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What gears???

S

Sephrion

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Missouri
i got a pieced together 3.5" lift (skyjacker and some other parts) and im getting 31" tires... im wanting to replace my 3.07 gears im wanting i was thinking some 4.56 gears, but this is still my daily driver so basically i need gearing that can do 65mph and run with 33" tires (planning on some trimming and a 6" lift within the next year). what should i go with?
 
Go with the 4:56...get the 33's sooner and you won't regret it.......
One of those easy questions to answer! :lecture:
But you know there is more to it than that don't you?
Auto or not...
8.25 or Dana 35....
How long do you think it will last as your daily diver...
(mine is getting close to being replaced with a 'closer to stock' XJ for
the family use)
Rick R
 
For 31" tires: Highway driving/good economy, use 3.42, 3.55, or 3.73;Daily driver/best overall performance, use 3.91, 4.11 or 4.27; Most power/towing/reduced mileage, use 4.56 or 4.88. This info is from a site I found which charts gear ratio vs tire size.
 
For 33" tires: Highway driving/good economy, use 3.73 or 3.91; Daily driver/best performance, use 4.11, 4.27 or 4.56; Most power/towing/reduced mileage, use 4.88, 5.13 or 5.29
 
Go with 4.88's, believe me you will be foolish if you go 4.56 b/c u will be running those 33's anyway. If it were def staying on 31's then go 4.56 but on 35's my 4.88's are great and on 33's it was faster. Plus when u have 4.88 and 31's you'll have a lot of fun leaving sets around town.
 
I'm sorry, I gotta step in here. Fixer, your telling him to use ratios that typically are not available in most jeep applications.

The most common setup and the #1 recomendation for 31" tires would be 4.11's
going to 33"s then the most common setup is 4.56's.
if you went off a ratio chart then it would recomend something higher like 3.55's or 3.73's. but the #1 complaint with manual tranny jeeps is that they aren't setup quick enough from the factory. auto jeeps come with 3.55's stock and manual jeeps should have the same.
now since your going to 33"s then I recommend either 4.56's which is the best compromise between power and economy, and 4.88's which will give you better power but hurt your economy a little.... but, if you have a chrysler 8.25 rear then your stuck with a max of 4.56 gears, nothing lower.
keep in mind that with 31's, 4.88's would make your jeep a rocket off the line, but kill your top end and hurt your gas milage. 4.56's won't be as painfull to get used to with your 31's.
 
I'll speak from experience here :D
For one... charts and calculations should go out the window as they do not take into account heavier rigs, increased friction (surface) and air resistance and so on.
Now, having said all that, I had 31's with 4.11's and it was fine on the trail and the freeway. Then I put 4.88's in and I was amazed! The rig came alive. I'll admit that I didn't use 1st gear on the street but I used the other 4 and I cruised @ about 3K rpms at about 70mph. I drove all the way up to the Con and back from SoCal with no adverse effects.
MPG? hmmm that's a tricky question as a lot of things affect your mpg. For some reason I wasn't burning right and I had about 15mpg before and after regear which means I have a problem but the gears didn't affect it really.
Oh and lastly I have a stick and even though I got 33's now (Good deal) I would have been driving the 4.88's and 31's till my 31's died.
 
Sephrion said:
guess i should have mentioned its a manual with the 8.25 rear, silly me posted late after a drinking binge :wierd:
Click to expand...
yeah.. the 8.25 does limit you to 4.56's... and because of all the money you're going to spend on regearing and potentially lockers I'd recommend looking for a D44 someplace in a boneyard and do it all at once: that's what I did and I love the setup.
 
Another Gear Question

'96 XJ Auto, was running 31's with stock 3.55. Just applied 32's with new wheels. Gotta change gears!! 99% Street, driven daily, one annual trip to Moab. I was thinking of 4.11. Opinions and experience, please.
Thx. Pablo
 
Re: Another Gear Question

Pablo x j Diablo said:
'96 XJ Auto, was running 31's with stock 3.55. Just applied 32's with new wheels. Gotta change gears!! 99% Street, driven daily, one annual trip to Moab. I was thinking of 4.11. Opinions and experience, please.
Thx. Pablo
Click to expand...

4.56's at least and if your axle support it get 4.88's and you will be in jeep heaven then.
 
well im a college student which means that my jeep is going to stay at 3.5 inches with the 8.25 rear... but i think ill go 4.56 gears with maybe powertrax lockers and crane high clearance diff covers (when i get my internship money). anyone have any experience with powertrax lockers?
 
4.11's Auto, 33x10.5. 18.5mpg's works great on the highway and trail. Would I have gone with 4.56's sure but I got the rear axle with an ARB and 4.11's already installed so it was a no brainer from the 3.55's and 33" tires. Juice
 
I ran 31's on 3.07's for a couple years, hated it. Then ran 31's with 4.10's (went with 4.10's because it was fairly cheap swapping in used axles). It was awesome with 31's and 4.10's. Awesome off-road, awesome off the line and around town. It wound up a little more than I liked when in the 75mph speed zones on the highway, but perfect other than that. I now run 33's with 4.10's and it's great on the highway, average around town, below average off the line, and not great at all when I get on a steep technical section off-road. If I had to do it over again, I'd narrow down a HP44 front and put waggy axle shafts in it (6x5.5 IIRC), and stick in a 96+ Tacoma axle ("8.4") in the rear (6x5.5 IIRC). The cost would probably be about the same as paying somebody to regear both your current axles. You could get the Toy axle with 4.56's already in it.
 
I currently run 4:10s and 33x12.50s, and it's not TOO bad around town. On the freeway, the tranny keeps searching for the right gear, and it's lost a little control on steep sections while wheeling.
My 4:88s should be here this weekend... :party:
 
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