Carl -- True enough about the taller wheels and tires. I doubt the 4.11 gear set/SM-420 combo would be as good with the smaller wheels and tires. I can't be any more definitive than that w/o personal experience or access to that fancy gear ratio calculator thingy someone referenced somewhere.
When did you ride with me in Charlie??? I let you get in *my* truck???????
Smallwbb -- it sortta sounds like you already had a path in mind from the beginning
which is fine. I just hope the input you received helped you refine your plan. We *do* have traditionalists here. I am one. So, ergo, the site/forum tends to have a bit of a built-in bias in that direction. About 25 years ago, I had to be strong-armed into letting those demon-possessed hooligans (i.e., hotrodders ... see mnsmith's avatar
) come in here. I kinda onboard with it now, having become demon possessed myself ( I put a 261 in my truck ... shriek!! Gasp!!!). So its not really a matter of butting heads, more like ... pig headedness on our parts. Some people may have a challenge in telling the difference between being ignored and having their experience-based input heard, considered but ultimately filed away and not used.
As long as we have helped you make an informed decision, then we've had a great day.
Just remember to set enough cash aside to get Jerry to turn your 216 into a modernized fire-breathing monster!
