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How do I find out the gear ratio on my truck?

The gear ratio on your truck is an important piece of information that can help you understand your vehicle's performance and capabilities. Knowing the gear ratio can assist with tasks like towing, hauling, or modifying your truck. In this article, we'll provide a detailed guide on how to find the gear ratio on your truck.


What is Gear Ratio?


The gear ratio is a measure of the relationship between the number of rotations of the input shaft (the driveshaft) and the number of rotations of the output shaft (the rear axle). It determines how much torque is transferred from the engine to the wheels. A higher gear ratio means the wheels will turn fewer times for each rotation of the driveshaft, resulting in more torque but lower top speed. A lower gear ratio means the wheels will turn more times for each rotation of the driveshaft, resulting in less torque but higher top speed.


How to Find the Gear Ratio on Your Truck


There are a few different ways to find the gear ratio on your truck:



  • Check the Owner's Manual: The most straightforward way is to consult your truck's owner's manual, which should list the gear ratio for your specific model and year.

  • Inspect the Rear Axle: Look for a tag or sticker on the rear axle housing that lists the gear ratio, usually in the format of 3.73:1 or 4.10:1.

  • Calculate the Gear Ratio: If you can't find the gear ratio listed, you can calculate it yourself. You'll need to know the number of teeth on the ring gear and the number of teeth on the pinion gear. Divide the number of ring gear teeth by the number of pinion gear teeth to get the gear ratio.


Once you've determined the gear ratio, you can use this information to make informed decisions about your truck's performance and capabilities.

How can you tell the difference between a 3.73 and a 4.10 gear ratio?


If you have 4.10's, you will see the shaft turn just over 4 times when you turn the tire once. It may be hard to tell the difference between 4.10 and 3.73's with one turn of the tire. With 10 turns of the tire, you can easily tell the difference between 37 (for 3.73) turns of the drive shaft and 41 (for 4.10's).



How can I tell what gear ratio by VIN Ram is?


The VIN won't tell you, but there's a sticker on the bottom of the driver's side axle tube that will list the ratio.



Will the VIN number tell me the gear ratio?


You don't. That information is not contained in the VIN, UNLESS a specific model only gets one rear end ratio. VIN tells country of manufacture, vehicle make, class, engine type, size, date of manufacture, plant and serial number. That is the ONLY information contained by the VIN.



What gets better gas mileage, 3.73 or 4.10 gears?


To keep it simple, if you want a daily driver and want to save a little on fuel and you care about performance but don't want screaming RPM, then taller gears like the 3.73 ring and pinion are the way to go.



How can I tell what gear ratio I have without pulling cover?


I have my buddy holding the other Tire. I start spinning this and I'm watching the other. One. That's one full rotation right there.



How do I find my gear ratio on my truck?


The axle may have a sticker, and on the differential cover, you might have a small metal tag that's sticking out that will have the gear ratio stamped on it. Do a Driveshaft Turn Test. Before you can begin identifying the gear ratio, you will also need to know if the rear end is a “posi” or open differential.



What gear ratio does my Ram 1500 have?


Ram has a standard axle ratio of 3.21 on 2X4 trucks and 3.55 on 4X4 trucks and trucks with the diesel engine.



What gear ratio is my transmission?


Here's the formula for calculating gear ratio: (RPM x Tire Diameter Inches) / (Final Drive Ratio x Transmission Gear Ratio x 336) = Actual numerical gear ratio to the ground from every revolution of the engine.



How do you show gear ratio?


Gear ratios are presented as a quotient (e.g. 4:1) in which the first number is an expression of the number of teeth of the driven gear, and the second represents the number of teeth of the driving gear. So, if a driven gear has 64 teeth, and the driving gear has 8 teeth, the ratio would be 8:1.



Where is the gear ratio stamped?


All right with the cover off and the gears wiped down you can see that there is some stampings on the outside of this ring gear. One of these is going to indicate the gear ratio.


Kevin's Auto

Kevin Bennett

Company Owner

Kevin Bennet is the founder and owner of Kevin's Autos, a leading automotive service provider in Australia. With a deep commitment to customer satisfaction and years of industry expertise, Kevin uses his blog to answer the most common questions posed by his customers. From maintenance tips to troubleshooting advice, Kevin's articles are designed to empower drivers with the knowledge they need to keep their vehicles running smoothly and safely.