Another 3.73 vs 4.10 thread - placed order with dealer and second guessing my decision

[mwalsh9152]

Ok I’ll bite, I loved my Tundra with the 4:30 rearend, I hated my Powerstroke with the 3:55 don’t get me wrong I got to the top never struggled but it was just seemed sluggish. I took my 2018 CTD to Pikes Peak then back roads to Estes Park never missed a beat. That was in a SO now i have the HO I won’t even know trailer is there


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I have 3:73's in my powerstroke now. Great from highway. 65mph is 1850rpms. I dont really tow anything with it though (its in a Bronco)

 

[Firebird]

I have 3:73's in my powerstroke now. Great from highway. 65mph is 1850rpms. I dont really tow anything with it though (its in a Bronco)

You have a Powerstroke diesel in a Bronco?????
You know we are going to need pics!

 

[Bigwalnuthoney]

3.73 in my '05 Cummins I just sold and no complaints, so that's what I ordered this time with the HO. Mainly pull 10k GN horse trailer. Might make more difference with the hemi, but I've never wished for more gear.

 

[LightRacer]

So let me know if I am understanding this all correctly. This is what I gather from reading all of these 3.73 vs. 4.10 posts:

The main thing I get is that there is really not much of a difference to start with. If your truck is a daily driver and you are not towing, a 3.73 makes sense because there really is no advantage to the 4.10 and you might save 1 mpg or so. If you are using the truck primarily for towing, mountain driving, etc., then definitely go with the 4.10. I would imagine most people fall somewhere between those two extremes and that is where it is starting to sound like it doesn't really matter either way you go. Many people say if you find one on the lot you like, don't worry about the gear ratio but if ordering, go with the 4.10. The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not that big of a deal, unless you plan on towing toward the truck's limits then you would need the 4.10. It also sounds like this is not an issue at all with a diesel since it already has more torque but it will help out with the Hemi. Again, I have no experience with either of these but am just trying to summarize how I understand it.

As for me, the truck will not be a daily driver and I plan to get a 30' trailer eventually. While it won't be a huge 5th wheel, they weigh in the 7,000-8,000 pound range. I am sure a 3.73 will be just fine but after reading all of these threads, I don't really see a disadvantage to a 4.10 so I think it is worth the extra $150 or whatever it is when I order. This will primarily be a recreational vehicle for me and I go up in the mountains a lot too. I have also read posts where the city mileage is the same or better and if I am not taking this on a trip up to the mountains or pulling a trailer, it may be an occasional trip around town if the other car is not available. And finally, I see a lot of people mention driving 80-85 mph. I rarely go over 70 so that might even have less of a negative effect going with 4.10's for me. Speaking of that, I would be curious to hear about RPMs or MPGs from people who drive closer to 70 MPH as opposed to over 80. Anyways, as someone said earlier, this is a truck, don't worry about 1mpg!

 

[mwalsh9152]

You have a Powerstroke diesel in a Bronco?????
You know we are going to need pics!

I do. I built it about 10 years ago. Its a total rot box now that needs to go. Nothing special to see under the hood, just a run of the mill powerstroke engine compartment. Everything from the B pillar forward is identical to a truck.

 

[Moose074]

So let me know if I am understanding this all correctly. This is what I gather from reading all of these 3.73 vs. 4.10 posts:

The main thing I get is that there is really not much of a difference to start with. If your truck is a daily driver and you are not towing, a 3.73 makes sense because there really is no advantage to the 4.10 and you might save 1 mpg or so. If you are using the truck primarily for towing, mountain driving, etc., then definitely go with the 4.10. I would imagine most people fall somewhere between those two extremes and that is where it is starting to sound like it doesn't really matter either way you go. Many people say if you find one on the lot you like, don't worry about the gear ratio but if ordering, go with the 4.10. The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not that big of a deal, unless you plan on towing toward the truck's limits then you would need the 4.10. It also sounds like this is not an issue at all with a diesel since it already has more torque but it will help out with the Hemi. Again, I have no experience with either of these but am just trying to summarize how I understand it.

As for me, the truck will not be a daily driver and I plan to get a 30' trailer eventually. While it won't be a huge 5th wheel, they weigh in the 7,000-8,000 pound range. I am sure a 3.73 will be just fine but after reading all of these threads, I don't really see a disadvantage to a 4.10 so I think it is worth the extra $150 or whatever it is when I order. This will primarily be a recreational vehicle for me and I go up in the mountains a lot too. I have also read posts where the city mileage is the same or better and if I am not taking this on a trip up to the mountains or pulling a trailer, it may be an occasional trip around town if the other car is not available. And finally, I see a lot of people mention driving 80-85 mph. I rarely go over 70 so that might even have less of a negative effect going with 4.10's for me. Speaking of that, I would be curious to hear about RPMs or MPGs from people who drive closer to 70 MPH as opposed to over 80. Anyways, as someone said earlier, this is a truck, don't worry about 1mpg!

I tow a 5th wheel and honestly whether it was the Powerstroke with the 3:55 or SO CTD wasn’t a hill or a climb I hit where I felt the 4:10 would help. Now if I was climbing Bearthooth heading towards Yellowstone then maybe. If I was in my 84 Bronco with less than 200 hp and torque then maybe. Yes I dropped ALOT of money on the truck and the trailer wasn’t cheap but 1 mpg at 15k a year is around $500 a year @$3 a gallon. Over 5 years of ownership $2500 All that money for less than 1% of the driving so I can get to the top 2 minutes faster. Thats

That’s a lot beer I could drink.

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[Firebird]

I tow a 5th wheel and honestly whether it was the Powerstroke with the 3:55 or SO CTD wasn’t a hill or a climb I hit where I felt the 4:10 would help. Now if I was climbing Bearthooth heading towards Yellowstone then maybe. If I was in my 84 Bronco with less than 200 hp and torque then maybe. Yes I dropped ALOT of money on the truck and the trailer wasn’t cheap but 1 mpg at 15k a year is around $500 a year @$3 a gallon. Over 5 years of ownership $2500 All that money for less than 1% of the driving so I can get to the top 2 minutes faster. Thats

That’s a lot beer I could drink.

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My diesels weren't as gear needy either, but with a gas engine, leverage definitely counts.

 

[jm888]

My diesels weren't as gear needy either, but with a gas engine, leverage definitely counts.

So that sounds like another part to this equation. Is it fair to say that with diesels, there is less of an advantage to get a higher gear ratio as the engine is already powerful enough, but with a gas, the higher gear ratio provides more of a benefit with very little downside?

 

[Firebird]

The weight of what you are moving is always a factor, but diesel torque and boost, seems to overcome taller gearing with ease. A gas motor doesn't have that level of torque, but with proper gear choice, they can still move a pile of weight

 

[gimmie11s]

My diesels weren't as gear needy either, but with a gas engine, leverage definitely counts.

100%... the gear is more needed on a gasser without a doubt.

 

[MikeXM]

So let me know if I am understanding this all correctly. This is what I gather from reading all of these 3.73 vs. 4.10 posts:

The main thing I get is that there is really not much of a difference to start with. If your truck is a daily driver and you are not towing, a 3.73 makes sense because there really is no advantage to the 4.10 and you might save 1 mpg or so. If you are using the truck primarily for towing, mountain driving, etc., then definitely go with the 4.10. I would imagine most people fall somewhere between those two extremes and that is where it is starting to sound like it doesn't really matter either way you go. Many people say if you find one on the lot you like, don't worry about the gear ratio but if ordering, go with the 4.10. The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not that big of a deal, unless you plan on towing toward the truck's limits then you would need the 4.10. It also sounds like this is not an issue at all with a diesel since it already has more torque but it will help out with the Hemi. Again, I have no experience with either of these but am just trying to summarize how I understand it.

As for me, the truck will not be a daily driver and I plan to get a 30' trailer eventually. While it won't be a huge 5th wheel, they weigh in the 7,000-8,000 pound range. I am sure a 3.73 will be just fine but after reading all of these threads, I don't really see a disadvantage to a 4.10 so I think it is worth the extra $150 or whatever it is when I order. This will primarily be a recreational vehicle for me and I go up in the mountains a lot too. I have also read posts where the city mileage is the same or better and if I am not taking this on a trip up to the mountains or pulling a trailer, it may be an occasional trip around town if the other car is not available. And finally, I see a lot of people mention driving 80-85 mph. I rarely go over 70 so that might even have less of a negative effect going with 4.10's for me. Speaking of that, I would be curious to hear about RPMs or MPGs from people who drive closer to 70 MPH as opposed to over 80. Anyways, as someone said earlier, this is a truck, don't worry about 1mpg!

Don't want to change your opinion on getting the 4.1, but a 8K trailer is nothing for a 3.73. I tow more than that with my 3.73 and it's literally like it's not there. It's ridiculous actually.
Beside a probable fuel saving, I enjoy a lower RPM DD. If you do a lot of highway, that is to consider too.

 

[LightRacer]

Don't want to change your opinion on getting the 4.1, but a 8K trailer is nothing for a 3.73. I tow more than that with my 3.73 and it's literally like it's not there. It's ridiculous actually.
Beside a probable fuel saving, I enjoy a lower RPM DD. If you do a lot of highway, that is to consider too.

You have a diesel though and those only come with 3.73, right? If so, that probably isn't going to be a good comparison to a Hemi.

 

[MikeXM]

You have a diesel though and those only come with 3.73, right? If so, that probably isn't going to be a good comparison to a Hemi.

Nah, you can have a 4.10 with the HO. But I missed that you were looking for the HEMI.

I would also choose the 4.10 with a HEMI. I had a 5.7 HEMI (345hp)/3.73 and it was at the limit with that kind of load. But hey, I still went everywhere I wanted with this trailer for 12 years!

 

[JohnandDonna]

Nah, you can have a 4.10 with the HO. But I missed that you were looking for the HEMI.

I would also choose the 4.10 with a HEMI. I had a 5.7 HEMI (345hp)/3.73 and it was at the limit with that kind of load. But hey, I still went everywhere I wanted with this trailer for 12 years!

Yes you can get the 4.10 with the HO but only if you get the dual rear wheels.