3:42 rears

So smoking weed before algebra class didn’t kill all my brain cells.......

 

Only a few!

 

I've ran 8xale trailers in Michigan even pulled Super B's our 8axle doubles. Had an 88 pete 3.55 15 over last 2wards the dash with a 425 cat b model pulled better with those 3.55s going down 94 up 96 or down 75. Rears failed they put 4.33s in it never did the truck pull like a raped ape again on the highway. Had a 525 n14 13spd with some 3.36 now trying to take off on a hill loaded at 150-160k was all skill n some fux up too but boy did she tote the mail once u got her rolling. Yea IMO if u have the power and u not in to soft of a field them 3.42 won't hurt. It's more about where ur motor likes to make power at

 

Drop back a gear with that ISX. Keep it 1600 or up when working it hard if you want it to live. More than that if defeated.

 

I was pretty poor at one time. Had the damndest piece of #### 88 Pete you have ever heard of. It was a 3406B 13 speed and 3.70 rears when I bought it. Tall 24’s with a rusted out frame and air leaf suspension. I had a dedicated deal just about. Same road same load several times a week. One particular hill it would never drop below 57 at the steepest part then start building steam again. So I had the front diff let go and being poor and having a set of 3.36’s in my Dads junk pile, coupled with young and the need to go fast I just put them in. High gear was sorta useless and there was more shifting but damdest thing is my fuel mileage didn’t change a bit like it was supposed to. I also pulled Beaumont hill at 57 mph but was a half or whole gear further down in the trans I can’t remember. So about 6 months later the frame cracked under the 5th wheel and we welded a low leaf cut off on it with 3.55’s. I could use high gear again but still same ####ty fuel mileage. Still 57 on Beaumont. Luckily shortly after it got a new home, but it did concrete a lesson learned. A couple actually
1 being how to calibrate a speedometer.
2 if you want to go faster you need a bigger horse.

Same motor same trans and same set of drive tires. It was harder to get rolling with the 3.36’s. It was also harder to hold back on a hill. And because I didn’t have the experience then I have now it really wouldn’t run any faster with the 3.36 because the wind was harder to overcome it wouldn’t tach out empty in high gear. Take from my experience what you will. Laugh if want at what a guy will do to waste money. That one truck taught me to pay attention and buy the truck you need not close and make it what you need or want.

 

@wore out Thank you for taking the time to share a valuable story! Drove a truck with 3.36 gears for two days and hated it. Im sure those "mpg" gears have a place, but not in my truck Hope some newbies understand your story.

 

Lol. Beaumont the Hillbilly Dyno!!! I have a hard time telling for sure if changes have done any good for sure until I get a load going that way. Topped it last night at 55 with 54k and a dirty trailer. Best this ISX has ever done. You're spot on with what I figured out over the years about gears. Always wanted me some 3.36 for that nosebleed speed bragging rights. Then drove a Pete for another guy that had 3.36's. Truck should have had more power under the hood than mine with 3.70's. Both on tall 24.5. So one night after I had put 10 or 15k miles on it and got use to the truck I layed into between Guymon and Woodward empty.... well, never found out how fast that truck would go cause it was gonna take 8 or 10 miles at the rate it was gaining speed on the big end to find the bottom of it. Unlike my poor little mechanical truck with 3.70's. It would have been long gone under same circumstances. And with the 3.36s I used the low hole alot taking off. 3.70's not so much.