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8.25 with 33's

9

92jeeper

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Orlando
I am going to be regearing here very soon. I am running 33's on my chrylser 8.25 rear and dana 30 front. What gearing should I be putting in? 4.56's? I am not too sure what to put in. 4wheel parts told me $260 per axle in labor, and i found gears for $200 per axle, so, i just need to know what gears to install. Any info would be great. Thanks all
Tylor
 
I believe that 4.56's will be perfect for 33's. As for the axles, the D30 should hold up fine, don't know anything about 8.25's though, should be ok.
 
I've got a "93 with 33"s and the 8.25 with 4:10's. It's my daily driver so the gears are ok for now. But if I had to do it again, I'd go with the 4:56's. I guess it just depends on where most of your driving is-pavement or dirt|rocks|mud. I like the off road most, but have to stay on the pavement to earn the money to buy junk for the xj. It's worth the effort.
 
92jeeper said:
I am going to be regearing here very soon. I am running 33's on my chrylser 8.25 rear and dana 30 front. What gearing should I be putting in? 4.56's? I am not too sure what to put in. 4wheel parts told me $260 per axle in labor, and i found gears for $200 per axle, so, i just need to know what gears to install. Any info would be great. Thanks all
Tylor
Click to expand...

Yup, definately go to 4.56, I got 4.11 with 31's and I wouldn't mind 4.56 and I do a lot of freeway driving. Also, which year is your 8.25? IIRC pre 96 are 27 spline and post 96 are 29 spline wiht 96 being a split year for one or the other. Of course the 29 spline is more desireable, but 27 spline should still do ok wiht 33's.

Btw... from what I know about 4wheelparts techs, you might want to consider someoen else to do the gear isntall. Where are you at? If in SoCal, I can recommend 2 great places which will not only cost you less but do a lot better work.
 
4.56's it is then. And, No, I'm not in SoCal. I'm in SoFL. Little ways away. But, it's a local jeeper here that works at 4wheel parts that will be doing the install. Met him on Floridajeepers.net So, it should be okay. Also, i am not sure what spline count the rear axle is. My jeep is a 92, but, my buddy was lookin down under my jeep and looked at the front dana 30 and said i have the front axle off of a 95 or newer, which he said are stronger, so, i am not sure if the axles on my jeep are original. thanks for the posts guys. Cause, yes, i do alot of highway driving, and, gears will help alot on and off the road.
 
92jeeper said:
My jeep is a 92, but, my buddy was lookin down under my jeep and looked at the front dana 30 and said i have the front axle off of a 95 or newer, which he said are stronger, so, i am not sure if the axles on my jeep are original. thanks for the posts guys.
Click to expand...

Ummm that doesn't sound right. With the D30 you had 3 choices: disco (older XJ's, pre 90's??) then a non-disco and in 2000 or so an LP D30 which replaced the HP D30 (both of the first two were HP). In any case there was no change in 95 that I know of on the front axle except potentially the ujoints which is what he might be referring to
 
You'll love the 4.56 offroad. If you have an auto transmission, 4.56 gears and 33's leave you with the "dead zone" between 3rd and overdrive right at 60 mph, which is a real PITA. I prefer my 4.56's with 35's to how they ran with 33's, because it shifts the dead zone (where the tranny hunts back and forth between gears) to a range I don't drive in much. If you have a manual transmission, there is no other choice but 4.56.

You are ponied up for $900 for gears. That is huge money. I'd be trying to get closer to $700 if the money matters to you. $260 per axle is four hours per axle at $65/hr. Good for the business owner, bad for you.

Beware the 8.25. It tends to have gear noise problems with lower gearsets, even when properly set up. This can be very aggravating when you do a lot of road miles. I ultimately ditched my 8.25 because of this problem.

Nay
 
Nay said:
If you have an auto transmission, 4.56 gears and 33's leave you with the "dead zone" between 3rd and overdrive right at 60 mph, which is a real PITA.

Nay
Click to expand...

Um, I have an auto, and, i have the same problem, but stock gears. At 60mph, it doesn't know what gear it wants to be in. so, it won't fix that with new gears?
 
Oh, and, i will be doing about 20 minutes back and forth to work. The big miles will be put on when driving to the trails and the beach. Otherwise, roadtrip miles will be going on the girlfriend's civic. And, between the stereo and exhaust, i don't hear too much.
 
92jeeper said:
Um, I have an auto, and, i have the same problem, but stock gears. At 60mph, it doesn't know what gear it wants to be in. so, it won't fix that with new gears?
Click to expand...

I don't think it will matter at sea level. Many of us in Colorado have decided that 4.56 doesn't match up that well with 33's when you have an auto tranny, and we think 4.10 would be a better match. Of course, nobody is trading down gears for offroad use at 7,000 - 13,000 ft. elevation, so you put up with it. Just wanted to make you aware.

If it were me, I'd find a 4.10 late model Dana 30 off of a 4 cyl XJ and a 4.10 8.8 off an Explorer and get rear discs in the process for less money than your proposed gearing job. You aren't rock crawling in Florida, and the lower gears aren't going to be as big a deal offroad while the 4.10's will mate very nicely with 33's onroad.

Nay
 
Nay said:
I don't think it will matter at sea level. Many of us in Colorado have decided that 4.56 doesn't match up that well with 33's when you have an auto tranny, and we think 4.10 would be a better match. Of course, nobody is trading down gears for offroad use at 7,000 - 13,000 ft. elevation, so you put up with it. Just wanted to make you aware.

If it were me, I'd find a 4.10 late model Dana 30 off of a 4 cyl XJ and a 4.10 8.8 off an Explorer and get rear discs in the process for less money than your proposed gearing job. You aren't rock crawling in Florida, and the lower gears aren't going to be as big a deal offroad while the 4.10's will mate very nicely with 33's onroad.

Nay
Click to expand...

Nay has very valid reasoning here. You are in Florida and have lots of slick mud where you want more wheel spin and don't need the low gears that I have in Northern California for the Rubicon, etc. You should be happy with the 4.56 gears and a auto trans. I have 35" mtr and definately need the 4.56 gears, I wouldn't mind 4.88 but I have a 29 spline 8.25 and 4.56 gears are as low as you can go. If you can find a good deal on used axles, then the 4.10 gears are offered from the factory in stock Jeep xj with a 4 cylinder and a manual. The 4.10's can also be found on ford explorers and with the 95 and up you get disc brakes. I'm sticking with my 8.25 because it came with my jeep, was already had 4.56 gears and 29 spline shafts, I have spare shafts, and I have a no-slip for it all from the previous owner, otherwise I would have put a ford 8.8 in it, I have seen dana 44 for $300, but the ford 8.8 is stonger and much easier to find.
 
$900 for gears and the install!!! holy crap that 's alot of money. I'm spending less than that AND getting an Ox locker. If you have any mechanical ability, and the ability to read a manual, setup the gears yourself. It's easy. If you can't, find a friend who can and have them do it for $100.
 
tnxjjeeper said:
Hey, what it is like running 33's and stock gears? I'm about to make the jump, but I don't have money for new gears so I'm stuck for now.
Click to expand...

Like riding a ten speed bicycle without the first 3 gears. When you really need the low gears, you'll have to compensate with momentum.

You can get away with it for awhile, but you may not be able to use overdrive all the time.

Nay
 
tnxjjeeper said:
How is it on the freeway? How about the trails? Gas mileage? Do you have a problem with breaking things with the 33's?
Click to expand...

I have had 33's with 4.56s and ARBs front and rear. Its all good.......
Just do it...
 
My plan is 4.56, but I won't have the money until I can start working again in the summer. School cuts in on my work time. I'm just wondering what it will be like for the few months until I can get them put in.
 
tnxjjeeper said:
My plan is 4.56, but I won't have the money until I can start working again in the summer. School cuts in on my work time. I'm just wondering what it will be like for the few months until I can get them put in.
Click to expand...

It was seriously sluggish the 3 days between the lift and getting the gearing change done. I felt like I was driving a moped in the Indy 500 when a Geo Metro blew my doors off at a traffic light... :tear: ;)
 
NN4S said:
I felt like I was driving a moped in the Indy 500 when a Geo Metro blew my doors off at a traffic light... :tear: ;)
Click to expand...

Exactly! That is why i want my gearing redone. I am in FL, so, trails through the woods and mud will be my playground. Not too much rock crawling, unless i take a trip to the Carolina's where i've got some friends. Anyways, 4.10's or 4.56? Someone mentioned going lower since i won't be crawling much? Or, should i just go with selling the axles on my jeep and getting an 8.8 with rear discs from an explorer and a new Dana 30 off a 4 banger cherokee with the 4.10's?
 
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