Choice of rear axle ratio would you pick?

[KARNUT]

I put a bed cover on my truck, I can do everything even get groceries and haul ass or whatever.

[Jay700]

I can tow

[00Silverado4x4]

I personally have the 3.42 gears in my '06 and I've been pretty happy with them. I know there is a world of difference between my generation and the '14s but I'd still have nothing higher (numerically lower) than 3.42's. If I could get 3.73's I would.

[woorm]

Great comebacks that made my day. tks I will still stick up for the 308s. They do a fine job pulling my 21foot bass boat.

[roadblock]

I'm happy to hear the 3.08 is still good for towing, I have the 5.3L and 3.08 and was really worried about it after reading some things on here. I'm happy with it though, I'm in Canada and on a recent 300km trip I got 9.0L/100km! Thats insane, i put it in the calculator on google and it works out to 31.38mpg!

[2014MallCrawler]

I have 3.42's with a 6" lift and 35x12.50x22's and its slower out of the hole but I average about 16 City/HWY mix

 

I do have an Intake / Exhaust / Dyno tune. (the tune made the biggest difference because of shift points and torque management going bye bye for the most part... The 3.42's and 35's make for some sloppy shifting stock.. (wrong rpms either winding out or lugging never in the sweet spot) #ChucksTuningServices in Houston.

[ocracokenc]

I hate to dig up a 1 year old topic but I have been skimming over this and it is interesting. I got rid of my 2014 Double Cab 4.3 with 3.23,s and got a 2015 Crew Cab 5.3 with 3.08's. The funny thing is the dealer really wanted to move the truck because of the gear ratio and the fact a lot of people did not want it. I got it for the same price as the 2014.

 

I just can not tell any difference in the RPM's and with the V8 it is a strong truck. I was beside a diesel that was showing off and "rolling coal" from red light to red light so at the next light I decided to floor it and we were dead even. I have not towed my boat yet but I have put my truck in M5 at the speed I tow (65) and it is turning 2,000 RPM's. That seems like a sweet spot for the engine. I am getting a hand calculated 19.9 with mixed city driving and I love it. I do not mind the 3.08 for my use.

[07Softail]

If offered 4.10 would be perfect for a RCSB but 3.73 is fine.

 

RT

[tnchevy]

My last two trucks had 4.10 gears (4 speed trans) and when I was shopping around for a truck the 3.42 ratio is what one of the negatives for chevy. Most of the 8 speed rams I looked at had 3.92 gears and Fords were all over the place but for the 5.0 v8 a 3.55 or 3.7 something were pretty common. Of course I bought the chevy or I woudn't be on this site. I don't tow much but I have found over the years that a low gear ratio when driving in hilly terrain is just as effecient as a higher geared truck.

[iCryWheniGoPoop]

3.73 is about as steep as I would want to go on this 8 speed.

[ember1205]

My last two trucks had 4.10 gears (4 speed trans) and when I was shopping around for a truck the 3.42 ratio is what one of the negatives for chevy. Most of the 8 speed rams I looked at had 3.92 gears and Fords were all over the place but for the 5.0 v8 a 3.55 or 3.7 something were pretty common. Of course I bought the chevy or I woudn't be on this site. I don't tow much but I have found over the years that a low gear ratio when driving in hilly terrain is just as effecient as a higher geared truck.

 

In the previous gens, the 4.10 gears were more of a necessity because a) the tranny was four speed and not six and b) the motors produced a fair amount less torque than the current gens.

 

Most of the "information" comparing the current generation trucks to previous generations is nothing more than anecdotal at best. The final drive number doesn't matter on its own... It matters in combination to what motor it is paired to. The more output your motor has, the lower you can drop your final drive ratio without giving up a ton on pulling abilities.

 

For me, the 3.42 is the right rear end with the 5.3L. There are times when I need to be able to pull anywhere from 6000-9000 lbs behind me with the 18' equipment trailer. I don't do it a lot, but I want the truck to do it well when I need it to. I'm happy with the 17-18MPG combined mileage that I get the rest of the time as a result of the gearing.

[tnchevy]

I do understand the differences in the newer DI engines and the older ones as well as the transmission changes but I still think I would have been happier with the 3.73 ratio than the 3.42 I have now.

[WendysOrBust]

Not sure how you guys are doing it with the 3.08's. I thought factory my truck was pretty slow with the 3.42's and towing wasn't all that fun. Now that I'm tuned with an MIT/Corsa Catback the truck is great and has plenty of power and torque available. I just don't think I could do 3.08's and be comfortable towing 4,000+ lbs regularly.

 

I'm debating going up to 3.73's here in the future to close up gear spacing some more.

[ocracokenc]

I have not towed my boat yet because I am waiting to get to 1,000 miles. It comes in at 5,100 lbs fully loaded so I am hoping it will do ok. I do not worry about Florida but we do plan on moving back to the mountains around N.C. If it does not do that well I may regear the truck. If I have read correctly it is just the gear in the rear differential and having the ECM programmed correct? I wonder if someone here has done so what the cost was and how do it do with MPG and towing performance. These trucks get good mileage anyway and I bought it to pull and not so much as a gas saver.

 

I know recently we took the boat out with a friend and used his 2013 5.7 Tundra. I was not impressed because the motor always wanted to be in the upper RPM's and would not hold a gear that well. I do not think I have ever used so much gas towing a boat. People talk about how well the Tundra tows and for the gas it burns it dang well should

[ember1205]

The Tundra tows very well. If it wasn't holding gear, he wasn't using Tow/Haul mode (it hunts badly in certain situations if you don't). I used to get 16-17 average, 12 with the snowmobile trailer (2000 lbs), and single digits with the equipment trailer in my 2011 Tundra. It's like it has a tapeworm when it comes to gas consumption while towing.