question on 4:10 gears...

[rey and sandra]

I just purchased my '03 marauder in Anahiem. It was new in the showroom with 120 miles on it. I think I stole it at 25k, judging from some of the used MM prices I've seen. I was lucky to find a 03 still available new in 04, dealer was super motivated to sell. It is silver birch. Not too knowlegable about changing my gears to the often suggested 4:10. What all do I need to purchase to get this beauty 4:10s? Will purchasing the new handheld Super Chips Tuner or a chip from dennis do it, or is that just part of the process? :confused:

[martyo]

I just purchased my '03 marauder in Anahiem. It was new in the showroom with 120 miles on it. I think I stole it at 25k, judging from some of the used MM prices I've seen. I was lucky to find a 03 still available new in 04, dealer was super motivated to sell. It is silver birch. Not too knowlegable about changing my gears to the often suggested 4:10. What all do I need to purchase to get this beauty 4:10s? Will purchasing the new handheld Super Chips Tuner from dennis do it, or is that just part of the process? :confused:
First off Congrats on the purchase, you will love it. Plus, you have just found the site with all the answers!

To change the gears you will need to swap out the existing 3.55 gears from the rear end. That requires new gears (the 4.10's). Dennis can sell you Ford Motor Sport (FMS) gears for this swap and then you can take them to your local mechanic for the swap, if you aren't a skilled mechanic yourself.

IMHO, the swap/chip is one of the best first mod's you can do in terms of bang for the buck.

[rey and sandra]

Thanks martyo, I love this site. Do I need to replace the gears and get the scmt at the same time? if not, which do I do first?
First off Congrats on the purchase, you will love it. Plus, you have just found the site with all the answers!

To change the gears you will need to swap out the existing 3.55 gears from the rear end. That requires new gears (the 4.10's). Dennis can sell you Ford Motor Sport (FMS) gears for this swap and then you can take them to your local mechanic for the swap, if you aren't a skilled mechanic yourself.

IMHO, the swap/chip is one of the best first mod's you can do in terms of bang for the buck.

[martyo]

Thanks martyo, I love this site. Do I need to replace the gears and get the scmt at the same time? if not, which do I do first?
In my opnion they work best as a package. If you do the gears first, the speedo will be off. Besides, one of the best arguments in favor of the SCMT/chip/reflash is that the shift points on the '03s simply suck, so which ever route (SCMT/chip/reflash wise) you go, you will fix this problem. If you do the gears first, you will not have addressed this problem.

Come to NY, bring some of the CA sun with you, and I will show you first hand what the effects of these mods are!

[rey and sandra]

wish i could make that trip to new york my man! Thanks for the invite. This site kicks serious butt. You schooled me on my first mod, thanks so much for sharing the knowledge, now I know... do em both and do em soon!!!
In my opnion they work best as a package. If you do the gears first, the speedo will be off. Besides, one of the best arguments in favor of the SCMT/chip/reflash is that the shift points on the '03s simply suck, so which ever route (SCMT/chip/reflash wise) you go, you will fix this problem. If you do the gears first, you will not have addressed this problem.

Come to NY, bring some of the CA sun with you, and I will show you first hand what the effects of these mods are!

[rey and sandra]

one last question, will changing the gears to 4.10s void my warranty?
wish i could make that trip to new york my man! Thanks for the invite. This site kicks serious butt. You schooled me on my first mod, thanks so much for sharing the knowledge, now I know... do em both and do em soon!!!

[Murader03]

one last question, will changing the gears to 4.10s void my warranty?
Welcome to the board and ownership of a great car.

If you have a good dealer who is mod friendly, then maybe not. At the most it'll void the warranty on the rear end. Secondly, if you've kept up with post on the board, you'll have read about the driveshaft and vibrations. Another good mod!
I would approach the dealer with inquiries about doing mods first, and if the kinda backstep, then don't push it. There should be ample speed shops in California that will do the work for you, and after that, it's don't ask, don't tell.
Boy, when you get these simple mods done, you'll really get to enjoy the car.
Enjoy, and let us know what you think of the car after these simple mods!

[rey and sandra]

Thanks, this site makes me feel like i own something really special. question, if i can only do either the new gears or the scmt, one at a time, which do you folks recommend i do first?
Welcome to the board and ownership of a great car.

If you have a good dealer who is mod friendly, then maybe not. At the most it'll void the warranty on the rear end. Secondly, if you've kept up with post on the board, you'll have read about the driveshaft and vibrations. Another good mod!
I would approach the dealer with inquiries about doing mods first, and if the kinda backstep, then don't push it. There should be ample speed shops in California that will do the work for you, and after that, it's don't ask, don't tell.
Boy, when you get these simple mods done, you'll really get to enjoy the car.
Enjoy, and let us know what you think of the car after these simple mods!

[crom]

I would do the SCMT first. then when you do your gears you will already have the capability to adjust the speedo with the tuner for the gear change.

[BillyGman]

I would do the SCMT first. then when you do your gears you will already have the capability to adjust the speedo with the tuner for the gear change.

yep, a good point. And I'd get the Superchips tuner from Dennis Reinhart(a vendor on this board) if I were you since he is offering the latest, and most capable version. BTW, welcome aboard.

[Murader03]

Thanks, this site makes me feel like i own something really special. question, if i can only do either the new gears or the scmt, one at a time, which do you folks recommend i do first?

BillyG and Crom have good points. Your gonna be spending about the same for gears and a DR Performance chip less the cost of install, for the Tuner. But, if you get the Stage 1 from Dennis and a single bank chip, you'll be ready to fly for about the same amount of money. The Tuner can come later in your mod program after you've decided what you really want to do with the car. In the mean time, with the stage 1 and chip, you'll be enjoying the car more. It's really a judgement call on what you want for immediate upgrades. You're gonna be pulling your hair out trying to decide what to do first! But, my $.02, go for stage 1 with a single bank performance chip!:burnout:

[BillyGman]

It's really a judgement call on what you want for immediate upgrades. You're gonna be pulling your hair out trying to decide what to do first!

This is true. For instance, I have a computer chip that I bought from Dennis, and for the most part it's fine, but I wish that I had bought the Superchips Tuner from him instead. If I want to change anything about the chip(shift points, rev limiter RPM, etc., etc) then I have to remove it and send it back to Dennis. He does that for free(unlike some other companies that sell chips) but it's inconvenient. If I had the Supertuner, then I wouldn't have to send it back for changes since I'd be able to do them myself. And if I didn't like the changes that were made, then I can change everything back myself also if I had the SCT.

[FordNut]

And as far as warranty issues are concerned, with the SCT you can reload the OEM program before service while the chip is obvious and the dealer's service dept can tell. It is a risk for voiding the entire drivetrain warranty. As for the gearsa and warranty, it may void the rearend warranty but that's about all.

And these two mods will make you think it's a totally different car.

[MARAUDERCHICK]

Welcome Rey and Sandra!!

I would definately recommend a Stage 1 kit from Dennis Reinhart.

Stage 1 includes: The PCM chip, Denso plugs, 180 thermostat, 4.10 Ford Motorsport gears and the rear sway bar.

I'm having mine installed this weekend!! Along with the underdrive pulley's.

Give Dennis a call, he can go over all the details and make recommendations for you....his number is 904-276-5003. He doesn't mind you calling.

Congrats on your purchase!! :rock:

[RF Overlord]

rey and sandra:

2 more cents here...

1. Get the Superchips Custom Tuning handheld tuner, along with the plugs, 180° thermostat, and underdrive pulleys...this will be, as others have said, the biggest bang for your buck.

2. Then go for either 4.10s or 4.30s, depending on how much highway driving you do, along with metal matrix driveshaft (a must-do with those gears).

3. Together, these mods will make you happy for quite a while...you can then take your time deciding how to proceed...there are good number of additional options left: suspension mods, exhaust mods, cosmetics, all the way up to a couple of AMAZING blower setups, all available from the vendors on this board.

4. Remember: ANYTHING you do to your car CAN void the warranty, if the dealer decides to push the issue...some are much more tolerant of the more established mods than others, so, as Murader03 already said, look around...

[rey and sandra]

Thank you all, this site is amazing... basically i'm in shock at how fast you all respond with so much helpfull info. I cant wait to have the knowledge and experience to properly contribute to this killer site!!! The response in O.C. for this vehicle is "Ma-what-der?" People are flippin' out about this car. So much attention on the street, and I love the fact that I've seen exactly 0 marauders on the street in O.C. I had to swap cars with my friend on a trip to the store just to see it on the road from a spectator perspective. Needless to say, IM IN LOVE!!! Thanks again everyone!
Welcome Rey and Sandra!!

I would definately recommend a Stage 1 kit from Dennis Reinhart.

Stage 1 includes: The PCM chip, Denso plugs, 180 thermostat, 4.10 Ford Motorsport gears and the rear sway bar.

I'm having mine installed this weekend!! Along with the underdrive pulley's.

Give Dennis a call, he can go over all the details and make recommendations for you....his number is 904-276-5003. He doesn't mind you calling.

Congrats on your purchase!! :rock:

[jgc61sr2002]

Rey and Sandra - Welcome aboard. Good luck with your new ride. Enjoy. :up:

[Smokie]

I just purchased my '03 marauder in Anahiem. It was new in the showroom with 120 miles on it. I think I stole it at 25k,
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the board !!! You have already received great advise so Welcome. :beer:

[LVMarauder]

Hi , please check the Parts for sale section, you might be interested.