Living with 5.13's

[SUBFAN]

I would like to hear from you guys that are Daily Driving with these gears behind a 700R4 and say 35's....

I am curious about all aspects such as mileage, (loaded, unloaded, towing etc.)

I don't know what all to ask here. Just give me your overall impressions about driveability, uses of the vehicle, and would you do it again.

In my mind, a low lift, 5.13's and 35x10.5 tires would make my 'Burb much more useable, driveable, and semi economic. Keep in mind this will occasionally pull a fairly light travel trailer....

My engine is somewhat undecided. 350, 383, 406, 427, 454, and 496 are all possibilities....

Thanks in advance....

 

[blowedupmotor87]

Strikes me as being a bit too low for 35's. I'd definitely say 4.56's would be a good choice (and even then, only because you have over drive!). Not bashing the 5.13's idea, just suggesting that they would be better suited to say 42's or so!

 

[obijuan]

5.13s are way too much gear. youll be at way too high RPM on the highway. youll top out at like 55-60 lol

 

[SUBFAN]

How is 2500 rpm's at 70 to much gear?

I feel cruising a V-8 at 1400 rpm's in a Suburban is a little rediculous.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I have 4.56's and wish i had gone with 5.13's. With 5.13's and a 35" tire at 65mph in OD with converotr locked you'll only be pushing 2240rpm's.

 

[obijuan]

i dd my truck with 4.56 and 37s and it seems good to me, it puts my motor where it likes it. i stepped up cause i thought my 35s were making me run too high. just preference i guess.

 

[SUBFAN]

Any heavier use with it Scott? Ever pull anything with it? I am kind of concerned about when it has to drop out of OD.

What kind of mileage do you get now?

 

[1979jimmy350]

with the steeper gears you should be able to hold overdrive better and as long as you have a rev limiter i would not worry to much about down shifting, this is the same combo that i was going to run until i went to a 465 and the 5.13's would have made me not be able to drive it on the highway, considering i cruise about 3000-3500 RPM on the highway

 

[4X4HIGH]

Any heavier use with it Scott? Ever pull anything with it? I am kind of concerned about when it has to drop out of OD.

What kind of mileage do you get now?

I've yanked a trailer around with it a time or two. The 4.56's are good but the slightest incline and it wants to "hunt" between OD and drive. Other than that i'm fairly happy with the 4.56's. I should have originally gone with 4.88's but since i'm 4.56's now the cost to change gears isn't feasable to go from 4.56 to 4.88 so that's why i'd go with 5.13's instead.

I just got finished installing a new engine last month and i'm still in the "tune" mode so i don't have any current mileage reports yet. My old tired 240K engine was getting 8.5 mpg around town and i rarely hit the freeway anymore so i don't even have a freeway mileage. Once i get the "tune" finished up then i'm going to make a point to log mileage again and do a couple long freeway trips to document that mileage.

 

[SUBFAN]

Thanks. I just feel the rpm's need to come up more into truck territory with all the additional weight and aerodynamics of a brick.

This is not Grandmas Sunday loafer. Rather it is a 5 kid haulin' everything they need overworked do it all grocery gettin' fishin' campin' haulin' Mo Fo !

I will check back with you sometime in the future about engine plans to fit the bill a little better....

 

[90_K5 Blazer]

If this helps at all, with my gearing, no overdrive, and 31 inch tires going about 75mph, Im pulling about 2300 rpm and get about 13 MPG with a stock EFI 350, if I keep my foot out of it.

 

[SUBFAN]

Nobody DD's 5.13's on here huh?

 

[ryoken]

I will be...

700r4, 38's, 5:13's...

and at times, I may have some 35, 36's on there for the inspection nazi's...

 

[CDA 455]

I will be...

X2

I decided to bump up to 5.13's because:


1) I'm now going to run a Dana 70 up front.

2) I'm now going to run a Dana 80 out back.

3) I currently have 11R 16's (37") Michelin's and think I'm going to eventually run my 395/85 R 20's (46") Michelin's.