- First Name
- Rick
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- Sep 9, 2020
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- Rochester, NY
- Vehicle(s)
- 2013 F150 STX 5.0L, 1999 Mustang Cobra
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
Numerically smaller ratios are considered "higher" (or "taller") because they will produce a higher vehicle speed at a given engine RPM than numerically larger ratios. You go faster, but at the expense of less gear multiplication when it comes to torque output. Conversely, numerically larger ratios have the advantage of greater torque multiplication - and the feeling of faster initial acceleration or better load pulling - but tradeoff by producing a slower vehicle speed at a give engine speed. Thus they are "lower" or "shorter" gears.I "believe" that you've swapped the wording..... and a lot of people mix this up.
For the Differential, the Numerically Smaller the Number, is the Higher Ratio.... It's weird, but the 3.70 is call a Higher Gear Ratio than 4.46 .
You are correct that the 4.46 is: "the lower the fuel economy, but your vehicle will have more capability while off-roading, towing, hauling, etc."
And
The 3.70 is: better your fuel economy will be at the expensive of some "get-up-and-go".
It was mentioned above the total gear reduction is the multiplication of transmission ratio, transfer case ratio and axle (differential) ratio. But keep in mind that your tire size plays into that too. Taller tires have a larger circumference, so they roll ahead farther for every one turn than small tires do. 35" tires travel forward about 9' for every turn, where a 30" tire goes about 7.75' instead. At higher speeds, that difference adds up. So as you increase tire size, you have to counterbalance that with "shorter" (numerically larger) axle gearing to keep your engine speed approximately the same for a give road speed. This will keep you in essentially the same transmission gears at the same road speeds as before.
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