Anty way to but lower gears in a Pinto rear axle to climb hills better?

Anty way to but lower gears in a Pinto rear axle to climb hills better?

There are many things to factor:

1. Are you talking about just getting up any hill regardless of how fast?

If this is the case then downshifting should get the car up most hills. . ., it will just be slow.

2. Are you talking about getting uphills at highway speeds (55-75 MPH)?

If you are struggling to maintain highways speeds while going up a hill that is a different matter. The number of people (and what they weigh), and any other weight items in the car will be a factor.

 The car being in a decent state of tune is another factor. A car may run fine in everyday driving but because the fuel demand is so high on hills a partially clogged air and/or fuel filter may starve the engine. Does the car properly downshift on hills (or do you downshift if a manual)?

Knowing what gear ratio you have would be a starting point for consideration. If you have the 8" rear it likely has 3.40 or 3.55 gears (there is also a 3.00 In the Mustang II). The 6-3/4" had I believe 2.73, 3.18, 3.27, 3.40 and 3.55. Note that these are based on the Pinto/Mustang II list and all may not be available in a Pinto.

If you have the 2.73 or a 3.00 (3.00 not likel,y wasn't offered in the Pinto) that might be a problem on hills. The 3.18 and 3.27 less so. But if you have 3.40 or 3.55 gears you are probably doing about the best you can regarding hills.  Just remember if you go to a higher number (considered going "Lower" - I know confusing speak) your engine will turn faster  in normal driving, your mileage will suffer and ANY gear change will affect how the speedometer reads.

In the end these are cars that were not known for their power. And most attempts to add more only does so at higher RPMs. But what you want for hills is more torque at a lower RPM. In most cases you only get that with a bigger engine.