Auto Racing: gear diameter?, hey steve, rear ends

Question
hey steve, this is Ben again.  Sorry to bother you again.  On that 95 F150, I'm gonna go with the 3.73 gear.  What ring gear diameter do I need? 8.8? 7.5? I have no idea.  Thanks.

                        -Ben

Answer
Ben-

  It's at least an 8.8"...possibly a 9".  7.5" rear ends aren't used much these days except in V6 Mustangs since...well...they don't make much power and they're lighter than your truck.  It depends on how the truck was optioned, but my guess would be that it has an 8.8" rear end.  Some came with 9" rears, but those were usually optioned with heavy duty and/or towing packages.  Hope this helps.

Steve