gears, gears, gears!!! Having the right gear ratio will help you out and with a locker you will be going places that with stock gears and a winch would have been more work. You will be glad that you got gears, especially with the power difference you will notice after running those 33's w/ 3.55's...it is an amazing change. As long as you have a good set of recovery points, you will be able to get by until you get the $$ saved for a winch. There is usually someone around that can give you a tug if your stuck.