esfd243
East Syracuse, NY
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I have looked at the big 3 brand names diesels and I currently own a 2006 5.9l CTD. My question is why does the Ford have a 331 gear with optional 355 and the others have a 373 with optional 411? Does the 355 perform well with a 6 speed tranny? Thanks for the help !
Mike, Dawn & Mallori
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Huntindog
phoenix arizona USA
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esfd243 wrote:I have looked at the big 3 brand names diesels and I currently own a 2006 5.9l CTD. My question is why does the Ford have a 331 gear with optional 355 and the others have a 373 with optional 411? Does the 355 perform well with a 6 speed tranny? Thanks for the help !
I belive that Dodge is still offering 3 ratios with differing tow ratings.
Ford has different ratios paired with differing tire sizes (which affects actual ratio) but the same tow ratings for all of them. GM has one ratio. 3.73.
The Ford has a lower 1st and 2nd gear in the tranny than the GM, and a taller 3rd gear. This leaves a hole in the gear pattern which is a disadvantage compared to GM. It is the primary reason that the GMs exhaust brake works better at highway speed. Of course the tradeoff is a little better aceleration in the 1-2 gears, and possibly better EB performance at slower speeds. I have never seen a test to verify this though. Probably because at slow speeds most are comfortable without a exhaust brake anyways.
But back to the original question. You cannot look at just the axle ratios. Tire height and tranny gear ratios affect the final ratio.
SO you have to do some math to find out which is the more capable truck.
I will say this. When one manfactureer is offering 3 ratios with differing capacities and the others are not, then that means that they are working around a weak link in the driveline. In this case it's probably the tranny.
* This post was
edited 04/16/12 03:58am by Huntindog *
Huntindog
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NewsW
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Huntindog wrote:
I will say this. When one manfactureer is offering 3 ratios with differing capacities and the others are not, then that means that they are working around a weak link in the driveline. In this case it's probably the tranny.
Less power output, unable to rev as much, also factor into it.
Technologically, the engine is too old for the job.
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catfishmontana
montana
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esfd243 wrote:I have looked at the big 3 brand names diesels and I currently own a 2006 5.9l CTD. My question is why does the Ford have a 331 gear with optional 355 and the others have a 373 with optional 411? Does the 355 perform well with a 6 speed tranny? Thanks for the help !
I have a 2011 Crew Cab, Long Box, 4x4, lariet with the 3.55's. It pulls our 11,500(ish) TT wonderfully. All my previous diesels were 3.73, and this truck out pulls all of my previous ones. Like said, the first gear is really deep.
Mine ~ 2012 Ram 3500 Dually, CrewCab, Longhorn, Cummins
Hers ~ 2012 Ford F150 Raptor, Blue Flame, Crew Cab, 6.2L
GONE!!! 2010 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 5.3 ~ Most worthless POS ever!
2007 Keystone Montana Mountaineer 30FKD TT
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ricatic
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I was an early buyer of the 6.7 powered Ford. My truck has the 3.55 gears and 20 inch rubber. I have towed the 13000 pound Big Horn over 12000 miles now with no issues regarding sufficient power or the engine brake.
This question was asked a lot earlier in the game over at the Ford forums. In all the discussion I have seen, not one owner has complained about either the 3.31 or 3.55 gearing.
As long as the truck keeps running, it will pull anything within it's ratings anywhere you want to drag it...
Regards
Ricatic
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1jeep
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I second whAt catfish stated as mine also came with 3:55 and it out performs my previous 08 f350 with 3:73 and 5 speed tranny.
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Biggziff
Upstate, NY
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Like Ric...I read lots of this early on. There is so little difference between the gearing and the new engines have so much power that you won't notice a difference.
Me and my 3 girls
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tkcrawford
Edmonton, Alberta
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NewsW wrote:Huntindog wrote:
I will say this. When one manfactureer is offering 3 ratios with differing capacities and the others are not, then that means that they are working around a weak link in the driveline. In this case it's probably the tranny.
Less power output, unable to rev as much, also factor into it.
Technologically, the engine is too old for the job.
Man, where in the world do you guys come up with this stuff?!
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4x4ord
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Even the high speed rear end in the Ford (3.55) will deliver over 10,000 ft lbs of torque to the rear axle in low gear. Traditionally the Ford torque converter has been able to almost double that torque if necessary at launch. This means that the new Ford with the 3.55 rear end could be capable of delivering nearly 20,000 ft lbs to the rear axle at launch.As a comparison your '06 Dodge is capable of just over 5000 ft lbs to the rear axle with 3.73 gears and in low gear. I use my F350 in very soft ground with trailers of over 30,000 lbs behind it and this incredible torque is the one thing that most impresses me above all else on this truck.
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4x4ord
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Huntindog wrote:esfd243 wrote:I have looked at the big 3 brand names diesels and I currently own a 2006 5.9l CTD. My question is why does the Ford have a 331 gear with optional 355 and the others have a 373 with optional 411? Does the 355 perform well with a 6 speed tranny? Thanks for the help !
I belive that Dodge is still offering 3 ratios with differing tow ratings.
Ford has different ratios paired with differing tire sizes (which affects actual ratio) but the same tow ratings for all of them. GM has one ratio. 3.73.
The Ford has a lower 1st and 2nd gear in the tranny than the GM, and a taller 3rd gear. This leaves a hole in the gear pattern which is a disadvantage compared to GM. It is the primary reason that the GMs exhaust brake works better at highway speed. Of course the tradeoff is a little better aceleration in the 1-2 gears, and possibly better EB performance at slower speeds. I have never seen a test to verify this though. Probably because at slow speeds most are comfortable without a exhaust brake anyways.
But back to the original question. You cannot look at just the axle ratios. Tire height and tranny gear ratios affect the final ratio.
SO you have to do some math to find out which is the more capable truck.
I will say this. When one manfactureer is offering 3 ratios with differing capacities and the others are not, then that means that they are working around a weak link in the driveline. In this case it's probably the tranny.
Keep in mind that if you are going down a 7% grade in the mountains with 20,000 lbs hooked to your truck 60 mph is quite a speed. (I think that is too fast) The GM will downshift into 2 nd gear and hold the truck at 60 mph and 4200 rpm. The Ford would need to solw down to around 45 mph to shift into 2nd gear where it would hold at a little slower engine rpm and safer speed of descent.
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