I have a 1994 3500 dually with the 6.5L TD with the 5 speed manual.

I recently hauled my 6000lb trailer through the mountains. for the most part it does the job, but I am considering a rear gear swap.

Currently it has the 4:10 rear ratio. I was thinking of going to a 3:73 or maybe 3:55

Does anybody have the same setup as me with a 3:73 or 3:55 ratio?

The main reason I ask is to see how well it hauls in the hills.

The other reason is that 1st gear is useless and fifth is not enough, I always look for 6th gear. The shift between 3 & 4 is too big for the hills I can go 30 miles max in 3 but 4th is not an option.

Please let me know what your experience is.

Thanks :)

I have a 1994 3500 dually with the 6.5L TD with the 5 speed manual.

I recently hauled my 6000lb trailer through the mountains. for the most part it does the job, but I am considering a rear gear swap.

Currently it has the 4:10 rear ratio. I was thinking of going to a 3:73 or maybe 3:55

Does anybody have the same setup as me with a 3:73 or 3:55 ratio?

The main reason I ask is to see how well it hauls in the hills.

The other reason is that 1st gear is useless and fifth is not enough, I always look for 6th gear. The shift between 3 & 4 is too big for the hills I can go 30 miles max in 3 but 4th is not an option.

Please let me know what your experience is.

Thanks :)

I take it you travel through the rockies? Going down to a lower numerical number might make your first gear more effective but if you think the shift between 3 & 4 is bad now, that will only make it worse. 6.5's aren't torque monsters(400 ft lbs) compared to a Dmax but they do work up to about 3500 RPM. I would actually recommend 4.56 because that would help your 3 to 4 problem. Since your 1st gear is low anyway and useless according to you you're not really losing anything there, but the lower gear ratio(Higher number) of the 4.56's would definitely help you on the top end.

Check out the gear vendors overdrive units. There a little pricey, but instead of changing your gear ratio your widening your span of gears and "shortening" your drive ratios, meaning more gears and less space between em. If the gear vendor is more than you want to spend, then i would also suggest stepping up with your gear ration and not down.

Check out the gear vendors overdrive units. There a little pricey, but instead of changing your gear ratio your widening your span of gears and "shortening" your drive ratios, meaning more gears and less space between em. If the gear vendor is more than you want to spend, then i would also suggest stepping up with your gear ration and not down.

I have a gear vendors on my V8 S-10. It is more than I want to spend. I'll have to crunch the numbers on the 4:56 swap.

I have a gear vendors on my V8 S-10. It is more than I want to spend. I'll have to crunch the numbers on the 4:56 swap.


Well, from reading your post i suspect the 4.56s might still not net you what you want. So its time for a cummins swap or ditch the old gal for a dirtymax