the difference between 3.54 and 3.55 gears...

my 87 D44 has 3.54s in it and IIRC my 99 8.25 has 3.55s in it.... i have always been under the understanding that there would not be any actual diference betwen the two, but now that i may be putting the D44 in the 99 i am questioning myself.. is it just a change in the mathematical formula they use or a question of numbers being rounded up or down that is the actual difference.... or are the teeth counts actually different??

mike

It might be a rounding issue, but if those are the actual numbers, they are only 0.3% apart. A full-time 4x4 transfer case should be able to absorb that very easily, and it should not matter at all if yours is part-time, since you will only be in 4x4 in slippery areas.

Don't sweat that difference in ratios. There is probably more of a difference in tire diameter on every vehicle. You and your vehicle won't even notice.

It's a function of actual teeth count and rounding. The various axles have different diameters for both the ring gear and the pinion, and that results in different numbers of teeth to achieve each ratio. Anything that's the "same" to the first decimal place is close enough.

If you actually check, you'll see that two steps beyong 3.54/3.55, the ratios are again different -- 4.10 vs. 4.11. They come that way from the factory.

well thats what i always thought was right.. but i figured i'd bounce it off a few others before i do it... thanks
mike