Guys (and gals), I'm in a pinch. The restoration on my '73 beauty has been going great, but I've hit a bump. I'm building toward a highway daily driver, not a rock crawler. I'll go off-road occasionally, but this is definitely gonna be my daily ride. Living in Atlanta, fuel economy is very important to me.
The very smart mechanic helping on my build has coached me toward a 3.50 gear ratio, but the smart guys from one the major bronco suppliers say I should be at 4.56. These are very different perspectives, and I'm not sure where to go.
I have a '98 Explorer 5.0 302 and a late model 4R70W. My mechanic says the 3.50 ratio will give the best fuel economy and least amount of noise. The supplier says the 4.56 won't put me in the prime RPM range. My mechanic countered by saying the 4.56 will dramatically lower my MPG, and the 3.50 WILL keep me in the optimal RPM range.
I'm not qualified to diagnose this, but I gotta make a decision soon. Can any of you gear wizards shed some light on this so that I can have assurance in the right decision? I really appreciate the advice.
The very smart mechanic helping on my build has coached me toward a 3.50 gear ratio, but the smart guys from one the major bronco suppliers say I should be at 4.56. These are very different perspectives, and I'm not sure where to go.
I have a '98 Explorer 5.0 302 and a late model 4R70W. My mechanic says the 3.50 ratio will give the best fuel economy and least amount of noise. The supplier says the 4.56 won't put me in the prime RPM range. My mechanic countered by saying the 4.56 will dramatically lower my MPG, and the 3.50 WILL keep me in the optimal RPM range.
I'm not qualified to diagnose this, but I gotta make a decision soon. Can any of you gear wizards shed some light on this so that I can have assurance in the right decision? I really appreciate the advice.