1965 240-six

[Retiredfire]

What Rear end would be good for the highway. Ithink it as alow now . This is a old Air Force Pickup. I am NEW to Message Form.

[fordman]

what does it have now as far as the rear end and the transmission?

[cdherman]

Depends a lot on your tire size. Assuming you have some tranny that has a 1:1 top gear, and assuming that you are not wanting to do much towing, then 3:00 or 3.25 are some possible choices for highway use.

But like I said, tire size will matter a lot. I have a 4 speed, with a 240, a 3.25 rear and 7x15 bias sized radials. That gets me about 2700 rpm at 70mph. Tollerable, but I will probably go with a 3.00 eventually, as I never tow.

[tod-hog]

I have a 240/ 3 spd with 3.70 & 235/75/15 and she runs just fine @ 70 mph.

[Retiredfire]

I have a 3 speed tranmission. 225 /15 tires radials Ihave check to check the rear end.

[MadMaxetc]

In my 73 I had my 300 / 3-speed / 3.00:1 rear gears.

She did fine on the highway, but didn't like to haul that big a load. It was a 1/2 ton so towing what not realy its job anyway.

I would find some 3:25s or 3:00. I would not go any higher than that.

[averagef250]

I wouldn't go any taller than 3.50's. I blew up a 3.50 rear in a 70 F-100 with a 240/4 speed years ago. Replaced the rear with a 3.25 geared one and hated it. It was no easy feat getting moving on a hill.

[MadMaxetc]

Ya I would say if you have Hills / Mountains you should not go past a 3.50:1.

However, he is in TX and they realy don't have bad Hills...a 3.25:1 should be good.

[cdherman]

Yes, its worth noting that my decision to move to a 3.00 rear is partly due to the fact that I am also going with a C4 automatic tranny. The torque convertor in an automatic tranny helps you get started even if the bottom gear is too high.

As it stands, I have a t-18. Discounting first gear (rediculuosly low and capable pulling stumps etc) getting started in 2nd requires some clutch slippage with the current 3.25 rear if I am headed up hill. First gear certainly is easy enough to get started in, but the near immediate need for an upshift makes you feel like a traffic hazard at every red light.

Only useful thing about 1st gear in a t-18 in traffic is that you can let out the clutch with the engine idleing at 800 rpm and it won't kill it -- it just crawls forward -- marginally useful when stopped traffic moves forward a few feet, but otherwise not much.