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SHould I step up to 33s from 31s

i wheeled with 31's on 307's which i suspect will be similar to 33's on 3.55's. didnt do too bad, just lots of slipping the clutch since it was a manual. it will be hard on your trans, a trans cooler with a fan is probably a good thing.
 
vetteboy said:
Couldn't disagree more. IMO a front locker is about the best thing you can do to a wheeling rig. Especially since where he lives is pretty damn flat.

Like Bob said, I'm glad I just built my rig and tried stuff instead of reading about it on the Internet. For me to spend 3 years and 50,000 miles with 33's, 3.55s, and a 5-speed it can't have been all that awful.

And in fact, it worked fine. 4th gear just became the new 5th most of the time.
Click to expand...
5-spd + 3.55s > AW4 + 3.55s
I hated driving with 31's and stock 3.55s/AW4. Offroad probably alright depending on what you're doing.
Like others have mentioned. If you can get them and hold on to them, do it. Try em out if you like.
I wouldn't go larger without a regear. I didn't even want my 31's without a regear, but was able to gear it in a timely manner afterwards.
Choice is yours.
 
vetteboy said:
Couldn't disagree more. IMO a front locker is about the best thing you can do to a wheeling rig. Especially since where he lives is pretty damn flat.

Like Bob said, I'm glad I just built my rig and tried stuff instead of reading about it on the Internet. For me to spend 3 years and 50,000 miles with 33's, 3.55s, and a 5-speed it can't have been all that awful.

And in fact, it worked fine. 4th gear just became the new 5th most of the time.
Click to expand...
you regeared or swapped your axles to 3.55?


agree on the front locker, my rear elocker stopped working a while ago and i hardly notice. the front locker does all the work.
 
vetteboy said:
Couldn't disagree more. IMO a front locker is about the best thing you can do to a wheeling rig. Especially since where he lives is pretty damn flat.

Like Bob said, I'm glad I just built my rig and tried stuff instead of reading about it on the Internet. For me to spend 3 years and 50,000 miles with 33's, 3.55s, and a 5-speed it can't have been all that awful.

And in fact, it worked fine. 4th gear just became the new 5th most of the time.
Click to expand...

haha I ran 31's on stock 3.07's, then swapped 3.55's from the yard, it all kind of sucked but re-gearing is definitely a luxury. It was ok though at the time. I had the 3.55's for a bit when I went to 33's and never made it to 5th gear & wheeling was a pain & would get clutch fade from being on it so much. Got a new slave cyl & 4:56 gears, couldn't be happier even though I haven't done 80mph in years.....(under 3000k rpm)
 
I ran 31s on my 97 AW4 for 7 1/2 years before I stepped up to 33s and I will tell you 33s are MUCH better to wheel with than 31s. I rolled right over obstacles with ease that took more effort to get over with 31s. I have had the 33s on with stock gears now for 2 1/2 years and I will say it is tough on the Jeep. It does not go fast AT ALL. But with all the performance mods I have done, air intake, 99+ intake manifold, header, high flow cat, flowmaster 50 series, 703 Neon injectors (these gave me the biggest boost in MPG), I can still pull about 13.5-14 in town and 16-17 highway (depending on how hard the wind is blowing). In this hot summer heat here in Georgia my trans gets very hot (I have a gauge and aux cooler bypassing the stock in radiator cooler) and my engine tends to run a little hotter than I like, nothing dangerous probably 215-218. Pretty sure my fan clutch needs replacing as well. My plan was 33s and save for re-gearing, just taking longer to get the money together. But outside of it running hot during the summer it isn't THAT bad with 33s, just not ideal by any means.

So, can you run 33s daily? My experienced opinion is Yes. Is it hard on the Jeep? Yes, but again in my experienced opinion its not terrible.

Here is my advice, get the 33s, try them out and see how you like them. If you don't like the performance throw back on the 31s and run them until they are worn out. During this time save up for re-gearing. Re-gearing, 33s, and those lockers will make your rig a very capable vehicle.
 
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having 33/35"s on stock gearing is like having a super fine girlfriend who doesn't put out.

There, that's my peace, its your rig, do what makes you happy. I personally wouldn't be happy with big tires and no guts to move them.
 
fallacist said:
having 33/35"s on stock gearing is like having a super fine girlfriend who doesn't put out.

There, that's my peace, its your rig, do what makes you happy. I personally wouldn't be happy with big tires and no guts to move them.
Click to expand...

:roflmao: thanks for the sig.
 
33'S and 3.55's. been doing it for a while now.

highway driving is fine, its unnoticeable.

city driving, is where i notice that i am under geared.

if they are a good deal buy em. like others said if you don't like the drive put the 31's back on.
 
Buy them and try them. If you do not like it put the 31's back on and save for a re-gear... simple......
 
Vanimal said:
gotcha. i wished i had 3.55's when i was still wheeling with 3.07's. who's idea was it to use that gearing lol
Click to expand...

People who wanted more fuel efficiency.
 
REWSTER said:
33'S and 3.55's. been doing it for a while now.

highway driving is fine, its unnoticeable.

city driving, is where i notice that i am under geared.

if they are a good deal buy em. like others said if you don't like the drive put the 31's back on.
Click to expand...

This is my experience as well. I love my 33's and on the highway (assuming not a crapton of hills and I maintain the engine happily cruising above 2k rpm), I get between 20 and 21MPG (confirmed with three tanks on a long road trip). City is where I took the hit more, going down to about 14MPG.

So far, I haven't had any problems off-roading either...being extra gentle on the throttle and using 4lo when cruising around seems to work just fine. :) (Eventually I'll regear or swap the t-case for something with a lower 4lo :p)
 
TheCodeMonk said:
This is my experience as well. I love my 33's and on the highway (assuming not a crapton of hills and I maintain the engine happily cruising above 2k rpm), I get between 20 and 21MPG (confirmed with three tanks on a long road trip). City is where I took the hit more, going down to about 14MPG.
Click to expand...

And you have based this info with the correct speedo gear matched for 33" tires and stock gears? If not....Your stock speedo is turning more revolutions making it seem like you going further than you actually did. Giving you a 20-21 mpg bs reading. Realistically your probably getting much less than that.
 
CaliXJ said:
And you have based this info with the correct speedo gear matched for 33" tires and stock gears? If not....Your stock speedo is turning more revolutions making it seem like you going further than you actually did. Giving you a 20-21 mpg bs reading. Realistically your probably getting much less than that.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's the other way around. Your stock speedo gear will make the speedo and odometer read less than reality when running larger tires.
 
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