4r70w with 4.11 gears and 33's

[SSDDBRONCO]

For those of you running the 4r70w with 4.11 gears and 33's how do you like it? Yes, i have plans to upgrade my gears as well as step up to 35's but for now I will like to at least like to install my 4r70w into my Bronco and don't want too many cost factors coming in all at once with the cost of an adapter (if i go that route), driveshaft shortening, and etc. I will probably be running with 33's and 4.11's for about a year or a little less, so trying to see if I will be getting the benefits of the overdrive or just wait it out till I have the tires and gears I want in the future.

Thanks
Kev

Edit: Should have mentioned. I have a stockish 302. Has headers and exhaust.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I would expect a fair amount of gear hunting. LA has a fair amount of freeway grades to deal with. Probably end up setting the 3-4 and 4-3 shifts a little less than optimal just to keep the hunting to a minimum.

I take it you have been driving around with 4.11s and 33 already? It will be about the same when in 3rd (don't know if you are stick or C4 now, but even with the same gearing the convertor will change things slightly)

For the most part it will drive OK, just not great or as good as it could. Either back to the overgeared feeling of the 4.11s or an undergeared feeling when in overdrive.

 

[MartyG]

I have 4.11 and 35's and it rolls fine around town and is good on the hwy as well at 65.
Not really a Prius on the MPG though

Where you at, by the way?

 

[bronco loco]

Mine has the 4r70w 98 explorer engine with 30'' and 4.10 and it cruises smoothly at about 2k rpms.

 

[Rox Crusher]

As bowsher says, 3rd gear in the 4R70w is same as C4.

I would go ahead and run it with the 4.10 until your ready to upgrade to (4.88 & 33") or (5.13 & 35").

If you install a momentary switch you can always turn the O/D off.

 

[SSDDBRONCO]

I have 4.11 and 35's and it rolls fine around town and is good on the hwy as well at 65.
Not really a Prius on the MPG though

Where you at, by the way?

Is that with a 4r70 or with a c4? And ya I'm not looking to pull those mpg's like a Prius, although that would be nice. And I'm out in Rancho Cucamonga.

As bowsher says, 3rd gear in the 4R70w is same as C4.

I would go ahead and run it with the 4.10 until your ready to upgrade to (4.88 & 33") or (5.13 & 35").

If you install a momentary switch you can always turn the O/D off.

So are you saying that there is not enough gear for the O/D to kick in on the highway?

 

[SSDDBRONCO]

I would expect a fair amount of gear hunting. LA has a fair amount of freeway grades to deal with. Probably end up setting the 3-4 and 4-3 shifts a little less than optimal just to keep the hunting to a minimum.

I take it you have been driving around with 4.11s and 33 already? It will be about the same when in 3rd (don't know if you are stick or C4 now, but even with the same gearing the convertor will change things slightly)

For the most part it will drive OK, just not great or as good as it could. Either back to the overgeared feeling of the 4.11s or an undergeared feeling when in overdrive.

Thanks for the info! I would really like to do it all at once but damn things add up fast %) .

 

[Rox Crusher]

So are you saying that there is not enough gear for the O/D to kick in on the highway?

That is a distinct possibility depending on the grade, etc.

But I was also thinking about the annoyance of driving around town with it kicking into OD and having the RPMs drop so much.

If you have the US Shift controller you can adjust the shift points to optimize with the 4.10 gears and change them again when you get the new gears.

 

[SpareParts]

If you install a momentary switch you can always turn the O/D off.

A momentary switch is only activated if you hold the button..... you do not want that. A on off switch, push button or toggle will do much better.

 

[Broncobowsher]

A momentary switch is only activated if you hold the button..... you do not want that. A on off switch, push button or toggle will do much better.

The controller can be set to accept a momentary switch and toggle on each press of the button, internal latching logic. OR you can use a normal flip switch and set the controller to work that way as well.

You can build a shift profile that skips OD as the primary drive pattern (but keep the convertor lockup) and make the secondary table the OD pattern.

There is a lot of flexibility in the controller.

 

[Rox Crusher]

You can build a shift profile that skips OD as the primary drive pattern (but keep the convertor lockup) and make the secondary table the OD pattern.

I like this idea.

A profile for hi-way.

A profile for around town.

A profile for wheeling.

 

[blubuckaroo]

The rear ratio sounds a bit high for that tranny and tires.
I have a NV3550, 4.11s & 32" tires. It runs great all around but the NV3550 only has a .78 overdrive.
You're going to increase tire size to 33"-35" and the overdrive of the 4r70w is .67.
That's a big difference!
If you even think there is a possibility of 35" tires in your future, go to at least 4.56 gears. That is unless you already have the 4.11s installed. In that case I'd keep the tire size below 32"

 

[SSDDBRONCO]

Thanks for all the help and info guys really appreciate it all. I do have the USS controller, but now I'm really debating if i should just get the gears now?:? . Looks like the gears will set me back about $450, plus labor to have a shop install them. What gears are good? I'm looking at Motive and Yukon (kinda pricey compared to Motive). Any other brands with good experience?

 

[JK]

I had 4.11's and 35's, went to a 4.56 when the 5.0/4R70W went in. I'm using the factory trans control, so I'm not sure how much of an effect that has, but it's perfect for my driving. 1800ish RPM at 60-65 cruise, doesn't hunt for gears at all on normal grades (Plenty of downshifting in the Pacific Northwest, but it's generally on long steep grades and the trans holds in 2nd or 3rd) I also have a momentary from OTRATTW on the dash that kills the overdrive. When I'm driving in sustained up and down, I just turn it off. Works great.

 

[SpareParts]

Cool, I didn't realize the controller was set up that way. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[MartyG]

Is that with a 4r70 or with a c4? And ya I'm not looking to pull those mpg's like a Prius, although that would be nice. And I'm out in Rancho Cucamonga.

Yep...a c4

 

[Broncobowsher]

I remember 4.10 gears being real nice on the highway with an overdrive transmission and a 302, in an '84 mustang rolling on 26" tires.

One more factor that isn't calculated into the math very well. Figuring RPM at MPH with XXX gearing is all easy enough. But you also need to factor the added rolling resistance of going bigger. The rubber on the road and the air that it pushes are variables. A bronco is never very aerodynamic, but lift and big tires takes bad and makes it worse. So where a 302 would cruise comfortably with small tires, regearing to match with taller tires it will struggle more.

Sounds like the original poster already has the 4.11 gears and that is what has been run in the past. I would leave them for now. Find a gear (on paper anyways) that you think is right. Try that in the rear axle only. If you want to try something else, 9" gears are affordable and easy to setup, and the old ones can be sold. Once you dial in the rear, then tackle the big job of the front axle. I last went from 4.11 and NP435 to 4.88 and 4R70W. Never changed the 33" tires or anything else. I had a little more low end grunt with a 351 and found it ever so slightly overgeared. With the 351 a set of 4.56 gears would have been better. OR with keeping the 4.88 it would have been better matched with a 302, or stepping up to a 35" tire. But it was close enough it wasn't worth changing anything.

 

[SSDDBRONCO]

I remember 4.10 gears being real nice on the highway with an overdrive transmission and a 302, in an '84 mustang rolling on 26" tires.

One more factor that isn't calculated into the math very well. Figuring RPM at MPH with XXX gearing is all easy enough. But you also need to factor the added rolling resistance of going bigger. The rubber on the road and the air that it pushes are variables. A bronco is never very aerodynamic, but lift and big tires takes bad and makes it worse. So where a 302 would cruise comfortably with small tires, regearing to match with taller tires it will struggle more.

Sounds like the original poster already has the 4.11 gears and that is what has been run in the past. I would leave them for now. Find a gear (on paper anyways) that you think is right. Try that in the rear axle only. If you want to try something else, 9" gears are affordable and easy to setup, and the old ones can be sold. Once you dial in the rear, then tackle the big job of the front axle. I last went from 4.11 and NP435 to 4.88 and 4R70W. Never changed the 33" tires or anything else. I had a little more low end grunt with a 351 and found it ever so slightly overgeared. With the 351 a set of 4.56 gears would have been better. OR with keeping the 4.88 it would have been better matched with a 302, or stepping up to a 35" tire. But it was close enough it wasn't worth changing anything.

That's a great idea. I will test with the back and find my likes. Thanks!

 

[sykanr0ng]

I would suggest starting with at least 4.88 gears with 33" tires or 5.13 if higher speeds are not needed.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Strange to think calling a 4.88 gear wth only a 33" tire would be considered a good highway gear, but I did find it a good highway gear when I ran it.