confused about speedo
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confused about speedo
I am somewhat confused about getting a speedo calibrated on a 99+ f-150. It seems that the dealer can only calibrate up to 265/70 but the microtuner can go up to 37" tires? how is it that one can and one can't, it should be basically doing the same thing! I hate to shell out $300 just to get the speedo calibrated to my 35" tires. I understand you get performance increase, but i am really not looking for anymore. Does anyone make a product or offer a service just to calibrate a 99+ ford speedo? If not, someone could make alot of money with a product that could.
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Joined: Mar 1998
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From: Virginia
Hi 99,
No, Ford dealerships can't do anything like that, all they can do is to change to gear ratios & tire sizes that were already offered by the factory on that particular vehicle. Anything different than that, they can't do it, period.
I can't imagine *any* F-150 with 37" tires that doesn't desparately need a *lot* of help in the performance department, on top of a gear ratio change, but maybe you've already done significant performance modifications & just haven't mentioned them.
Not only do 37" tires (that are actually a true 37" tall, & most are not) require about a 4.75 - 5.13 gear ratio to get the engine back up to turning the number of rpms at a given speed that it needs to in order to be operating in it's power band, but that's also a very significant increase in load on the motor, as well as a significant increase in unsprung weight.
We *might* be able to help you with this, I know that we offer a device that can correct the speedo on the Super Duty trucks, you could give Anita a call at our shop & she can check to make sure if we can do that for your F-150 without having to do the rest of the Superchips tuning.
Another alternative for you is to use not the Micro Tuner, but instead just use the traditional Superchip module instead, in either single or dual program varities. We can make a single program Superchip that will correct the speedo and give you a little bit more power on 87 octane, and you'll still get all the other benefits from the Superchip so the truck will be more responsive & accelerate a bit quicker. Or, we could set you up with the dual program Flip Chip, giving you a pair of performance programs, one for 87 octane and the other being our normal full performance tune for premium gas. A lot of peoole have gone this route, so they can just flip the toggle switch to change programs for those times when they want to run premium gas and have maximum power.
Just FYI, you do have some options here............
Our contact info is below if you'd like to give us a call, & good luck!
No, Ford dealerships can't do anything like that, all they can do is to change to gear ratios & tire sizes that were already offered by the factory on that particular vehicle. Anything different than that, they can't do it, period.
I can't imagine *any* F-150 with 37" tires that doesn't desparately need a *lot* of help in the performance department, on top of a gear ratio change, but maybe you've already done significant performance modifications & just haven't mentioned them.
Not only do 37" tires (that are actually a true 37" tall, & most are not) require about a 4.75 - 5.13 gear ratio to get the engine back up to turning the number of rpms at a given speed that it needs to in order to be operating in it's power band, but that's also a very significant increase in load on the motor, as well as a significant increase in unsprung weight.
We *might* be able to help you with this, I know that we offer a device that can correct the speedo on the Super Duty trucks, you could give Anita a call at our shop & she can check to make sure if we can do that for your F-150 without having to do the rest of the Superchips tuning.
Another alternative for you is to use not the Micro Tuner, but instead just use the traditional Superchip module instead, in either single or dual program varities. We can make a single program Superchip that will correct the speedo and give you a little bit more power on 87 octane, and you'll still get all the other benefits from the Superchip so the truck will be more responsive & accelerate a bit quicker. Or, we could set you up with the dual program Flip Chip, giving you a pair of performance programs, one for 87 octane and the other being our normal full performance tune for premium gas. A lot of peoole have gone this route, so they can just flip the toggle switch to change programs for those times when they want to run premium gas and have maximum power.
Just FYI, you do have some options here............
Our contact info is below if you'd like to give us a call, & good luck!
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I don't have 37" tires, i got 35" tires with a 3.73 rearend. The power loss is actually minimal but I would really like to get the speedo right. I am thinking the superchip is probably the way to go. I would assume it is cheaper than the micro tuner. I am basically looking for a way to calibrate the speedo and the superchip seems to be my only option, which isn't bad. I have a cold air intake and dual exhaust, Is it possible to program a chip with a few extras while keeping it on 87-89 octane? Thanks for all the info, could you please email me with any more info you may have.
Ron
Ron
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Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Tallahassee, FL
You should actually be running a 4.56 gear in your rear-end for your drivetrain to be working to spec. I run 32" tires with a 3.55 rear-end and it needed some serious help (like min of 3.73, 4.10 would be perfect).
Just my .02 cents
Just my .02 cents
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Ron,
Ahh, my mistake, I misread your post. You said that you have 35" tires, you just *asked* about the Micro Tuner's ability to do up to 37" tires, which is correct by the way. There are some codes it can do up to 44 inches, but 37" is the general workable maximum that we advertise.
The same still applies with 35" tires, the engine is still *way* out of it's power band and not turning enough rpms for any given speed, and 4.56 gears should be installed. That gets a 3.55-geared F-150 back up to roughly about the same rpms as it was turning before, for a 3.73-geared truck it will still be turning a few rpms less, but in any case it's a large improvement over trying to run 35" with factory gearing. This is of course up to you, andddd it's certainly very expensive to do (usually $1500 for a 4WD), but installing 4.56 gears would actually *improve* your fuel mileage, as well as significantly improve your performance. It can alwys be done later, too, or not at all if you prefer!
In the traditional Superchip module, yes, we can provide you up with a program for use on lower octane, that just can't be done in the Micro Tuner. Remember that you're going to give up the vast majority of the raw power gain if you have us tune it for 87 or so octane, though you'll still get all the other benefits, such as better shift characteristics, delays & retards removed, etc., so teh vehicle will be a bit more responsive.
Actually, because the real world increase in fuel costs is minimal compared to what most people assume (a maximum of $100 per 10,000 miles driven & for many people even less), you might want to think about just using the Micro Tuner, as that will be cheaper than paying for the custom programming to correct the speedometer in addition to the cost of the standard single program Superchip, and you'll not only have better performance, but also have the ability to change your speedo calibration anytime in the future at no cost should you ever chagne tires size again, or install different gears, etc., but you'll also have it's built-on OBD-II code scanner, too. Again, this is strictly up to you, we're happy to do this however *you* prefer, it's just our job to point these things out for your consideration.
Almost nobody goes with the lower octane tuning we offer, virtually everyone wants the full performance & power gain because the difference in fuel costs are actually very small, another $2-$3 a week at the gas pump for most people driving 15,000-20,000 miles per year.
The bottom line is, it's all up to you & what you want for your vehicle & driving conditions/needs, etc., we'll be happy to accommodate you.
With regard to your intake kit & exhaust mods, the tuning doesn't need to be changed for that. In the late-model F-150 (and many other vehicles) modifications like those do not cause any need for custom engine tuning to compensate for, and there isn't any more power to be had by doing so, nor do the A/F's require correction. That's only requried when you do things like a different MAF, larger fuel injectors, and actual engine modifications like a blower, ported cylinder heads, or with the use of nitrous oxide, etc.
Give us a call to go over any details, options, or pricing, etc.
Ahh, my mistake, I misread your post. You said that you have 35" tires, you just *asked* about the Micro Tuner's ability to do up to 37" tires, which is correct by the way. There are some codes it can do up to 44 inches, but 37" is the general workable maximum that we advertise.
The same still applies with 35" tires, the engine is still *way* out of it's power band and not turning enough rpms for any given speed, and 4.56 gears should be installed. That gets a 3.55-geared F-150 back up to roughly about the same rpms as it was turning before, for a 3.73-geared truck it will still be turning a few rpms less, but in any case it's a large improvement over trying to run 35" with factory gearing. This is of course up to you, andddd it's certainly very expensive to do (usually $1500 for a 4WD), but installing 4.56 gears would actually *improve* your fuel mileage, as well as significantly improve your performance. It can alwys be done later, too, or not at all if you prefer!
In the traditional Superchip module, yes, we can provide you up with a program for use on lower octane, that just can't be done in the Micro Tuner. Remember that you're going to give up the vast majority of the raw power gain if you have us tune it for 87 or so octane, though you'll still get all the other benefits, such as better shift characteristics, delays & retards removed, etc., so teh vehicle will be a bit more responsive.
Actually, because the real world increase in fuel costs is minimal compared to what most people assume (a maximum of $100 per 10,000 miles driven & for many people even less), you might want to think about just using the Micro Tuner, as that will be cheaper than paying for the custom programming to correct the speedometer in addition to the cost of the standard single program Superchip, and you'll not only have better performance, but also have the ability to change your speedo calibration anytime in the future at no cost should you ever chagne tires size again, or install different gears, etc., but you'll also have it's built-on OBD-II code scanner, too. Again, this is strictly up to you, we're happy to do this however *you* prefer, it's just our job to point these things out for your consideration.
Almost nobody goes with the lower octane tuning we offer, virtually everyone wants the full performance & power gain because the difference in fuel costs are actually very small, another $2-$3 a week at the gas pump for most people driving 15,000-20,000 miles per year.
The bottom line is, it's all up to you & what you want for your vehicle & driving conditions/needs, etc., we'll be happy to accommodate you.
With regard to your intake kit & exhaust mods, the tuning doesn't need to be changed for that. In the late-model F-150 (and many other vehicles) modifications like those do not cause any need for custom engine tuning to compensate for, and there isn't any more power to be had by doing so, nor do the A/F's require correction. That's only requried when you do things like a different MAF, larger fuel injectors, and actual engine modifications like a blower, ported cylinder heads, or with the use of nitrous oxide, etc.
Give us a call to go over any details, options, or pricing, etc.