Gear opinion. What's yours?

Come on all you gear heads,
I currently have:
Front and rear Waggy 44 axles with 4.88 gears.
Spool in the back and Lock Right in the front.
Alloy USA shafts up front and stock out back.
Warn hubs up front.
Stock 231 tcase with a SYE with 2.72 gears
Stock AW4 trans with 2.804 first gear
Stock 4.0
I run 36" Swampers

My current gear ratio is around 37.22:1 in 4lo 1st gear according to a calculator
I Googled.

I have a line on a set of new never installed Yukon 5.89 gears on another website.

My new gear ratio would be around 44.92:1 in 4lo 1st gear.

I do a lot of rock crawling and a little mud when I am at Rausch Creek.

Would you stick with this set up or install the lower gears?
Will I kill the engine with higher RPMs?
I found another chart that showed more power equals a lower gear(higher number)

What are the opinions out there??
Thanx for the help.
Stukboy

i would stick with the current gears and upgrade the transfer case. putting a 4:1 kit in the transfer case would give you a gear ratio of 54.656.

zedpapa

The favorite setup out here seems to be 4.88s and 35"s(Whole 'lotta rocks out here, no mud to speak of) The flip side is the 4:1 T-case is also real popular. For what you want, 'couple different ways to look at it. With a spool, I'm guessing you don't spend a lot of time on the highway, so figuring from a trail only perspective:
currently, you're a little "under" the stock ratio/tire size. (it would be almost perfect with 34"s)
You want to jump to 5.89s. 'Definitely help in the rocks. That's about 20% lower then the 4.88s, so, as an average, it would be like driving around without using OD on the street. That's about the engine speed you'll see.

The only down side: I've heard that gear sets for the D-44, 5.13 and lower start to get weak due to lack of tooth engagement area.(pinion dia. too small)

not sure about 5.89's and 36's

i have run 5.38's and 35's and been happy on the highway and offroad.

people told me the pinion strength would be an issue when i go this low with gearing, but i have broken driveshafts before i broke d44 5.38 ring and pinions

and with a low pinion front 44 at that

5.38 and 36s here. Lovin' it!

Thanx for the opinions guys. i have made my decision. I posted this on a few other sires I visit and i'm staying with my current set up.
Since my rig isn't running and these axles were in my 4cyl, 5speed YJ I don't know how they will run in my 4.0L auto XJ.
Once I get it together and run it I will revisit gears if I need them.
Thanx again for the help.
Stukboy

5:13 D44 Waggy axles and 37's here and mines strickly a 5 trail rig and mine hasn't broken anything. I'm pretty hard on mine too.

5.13's 35" MT/R's and a 4 to 1 is my combo, and it seems to work well in all cases.

A.

zedpapa said:

i would stick with the current gears and upgrade the transfer case. putting a 4:1 kit in the transfer case would give you a gear ratio of 54.656.

zedpapa

Click to expand...

X2 double your 4lo gear ratio

well... almost