are a ***** to work with, as some shops flat out won't work on Dodge.

 

[meistermash]

245/75. 4/10 sounds about right. Then the front would take a 4/09 or some thing like that? It's really for occasional towing. I have had a 4000lb car on the back car trailer and a 4wheeler in the bed and that's when I decided that it needed help. lol So I think the front is a dana 44 and rear is a 9.25.

 

[dodge dude94]

Alright, if you have no plans on moving up to a 265/75 tire, then I would only use a 4.10. Going 4.56 on that small a tire is going to make your highway gas mileage atrocious. lol

Technically, they're both 4.10, but the internal ratio for the front is 4.09 for some strange reason. D44 front, Chrysler 9.25 rear.

You'll need thick cut gears for the front and regular gears for the rear as well as a master overhaul kit for the rear and I dunno about the front.


You should also look into replacing your plenum and cat if you haven't already.

 

[meistermash]

Replacing the cat? If there wasn't a cat, whats a good way to keep the dash light off and not screw with fuel economy to bad? This truck has one o2 sensor before the cat and one after it. And why the plenum if it doesn't leak? Well I think it doesn't leak but haven't looked for sure and it burns no oil. This truck has 89.000? I would have to go look for sure on the miles. There can be no cat if need be easy enough. Or there can be no guts in it is what I'm really thinking. Thanks for the info on the gears.

 

[dodge dude94]

Most folks don't know anything about the plenum and cat issues on these trucks and think their engine needs to be rebuilt because of it. lol

If you're not drinking oil, not pinging, you should be fine for now. As far as your cat, if it's not rattling you should be fine then. You might think about replacing the front O2 sensor anyway though as they should be replaced every 75-100k. The Post cat O2 sensors on these trucks don't do much, they mostly set off the CEL. A lot of trucks will run just fine without a cat and will never even trip the CEL.

 

[meistermash]

Thanks I put either the front or back o2 sensor in a few years back. Can't remember which one. It threw up a light and I plugged a code reader in and looked it up. Is there a vacuum test or other method for ensuring the plenum thing or does the ol Mk1 eyeball test apply? Looking down the throttle body. Yea I didn't know about the apparent issues and must be lucky not to have them. Sounds like I could pound the guts out of the cat and it might not matter if that rear o2 sensor doesn't do a lot.
Now I have to use this smilie because I'm headed 4wheeling and chooting 2marrow.

 

[dapepper9]

I do know that if the post 02 sensor throws up a code and you have a 0740 code with it, replace the 02 sensor as it screws up the circuit and causes tq to malfunction