gearing ?

[Friday]

So i have a 66 that I am in the process of converting over to a 302. It will have the stock V8, TC and 3spd trans. I'm running 33" tires and I currently have 4:10's in dana 30 and small bearing 9". I'd like to have comfortable highway speeds and know that's not possible with the stock 3spd and 4:10's and 33's. Crazy rock crawling is not in the future of this ride but will be on the mild/moderate trails some. So my question is what gears should I be looking to run as I am staying stock V8, TC and Trans for now and keeping the 33's? I do have a 76 Dana 44 with discs that i will be upgrading to and it has 3:56 gear ratio if i remember correctly. What do you all think? Throw the Dana 44 in and change the rear gears to match or what?

[ZOSO]

keep the 4.10's for 33's.

[Justin]

3.50 will be a little tall for 33's. OK for street use, may be a little sluggish. I'm running 35's with 4.10s and it's OK, but I wouldn't mind 4.56. I guess it depends on how you define "comfortable highway speeds." 4.10s and 33's will do 65 pretty comfortably.

[Kinder]

410s w 33's are great with a 302, puts u in a usable power band both on road and off. I ran that gearing & tire combo for 3 years.

[Gunnibronco]

I ran 4.10s w/33's for 15 years (w/stock 3 speed & NP435). Its a good match. Lots of available power at highway speeds. Since your 3 speed doesn't have a real low 1st gear, the lower 4.10s will help if you go out and do a little wheelin'.

I'm running 3.50s & 33's now and its ok. It wouldn't be ok offroad, if I didn't have the super low 1st gear in my NP435. The 3.50's run about 500 rpm less on the highway than the 4.10s. So its a little easier on the gas mileage, but less giddyup when you punch it on the highway.

[Rox Crusher]

I run 33" tires and 3.5 gears and it is kind of doggy on the hiway and a little too high when wheelin'.

I am planning to go with lower gears (4.86 or 5.33) since I swapped the C4 for a 4R70W. This will give me really low crawl ratio (so I don't have to constantly be on the brakes) when wheelin' and get the motor at the desired RPM (2300 - 2500) when on the freeway in OD.

Try messing around with this to see what might work for you.

http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

[Friday]

Thanks for the input everyone! Guess ill run the 4:10's a while and decide if they are a fit before swapping the gears.
At some point I'd like to swap the d44 with disks in but will probably go with different gear ratio.
On a really cool note I opened up my engine today to put new gaskets etc. and low and behold look what I found!

image.jpg

And I only thought the top end was from a 351.

[Friday]

Another question: I'd like to get the disc brake Dana 44 under the bronco sooner rather than later. I need to swap gears, any ideas on cost to put 4:10 gears in and cost to set up? I'd like to get power brakes and disk before the bronco is back on the road.

[Colorado75bronc]

I'd rec. buying Justin's complete 4.10 ford disc brake'd d44

[Friday]

That would be nice but I already have a db Dana 44 just need the gears swapped. Sorry forgot to mention that part. Im sure selling mine and buying his would be cheaper in the long run. Pondering the suggestion thanks!