What is the difference between the 3.73 and 4.10 gear ratios?
3.73 gear ratio:
3.73 is the gear ratio for a standard 4-speed transmission, which is used in vehicles with a small cross-section (light-duty trucks and vans).
4.10 gear ratio:
4.10 is the typical gear ratio for a high-performance vehicle like a sports car or SUV because it provides better acceleration than 3.73 because of the faster second and third gears, which provide more torque at lower speeds to accelerate from a stop.
The limited-slip differential in a 4.10 vehicle provides better traction control than on 3.73 vehicles. 3rd gear in a 3.73 system has a 2.23:1 ratio while 4th gear has .70:1 or 2.27:1, and 3rd gear in a 4.10 system is 2.32:1 with 4th at 1.00:1 or 1.96:1
As you can see, the differential gears are larger in a 4.10 transmission system than in a 3.73 one because it allows for more torque to be distributed to the wheels when going through tight turns and other adverse weather conditions, like rain or mud, which would allow for greater traction control on wet surfaces when driving with the limited-slip differential engaged (locked).
3.73 vs 4.10
Most manufacturers design cars with 4.10 gears in the rear axle because it is a good fit for most situations. There are several tradeoffs with 3.73 gears, including slower acceleration, higher gas consumption, and reduced torque at lower speeds.
The advantages include improved fuel efficiency in stop-and-go traffic and off the beaten path; more space for larger engine components such as air intake systems; and better drivability on slippery surfaces like snow or sand.
Because 4.10 gears are almost always used in the rear axle, gearbox and differential manufacturers specify their products to suit either 3.73 or 4.10 gears based on the car’s intended application:
- A transmission suitable for a high-performance vehicle like a sports car or an SUV would most likely be rated with better cable ratios for the third, fourth, and fifth gears, and it would also have more gearing in the lower ratios in order to provide smooth torque at lower speeds. The transmission might be designed to be used with a limited-slip differential.
- A car intended for use in normal driving conditions would most likely have the 4.10 gearbox and limited-slip differential options.
- A used vehicle with lower speeds will most likely have 3.73 gears, because of fuel efficiency and quieter cabin noise. However, the transmission may have been rated for 4.10 when it was new through the dealer to ensure smooth shifting when off-road or on slippery surfaces for delivery trucks or utility vehicles (UVs). Most dealerships store their vans, trucks, and SUVs with 3.73 gears, and if the vehicle went off-road or operated in rural areas, they would most likely have 4.10 gears installed.
- Because it is best for off-road transit applications, a light-duty pickup truck may have a standard 3.73 gearbox and differential when it was new that was replaced by the limited-slip differential for performance on the road when headed off-road during normal driving conditions. The transmissions would most likely be returned to the original gearing combination when the truck was sent back to its owner — even if it had been driven only in urban areas — because most customers aren’t interested in sifting through 3rd gear on interstate highways at 75mph (12km/h). 3.73 gears are not as popular as 4.10 systems in the US because they have drawbacks:
- Slower acceleration – In a manual transmission, 3.73 gears don’t have enough gearing in third and fourth when compared to 4.10 for the same number of teeth because 3rd gear is only 2.23:1 and the same is true with 4th gear at .70:1. If you want more speed, then you would need a larger engine or more aggressive driving style that would make up for slower acceleration at lower speeds.
- Higher fuel consumption – Because of the lack of gearing when going up hills, it can take longer for a vehicle to begin to accelerate after staying at speed on a level surface.
Are 3.73 or 4.10 gears better?
I would rather have a 4.10 transmission than a 3.73 with the limited-slip differential, even if I was to open up my throttle a bit at higher speeds to give me better acceleration because it is better able to handle the power of my engine.
I want the best possible fuel efficiency for my vehicle, but not at the sacrifice of acceleration. If I had a vehicle with smaller engines like an SUV or minivan, then I would probably try to get the most efficient gearbox or transmission possible.
The transmission and differential that work best with these gears would be lighter weight than originals installed on vehicles with 4.10 gears. For example, Chrysler V-6s are equipped with 3.73 gears, and the 6.1L engines are rated at 300hp (224 kW) compared to the 420hp (317 kW) of the 3.8L model in a 4.10 vehicle.
I would also like it if I could install a slightly smaller size gear set for better fuel efficiency out of my engine bay, but it might be difficult to find a 4.10 or 3.73-compatible gearset for my engine in either metallurgy that is exactly the same as the original or a weight reduction that adds up to only 10lbs., where 4.10 gears weigh 120lbs. per set (3rd and 4th gears).
Do 4.10 gears make a difference?
Installing 4.10 gears and differential in a vehicle will not be cost-effective, because even though the price of the gears is less than a set of 3.73, the differential will cost much more than most people can afford.
However, it is better to have 4.10 gears installed in your vehicle for the extra power that they provide at low speeds because it allows for better acceleration through turns and makes hills less difficult to climb when you are traveling at very low speeds (30mph or 45kph), which is great for those who like off-roading or driving mountain roads.
If you have two vehicles with an identical engine, one with 3.73 gears and another with 4.10, you will notice that the 4.10 vehicle will accelerate faster from a stop and is better at climbing hills than the 3.73 vehicles because of its higher gear ratio.
The same can be applied to someone who likes to race, especially those who like drag racing (0-60mph in less than 10 seconds). Anyone that likes drag racing knows how important it is to have a good reaction time after starting the car and while driving down the track.
How fast can you go with 4.10 gears?
A vehicle with 4.10 gears and a rear end ratio of 3.73 will not be able to go faster than 100mph (161kph) on the motorway or highway because it does not have enough torque to maintain high speed with the 4th gear ratio of 1.00:1,
which will be too small and too weak for a speeding vehicle to handle it would shudder and vibrate excessively at high speeds because it would have to struggle with preserving some sort of balance in order for the car to stay intact at very low speed.
The main reason that the 4.10 gear ratio is not suitable for serious racing or drag racing is that it will simply not allow the vehicle to go fast enough.
At extremely low speeds, only 2nd and 3rd gear are used and are therefore slower than the final ratio of 1st. On this particular website, the gear ratios are obtained by measuring how far a specific speed is placed in each gear.
In order to determine how far the vehicle travels in one complete rotation, engineering formulas must be applied to achieve an approximate velocity for one complete revolution.
In this case, we will be taking into account how fast a vehicle travels at 30mph with 4.10 gears (32 km/h). 28.4 km/h = 1 revolution = 30 / 4.10 = 6.26 rotations for one revolution.
The equations to be used are: The diameter of the tire’s contact patch is placed in the circumference equation and the circumference of the tire is placed in the velocity equation. The result gives an approximate velocity for one full rotation of a vehicle with 4.10 gears when traveling at 30mph (32 km/h).
