Axle Ratios

colbysmith

colbysmith

Active member
Just wondering if anybody has a newer model Ford F150 Super Crew cab with the 5.0 and 3.31 axle? I was just looking at one that I might be somewhat interested in. For this 2016 model, it looks like it has a tow rating of 8900 lbs, payload of 2100 lbs and GCWR of 14,300 lbs. Some of the other power train mixes can tow more, I know. My real question is, are others satisfied with the 3.31 axle ratio? My Highlander has 3.48, but then it's got a smaller engine also. With that 3.31, we're looking at a 6 speed transmission and 5.0L (302) Engine. There are a few 2015 models that are pretty nice also, that come with the "tow" package and 3.55 axle. Mileage is a few mpg worse however. Speaking of the tow pkg, that includes a built in electric brake controller. How dependable are those controllers? Colby
 
Colby,

I have a 2015 F-150 Supercrew with the 5 liter V8 and 3.55 rear axle. The factory brake controller is by far the best I have used. I have towed our travel trailer approximately 1,000 miles without problem.
 
FWIW- I'm towing a much heavier Tomcat (9200lbs w/aluminum trailer), so I went with an F150 with 373 rear end, 6.2 liter 411 hp V8, and tow package. Fuel mileage 'kinda' sucks but the truck tows the load like a dream, yet provides an extremely comfortable ride. If I were going to tow the 22 cross country a lot, I think I would go with the 355 versus the 315 rear end.

On a side note, the factory F150 brake controller does not work with electric over hydraulic brakes, so I had to add an aftermarket version, that said, I'm done with surge, and magnetic brakes, after having towed with electric-over-hydraulic..... Big difference! :thup
 
The Ford factory brake controller in our 2012 F350 works fine with the EOH brake on our TomCat. There is a setting on the display for electric vs surge. I don't understand your problem with EOH on the F150?
 
I don't know much about Fords but on our truck we get better mileage using a light foot and locking the transmission out of 6th gear. Still using the tow haul mode. The motor spins a little faster but does lug which eats more gas and generally causes more engine and transmission heat. On long hard pulls we just hit the minus button and drop back into fourth gear. We don't change our speed just let the engine spin a little more and it allows you to maintain speed without having to put your foot in the throttle more to climb long grades. Most tow packages have the ratios in the 3.70 range.
D.D.
 
I don't see going to EOH, unless I feel the need to go to disc sometime. (I'm perfectly happy with my straight electric brakes. :-) I didn't really get a close look at the pickups with the tow package, so didn't see any setting screens for Ford's installed brake controller. My concern is really with if the thing stops working, how hard is it to replace. And does it work as well as the aftermarket brake controllers.
What I'm really wondering is, if the pickup was otherwise a good deal, would I regret just having the 3.31 axle later? I do a lot of cross country towing, and while most of it is flat here in the Midwest, I also tow in the Rockies, Smokies and Ozarks on occasion.
I've really been kind of spoiled with my Highlander. Heated seats, automatic control A/C, mostly comfortable except for the damn center dash console that bumps into the knees.... and the thing is just a torguey little devil pulling the boat in the hills. (IOW, I can still maintain 55-60 even in the serious grades of the Rockies!) And it's the right size for driving around town and parking! But, I'm pulling at the Highlander's limit and am willing to take a small hit in mileage to get something with more leeway for towing. At the right price. One of the area Ford dealerships has a couple 2014, 2015 & a 2016 F150 Super Crew Cabs, low mileage (mostly rental or lease turn ins) pickups that are very reasonably priced. The 2016 is the cleanest with just under 20,000 miles, but without the tow pkg and has the standard 3.31 axle. A few of the others have the tow pkg (which includes the 3.55 axle, along with the brake controller, an oil cooler and larger radiator), but get a few mpg less, and show just a little more cosmetic wear and tear. Also, the 2016 has the aluminum body, which while concerns exist of repair costs, would do much better in our salt infested winters. So really, the only down fall of this 2016 model is the 3.31 axle. It still has the tow/haul mode selector for the transmission, and aftermarket coolers can always be added on if necessary. I know the engine and tranny have to work just a bit harder with the higher geared rear end, but is it really going to be that noticeable? Really like to hear from anyone that is actually towing with the higher geared rear ends. Colby
 
Colby,

My other vehicles are also Toyota's and I am a big fan. I traded a 2003 Tundra for the F-150 and I've been very impressed. The 2015's also have the Aluminum body. The only reason I traded the Tundra was because of the rust issue. We live at 5,000 feet in WNC and have up to 100 inches of snow in the winter.

Are you sure your boat trailer has electric brakes, never seen straight electric brakes on a boat trailer?

With regard to replacing the factory brake controller I know some folks that installed the Ford unit themselves then only had to take it to the dealer to have it calibrated via computer.

For a 22 I believe that the 3.31 would work fine. There is a lot of discussion of axle ratios on the Ford Truck Forum: http://www.f150forum.com/f118/
 
Discovery":34ij99ha said:
The Ford factory brake controller in our 2012 F350 works fine with the EOH brake on our TomCat. There is a setting on the display for electric vs surge. I don't understand your problem with EOH on the F150?
Click to expand...

There is no setting on my display for electric versus surge. I would suspect an F350 is much more likely to be towing with EOH, and thus Ford's decision to include the EOH option on F250's and F350's. If I did a lot of Tomcat towing I would go back to an F250 diesel, albeit my titanium supported neck did not appreciate the ride of my F350 and F250 diesels. :roll:
 
jhwilson":gcddblvh said:
Colby,


With regard to replacing the factory brake controller I know some folks that installed the Ford unit themselves then only had to take it to the dealer to have it calibrated via computer.
Click to expand...

I simply unplugged the Ford factory controller harness and installed it directly into the Tekonsha Prodigy harness with an inexpensive adapter from eTrailer. Works great. According to Tekonsha, if you don't have the factory brake controller option the complete harness is tied up behind the panel where the factory brake controller is normally mounted.
 
JHWilson. Oh yeah, definite on the electric brakes. Just ask anybody here that has argued with me about my complete and unabashed support for all electric brakes on boat trailers. That's all I've ever used and in fact removed the hydraulic surge and installed electric brakes on this trailer! 8) Thanks for the link to the Ford Discussion forum, I'll go there next. I know many speak against the higher geared rear ends, but unless one has actual experience pulling with a 3.31, I'm not sure how much weight to put into their argument.
BTDT, thanks for the info on the controller harness. I suspect they all have the harness, with or without the tow pkg. Even if not, no big deal wiring one up. I had to do that with my Highlander. Colby
 
So much information out there, but sometimes not from those that are actually running what the discussion is about. I am getting leary about purchasing a F150 with the 3.31 rear end, as it sounds like a lot of bashing regarding it's paring with the 5.0l motor. But with few exceptions, most that bashing is coming from guys running the lower geared rearends. (Sort of like folks bashing electric brakes that don't even have all electric brakes, yet I'm running all electric on my boat trailers with no issues!) The Ford specs show the 2016 Super Crew 145" wb, with the 5.0L and 3.31 axle, can pull 8900 lbs, with a GCWR of 14,300 lbs and payload of 2100. That's more than enough for the CD-22, and would still allow me to pull a heavier trailer if the need arised. Specs also show about 2mpg/more with that combination. Many of the comments I've read in the forums talk about 3.73 axles, which I'm not even looking at. The 3.55 seems to be the standard with the tow package. Yet, just how much more gear are you getting over the 3.31. That really doesn't sound like much difference. Guess the only way I'll really know, is to pull my boat with the setup I'm looking at. Colby
 
colbysmith":2om51f3f said:
So much information out there, but sometimes not from those that are actually running what the discussion is about. I am getting leary about purchasing a F150 with the 3.31 rear end, as it sounds like a lot of bashing regarding it's paring with the 5.0l motor. Colby
Click to expand...

Colby,

My intent was not to bash anything, including the 3.31 with a 5.0, but rather relay my experience with towing a much larger boat with my F150. I'm confident you should have no issues pulling your 22 with 3.31 and 5.0 combo, but like I said, if you plan to do a lot of cross-country mountain pulling, and if it were me, I would drop down a notch on the rear end. Also, can you get a towing package with the 3.31 and 5.0? If so. than Ford must have given it their towing 'blessing' and I say go for it.

Please let us know how it turns out.

John
 
Discovery":11nr9fb5 said:
The Ford factory brake controller in our 2012 F350 works fine with the EOH brake on our TomCat. There is a setting on the display for electric vs surge. I don't understand your problem with EOH on the F150?
Click to expand...

Brent, I just looked at our F350 and didn't see that (no trailer connected). What year is your truck? I wonder if you need to have a trailer connected in order to see that options...
 
John, at least with the F150's I looked at, it seemed that all those with a tow package, came with a 3.55 rear end. Not sure how far I will pursue this. I just kind of keep my eye open, and these trucks popped up in an online advertisement. The 2016 F150 Super Crew was nice. It did only have the 5.5 bed, but with the super crew, that helped keep the overall truck a bit shorter. I doubt I could ever put a camper on it, but then a topper would really be all I need anyway. Just read different things in the forum on gas mileage, towing capability, etc. Sounds like with the 5.0L V8, it needs to rev up to pull a load. The larger double charged turbo 6 can pull more, but some are concerned with longetivity of the turbo's before a rebuild. That 6 actually gets a little less mileage than the 8. I know we are only talking a few mpg, but over time it adds up. IF the mileage is the same anyway, I think I'd prefer the 8. I have had the 302 (5.0L) in earlier Fords, and was pretty happy with it. With Ford's standard trucks, I'm not sure I'd really need the oil cooler or larger radiator that also comes as part of the tow pkg. I kind of suspect that is more for pulling closer to max load in warmer climates. The other thing that was of interest was some comments about the turbo charged 6 doing better at higher altitudes, which is reasonable. Guess the 8 starts to wheez a little bit. I don't really mind slowing down a bit, as long as I'm still pulling the load without too much problem. While I do pull the boat a lot, I also use my car as a town car, so having the unloaded mileage would be nice too. Colby
 
colbysmith":139lf114 said:
... I have had the 302 (5.0L) in earlier Fords, and was pretty happy with it... Colby
Click to expand...

Unless your earlier Fords were pretty new they didn't have the Coyote 5.0 which is much more advanced than the older Windsor 5.0s.
 
Chester, we are definitely talking the older 302. A 74 Bronco and an 87 Bronco. lol I'm sure all the newer engines are a lot more advanced and efficient! Speaking of which, I wish Ford would bring the Bronco back! Colby
 
I don't believe the 3:55 gears will impact your mileage any more than the 3:31 gear will impact towing. There is only about 7-8% difference in these gear sets. I have a 2015 F150 crew 4x4 with 3.73 gears and it still gets 20-23 mpg on the highway with the 5.0. I just got back from a long trip with the boat in tow and it got 13 mpg (again) at 60-70 mph. Honestly, the 5.0 has way more than enough power, gets good mileage, and seems like it makes way more power than the 387 hp it is rated at. I love mine so far.
 
I've been killing a lot of time on the Ford Forum reading all the posts on the F150 drive train combinations. I've also looked at the 2016 Ford Tow ratings and all things considered, see that at least with the 3.5 eco boost or 5.0l, they provide quite a bit more leeway than my Highlander. However, the truck I am looking at has the 5.0, and the numbers don't give the 6 cyl ecoboost any better mileage. (Probably because of a lower geared rearend.)

As an example, my 2010 Highlander with it's 6 cyl and tow package has these specs:
HP 270 @ 6200 rpm
Torque 248 @ 4700 rpm

Compared to the F150 Super Crew cab, 5.5 box and 145" WB (4x4)
HP 385@ 5750 rpm
Torque 387 @ 3850 rpm.

Highlander curb weight 4321, GVWR 6000, Payload 1679
F150 curb weight 4850 GVWR 7000, Payload 2072 GCWR 14,300

Highlander tow limit 5,000
F150 Tow limit 8,900

Highlander axle 3.48 F150 3.31.

As I've stated before, I've been quite impressed with the Highlander's actual capability towing over the Rockies. But with the comparisons above, I have to believe that the 2016 F150 SuperCrew I'm looking at, would tow just as well, if not much better. The mileage is probably the disadvantage. In the Highlander, not towing, I average 19 in town and 23 hwy. Towing has been anywhere from 7 (very strong headwinds) to 14 (flat with some tail wind) with a no wind average of 12-13. Towing in the Rockies was around 9. Towing speeds are 55-61, normal hwy of about 70. The Ford Excursion I owned previously, with the V10 only got about 9 towing, and 15-17 Hwy. I'd be quite happy if a newer F150 could get me 20-22 Hwy, and no worse than the Highlander towing.

Back to the forum stuff, seems like a lot of guys are recommending the 3.55 or 3.73 axles for towing. I also see from Ford Specs that the 3.5 turbo boost with the 3.55 axle increases the tow rating to 11,500 and GCWR to 16,900. However the payload is only 1570, if I read the numbers right. Either way, seems like all the specs point to the 5.0l with the 3.31 axle (and the 6 speed electronic trans) should be plenty of truck to tow with. Colby
 
The aluminum F150 with the 5.0 will easily get 20-23 mpg on the highway. With 331 you might even get more as I have 373 gears. I doubt you'll see a huge difference, but maybe a 5% increase.
 
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