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 Post subject: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 9:24 pm 
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lives at LUVTruck.com

Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:37 pm
Posts: 296
Location: Apex, NC
What can I do to make a stock 75 LUV a better highway truck? This thing sounds about wound out at 60 MPH, and I'm afraid to push her much past that. My 79 is stock also and I've had that one up to 90 a few times! There has got to be something I can do to this drivetrain to make it better out on the open road! Any suggestions?


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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 11:19 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:52 am
Posts: 1124
Location: Hot Springs AR
I have a stock 78 and a V8 72 and I prefer the V8 truck by far. My 72 has a 307 with a turbo 350 trans, also a Ford 9 inch rear with 3.00 freeway gears. It is no problem cruising at 70. The 78 however struggles to hit 60 with the stock G180. When the 78 was built the speed limit was 55 so that is where is likes to cruise and not much faster. You can make it better with a 5 speed but in my opinion the stock motor is the weakest part of a LUV and a V8 swap is the ticket. You don't have to build a drag truck, a reliable stock V8 is plenty of power and simple to maintain.

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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:44 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:36 am
Posts: 607
Location: Northern, East Bay, Calif
1st i'd say keep an eye on your temp if you feel your pushing it

They're not the easiest to find but find you a 5 spd. that extra gear helps

I have a 77ss (step-side) all stock with a new 10k miles (stored over the yrs) stock 1.8L motor w/5spd & I've had mine up to 100 mph a

couple times :esmile ....> There are a few post here about using newer 5spd trans & swapping a few parts for a stronger trans overall.

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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:57 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:47 pm
Posts: 2944
Location: Vancouver, Washington
5 speed would help. It's not a really high amount of overdrive something like 15 or 17% I have it written somewhere but it's better than none.
Also there is the diesel diff gears, 3.42 I think. which are hard to find but coupled with a 5 speed would make highway cruising at 60+ much more comfortable if it was worth it to you for daily driving

But like was said it was built to cruise at 55mph and 3k rpm all day long. Higher is just wasting gas in stock form, i took mine 55mph in 70 zones it feels most comfortabe there and got great mileage

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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 5:17 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:37 pm
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Location: Apex, NC
The V-8 idea has been tempting me for awhile now, but it's just not in the budget. I didn't think the 5-speed swap was an option with the older 1.8, just the 76 up G180. I did think about a lower rear end gear, but that would make it slower, and I'm not really looking to do that. It feels fairly peppy in town, but it just sounds like it is revving much higher at 55 than my 79 stock long bed. I can cruise at 70 all day long comfortably in the 79, and it will happily go 85+! Maybe I will just have to save up and do the V-8 someday.


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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:08 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:52 am
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Location: Hot Springs AR
I am a little biased toward the V8 mostly because I have driven a SBC powered vehicle most of my life. When I got my 72 it had the 4.56 rear end still and at 45 the V8 was screaming. I first swapped in a 3.42 rear carrier from an 81 LUV and followed that with some 235.75.15 tires (pretty tall) which made it able to go on the freeway. I was still at 3k or higher at freeway speeds. The 9 inch with 3.00 is awesome and I went back down to 245.60.15 tires. Good luck and hold out the the V8! 8)

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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 3:02 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:59 pm
Posts: 55
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
I think yours has 4.56 gears stock and the 4x4 LUV's had 4.10 gears. you could yank the diff from a 4x4 for better highway gears although i'm not sure it would help a ton but i'm sure it would help a bit if you can find one cheap and your axle is the same

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 Post subject: Re: Stock 75 upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 8:40 pm 
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lives at LUVTruck.com

Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:37 pm
Posts: 296
Location: Apex, NC
Well, I think the newer 2wd truck is a 3.73, and I have one from the 80 LUV I wrecked, but I didn't know if the speedometer would be wrong then.


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