ok im looking at trading my 2000 4x4 4,6 5-speed(POS) on a 1999 ex cab 4.2 auto, now the 99 has 3.31's in it and they can pull 4900lbs,3.55 will pull 5500lbs the 99 does not have the towing pkg but the dealer is putting it on and being they dont care the grears they put in they told me i could have what ever i wanted 3.73 sound good or should i stick with 3.55???
im pulling 4800lbs ever weekend 80miles round trip and the rest of the time i drive 40 miles round trip to work and back so i still need gould fuel milege(thats why im going with a v6 and my old v8 leaked more oil than than it drank gas(and thats hard to do)

 

If you can get what gears you want, go for the 3.73 it will help you much more with the towing you're planning on doing. I've got the 3.55 and it works great for towing, but if you're going to do quite a bit of towing often, I'd go for the better set for that work. Good luck with your new truck

 

ok now i do a lot of driving and need good mpg will the 3.73 kill that.
most of my driving is hiway

 

the 3.73 gears will give you a little less in mpg. If you go for the 3.55 (that's what I have) it's a little more aimed towards a compromise between pulling and driving mpg. I've pulled 4500 lbs with my truck last summer(a tandem axle trailer) and know if I had to pull that much weight every week or so, I'd probably go up to the 3.73 gears even with the loss in mpg. Just my opinion.

 

i think that going from a 4.6 5 speed to a 4.2 auto is going to be very disappointing for you in the pulling department no matter which gear you get. a 4.2 5-speed maybe but not the auto.

 

All my experiences are with the 5-speed, so I really can't talk too much on the auto's performance levels. I do know that many who do have the auto get a performance chip to improve the shift points etc, And then don't have as many complaints about the truck. Even with the 5-speed I also plan on getting a flip chip for my truck when the funds permit. Just to get the most out of the truck. Good luck with whatever decision you make.