My father has a 99 F-150 with a 3.0x rear end and is considering having it regeared to the 3.55 for a little more towing capability. Does this involve changing both the ring and pinion gears? Any idea what the parts on this would run? He's not looking at doing it himself, but is this best left to a dealer to perform or is it simple enough to trust to any reputable garage?
Thanks for any info.
Yes, both the ring and pinion gears would need to be changed.
A new, quality ring and pinion set can be had in the neighborhood of $200, figure another $50 or so for new pinion bearings.
Best left to a shop that is familiar with doing rear axle repairs/overhauls. That doesn't necessarily include the dealer, it doesn't necessarily exclude them either. All depends on how experienced the person doing the repair is. If the dealership guy is old and gray and slightly bent over, he'll probably do a good job. If he's got pimples and wears his cap backwards, I'd search further. IOWs, you can learn the procedures in a few days, but the nuances of getting it right take years to aquire. Few general repair shops have the necessary equipment for properly setting the pinion depth.
EXACTLY!
Well said Neil!
You should also know that many improperly set up rear end gear sets will function seemingly OK for some thousands of miles before they chew themselves up, by then you generally have no recourse with the shop that set them up...
I would also like to say that the change from 3.00 to 3.55 is really not that drastic and may show a disappointing "improvement"... I would not spend that much money paying someone else to make such a relatively slight change.
You didn't say which engine the F-150 has, it makes a difference, as related to rear end gear ratios.
|> > My father has a 99 F-150 with a 3.0x rear end and is considering |> > having it regeared to the 3.55 for a little more towing capability. |> > Does this involve changing both the ring and pinion gears? |>
|> Yes, both the ring and pinion gears would need to be changed. |>
|> > Any idea |> > what the parts on this would run? |>
|> A new, quality ring and pinion set can be had in the |> neighborhood of $200, figure another $50 or so for new |> pinion bearings. |>
|> > He's not looking at doing it |> > himself, but is this best left to a dealer to perform or is it simple |> > enough to trust to any reputable garage? |>
|> Best left to a shop that is familiar with doing rear axle |> repairs/overhauls. That doesn't necessarily include the |> dealer, it doesn't necessarily exclude them either. All |> depends on how experienced the person doing the repair is. |> If the dealership guy is old and gray and slightly bent |> over, he'll probably do a good job. If he's got pimples and |> wears his cap backwards, I'd search further. |> IOWs, you can learn the procedures in a few days, but the |> nuances of getting it right take years to aquire. |> Few general repair shops have the necessary equipment for |> properly setting the pinion depth. | |EXACTLY! | |Well said Neil! | |You should also know that many improperly set up rear end gear sets will |function seemingly OK for some thousands of miles before they chew |themselves up, by then you generally have no recourse with the shop that set |them up... | |I would also like to say that the change from 3.00 to 3.55 is really not |that drastic and may show a disappointing "improvement"... |I would not spend that much money paying someone else to make such a |relatively slight change. | |You didn't say which engine the F-150 has, it makes a difference, as related |to rear end gear ratios.
The ideal is to get the torque curve data for that exact engine, then use that plus tire diameter, plus transmission ratio to determine the ratio that will put the engine in the fat part of the torque curve for your preferred cruising range while towing.
Also, remember that the speedometer will need to be re-geared or whatever they have to do to make it read right with the new ratio. Rex in Fort Worth
the computer will need to be corrected, as otherwise the tranny will shift wrong, the speedo will be wrong, and the engine may not run right, either. After the gear change, check with the dealer, I believe they can re-cal the computer for you.
v8s4evr
I have 3.55s and am changing to 4.11s. Truck is a '95 with 351, E4OD and 8.8 rear end. In addition to the r&p gears, here's a list of other things I think I'll need: crush sleeve, new pinion bearings and seals, Carrier bearings, axle bearings and seals, installation kit and marking paint, limited slip carrier. I figure the parts will run around $6-800. I also figure to have my son and father-in-law help me with the install or the labor would probably be at least another $600. I'll have to do the front diff too but only the r&P, seals and bearings. If I was going to have it done at a shop, I'd have it done at a place that specializes in differentials, like Randy's ring & pinion (Seattle). I think I'd get a better job done. Are you sure you only want to go 3.55s? If it's a substantial trailer, you might consider going lower than that. my .02
Randy
The parts are cheap, especially if he's only going to 3.55. If he's that concerned about towing I'd consider a set of 4.10 gears, which would still be under $200.
The important thing is to find a shop which does R&P installations often, and has a good record for doing them. Experience is THE most important factor. Expect the labor charges to be $200~$300, or more depending on where you are located.
Sean
It's the V-6 from that year (4.6?). The reason I mentioned the above ratios are that they're the standard factory ratios for that year. He's looking at pulling a larger camper and that will increase the towing capacity from ~2400# to ~3600# according to the manual.
He's trying to determine what camper he can pull with the truck he's got. He's got a small pop-up camper, but is looking at one that's a little larger. It's a 5 speed trans.
The 3.55 was mentioned as it's the one that was offered as original equipment other than the one he has.
It's a 2WD.
Thanks.
In my neck of the woods, it would usually cost about $650 in a good independant shop to re-gear the rear - more at dealers. Rear ggear work is best left to those with experience. Improperly done, the noise can be very irritating. At worst, it will fail prematurely. If you have the 4.2L six or 4.6L V8, the 3.55 would be the minimum for suitable performance IMHO. A 3.73 would be better if you are towing regularly and you won't notice much difference, if any at all, in fuel mileage. With the 5.4L V8, the 3.55 should be fine. You will not need to re-calibrate the speedometer as it uses a sensor ring on the ring gear. The only need to re-cal the speedometer is if you change the tire size from original. If is possible that you may need to have the ECM reset/flashed at the dealer to make max use of the new gear or change tire size. A change in tire size will also affect your ABS system.
If you have a late model '99 with the digital odometer then you will need to either reflash the computer (U$100), or install an aftermarket chip (U$300) to recal the speedo. If you have a regular odometer then you'll need to install a new pickup gear (U$20) on the tranny. The sensor ring in the rear end is for the ABS system. A 2wd gear swap with FoMoCo gears will run about U$700 to U$900. That includes ring, pinion, all new bearings, shim kit and new sensor ring. Plus all consumables like oil, gasket sealer and LS additive. It requires specialty tools and knowledge to change the gears. I went with a performance racing shop. The dealer wanted U$1000 minimum and estimated 3 days in the shop. If you stay with the factory tire size the 3.55 gears are good. With bigger tires I'd go with 3.73s. For more info go to:
-- 'Fritz the Cat' Blackburn VP-94 Techrep NAS New Orleans
lugnut wrote:
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