1998 4.6 concerns

[thewishkah]

So the gears in there are 3:31. Is there a better ratio for gas mileage/"power" I should consider with my 315/70/r17?

 

[FordandPolaris]

So the gears in there are 3:31. Is there a better ratio for gas mileage/"power" I should consider with my 315/70/r17?

Well you can't really have both when it comes to gear ratio. 3.31's will put less torque to the road but they allow the engine to run at lower RPM's at any given speed, so in theory the gas mileage should be better with that ratio than say my 3.73's. But if you are looking for quicker acceleration, or the ability to turn some big meats (such as what you mentioned) and have it feel like stock tires, a larger gear ratio such as 3.73 or 4.10 is necessary.

A tuner would probably make up the fuel mileage difference with larger gears.

 

[thewishkah]

Thanks for the input. Having never gotten a tune before would just getting a tune with my current gearing help free up some power with out sacrificing mpg? and if so how expensive are tunes in general?

 

[FordandPolaris]

Thanks for the input. Having never gotten a tune before would just getting a tune with my current gearing help free up some power with out sacrificing mpg? and if so how expensive are tunes in general?

Well an Edge or SCT Tuner are right around $3-400. It will help but it is not going to be a blow-away difference like doing gears would be. If it were me, I would do gears first and if it still wasn't enough, invest in a tuner at that point. Ford dropped the 3.31 gears I think after 99 because they made the Expy's too sluggish. having that coupled with 34in tires only magnifies the issue.

 

[thewishkah]

Ok thanks again for the input. It is definitely sluggish for sure lol. I'm going to look into gearing but to do the front and rear will get expensive quickly. I'm pretty confident in my mechanical abilities but I don't think they are something I should tackle on my own.

 

[FordandPolaris]

Best place to look is YouTube for how to vids.


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