Ford Repair: Towing capacity, ford f 150, auto transmission

Question
This is not an auto question, but maybe you can help anyway.

I have a 95 Ford F-150, Auto transmission, 4.9L in-line six, with a 3.08-LS differential. I want to change out my rear end to a 3.55 for more towing ability. How difficult is this? Is it just a matter of gears in the hub, or do you change out the whole axle?

Answer
Bob-

  Well...you won't need to change the axles but it's not something I'd recommend trying yourself if you've never done it before.  It requires some special tools and you have to know how to set pinion depth, backlash, etc.  Having a shop install the gears for you is generally a reasonable price considering the labor involved.  It usually averages around $400.  Also, the gears themselves won't change your towing capacity.  They'll just make it easier to get up to speed when you're hauling heavy stuff.  Hope this helps.

Steve