Gear Down Your Pickup For Better Mileage

2008 - Volume #32, Issue #2, Page #39

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Swap out the stock ring and pinion gear in your pickup's drive axle with a lower ratio gear, and you can drop your rpm's and raise your miles per gallon. Jeremy Ayers, J.T.'s Parts and Accessories, has the parts to do the job.
"We've got gears for virtually any vehicle," says Ayers. "Anytime you take a truck with a 4.10 ratio and gear it down, engine rpm's drop. If you're on the freeway for any distance and you drop 200 rpm's, that equates to significant fuel savings. Depending on the truck, it can be one to three miles per gallon savings or more."
He admits that in going from a 4.10 to a 3.42 ratio you lose a little power on the low end, but he says that power isn't likely to be missed by most. Especially if you use your trucks for daily driving and only tow loads a few times a year.
"With any new diesel, you have so much power that it is really insignificant," he adds. "Most consumers feel trucks have too much gear power from the factory."
Ayers suggests installation of ring and pinion kits be left to professionals. He estimates that only about 20 percent of his customers do the installation themselves.
"It costs a fair amount of money, and it's not something you want to screw up on a new truck," he says. "The price depends on whether it is 2 or 4-WD and if it's a master install kit with bearings or a mini without."
Prices range from $465 on the low end for a 2-WD without replacing bearings. A worst-case scenario with bearings replaced would run $1,495 on a late model Dodge with 4-WD. Tack on another $800 for labor, says Ayers.
"Most kits are ordered with bearings simply for peace of mind," he says. He points out that removing bearings from a pinion or the carrier can be tricky if not impossible. Also, they can be hard to find locally. That can mean extra time with a truck torn down waiting for bearings to arrive.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, J.T.'s Parts and Accessories, 406 S Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, Wash. 98801 (ph 509 888-2953 or toll free 866 349-6801; fax 866 399-7532; info @justdifferentials.com; www.ringpinion.biz).

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Gear Down Your Pickup For Better Mileage PICKUPS Accessories 32-2-39 Swap out the stock ring and pinion gear in your pickup's drive axle with a lower ratio gear, and you can drop your rpm's and raise your miles per gallon. Jeremy Ayers, J.T.'s Parts and Accessories, has the parts to do the job. "We've got gears for virtually any vehicle," says Ayers. "Anytime you take a truck with a 4.10 ratio and gear it down, engine rpm's drop. If you're on the freeway for any distance and you drop 200 rpm's, that equates to significant fuel savings. Depending on the truck, it can be one to three miles per gallon savings or more." He admits that in going from a 4.10 to a 3.42 ratio you lose a little power on the low end, but he says that power isn't likely to be missed by most. Especially if you use your trucks for daily driving and only tow loads a few times a year. "With any new diesel, you have so much power that it is really insignificant," he adds. "Most consumers feel trucks have too much gear power from the factory." Ayers suggests installation of ring and pinion kits be left to professionals. He estimates that only about 20 percent of his customers do the installation themselves. "It costs a fair amount of money, and it's not something you want to screw up on a new truck," he says. "The price depends on whether it is 2 or 4-WD and if it's a master install kit with bearings or a mini without." Prices range from $465 on the low end for a 2-WD without replacing bearings. A worst-case scenario with bearings replaced would run $1,495 on a late model Dodge with 4-WD. Tack on another $800 for labor, says Ayers. "Most kits are ordered with bearings simply for peace of mind," he says. He points out that removing bearings from a pinion or the carrier can be tricky if not impossible. Also, they can be hard to find locally. That can mean extra time with a truck torn down waiting for bearings to arrive. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, J.T.'s Parts and Accessories, 406 S Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, Wash. 98801 (ph 509 888-2953 or toll free 866 349-6801; fax 866 399-7532; info @justdifferentials.com; www.ringpinion.biz).

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