Ford F150 - My truck needs more gear!!

Alright heres the deal, my truck is 93 F150 with 4.9 5 speed. This is my daily driver vehicle mostly just to work and back and to haul my dirt bike to the riding spots. Its equipped with the original 3.08 gear in the rear. When pulling any moderate size hills it looses speeds and this alone drives me crazy. the 3.08 is way too wimpy and it needs to be replaced. My question is, what would be a good size gear to go with for my daily driver, something that will still do decent on gas and have plenty of ability to pull around 5,000 pounds on occasion?

Mine will pull over 10Kip with a used (wrecked) 4.9L, 4-sp, 3.08s, & 32s. I suggest good thorough maintenance.

put in a set of 3.73 in that truck

Will the 3.73 still do decent on gas and still do pretty good at highway speeds?

Regearing is about the most expensive way to change rear wheel torque, and it affects the top speed & driveline strength.


And you don't need to do it. Get the engine running right and it'll pull the world.

The engine is in tip top shape. with a 5 speed tranny with no bull dog and a 3.08 gear, surely its not designed to pull that much weight?

I agree with the 3.73's...

No, but just swapping rear gears isn't enough of a change in the DESIGN to affect what it can safely tow. The truck isn't long or heavy enough to control that much weight, and its brakes aren't big enough.

That said: my truck has done it on several occasions, but it's MUCH heavier than stock, I've only towed that much on a trailer with 2 brake axles, and I adjust my driving style to compensate for the SWB.

The granny 1st gear helps in taking off from a stop, but it doesn't affect anything at highway speeds, so if my old POS will do it, yours should too.

But you can't expect PSTD acceleration from an overloaded 4.9L. Either your engine is weak, or your expectations are high.