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Changing axle ratios

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  fishin4ladyz 
#1 ·
Hi- Looking to buy 2014 base tradesman v/6, but all in Portland Or seem to have 3.21 axle . I want the 3.55 for towing purposes .What is the practicality and cost of changing the gears ? Also , if not done by dealer would that affect the warranty ? Thanks
 
#2 ·
I think if the dealer did the swap, it would still be warranted. Are you sure that with the 8 speed trans you need the deeper gears? If you did 3:92's or 4:10's she could be quite a hot rod. You would need either the dealer set the speedo or buy a tuner, also. It's not a job for just anyone, setting up a differential requires a good mechanic.
 
#3 ·
yeah, I didnt wait for the 3.55 gears. I found a really good deal on a 2013 quad with 3.21 gears and got it. Wish I had the 3.55 but didnt wanna keep looking for trucks. I pull a 3500# 19 foot bayliner boat with mine and it tows it actually as well if not better than my 2003 4.7 v8 ram I had before. Revs a little more but doesnt ever seem to struggle. What are you going to tow with it? The main reason I would rather have 3.55's is because it likes to shift from 8th to 7th on the highway more than I think it should. Going up smaller hills, going into 10mph head winds. I get annoyed with the shifting and lock out 8th gear, which is fine with me cuz it still gets better than 20mpgs doing it. I would still buy the truck I have if I could do it over.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the info . I'll be towing a 18' StarCraft which is 3500 lbs fairly empty . With a bed cap on the truck , 2 people ,gear , gas tanks filled etc will probably be closer to 4000 lbs easy . That seems a little too close to the 4800 lb max towing capacity of the 3.21 axle . Do you guys agree ?
 
#5 ·
Yeah if you're close to the limit I would get the 3.55 gears. I wouldn't mess with changing the gears unless its a 4x2. Too much cost and somewhere I heard the fronts are welded in. I guess you could bring the gear swap up when you're making the deal and see what they tell you.
 
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