Re-gearing questions

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cassius420

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Hello all!

I'm new to forums and a new Jeep owner so any and all help is greatly appreciated. I picked up a stock 06 Wrangler Sport about two years ago and ready to lift and slap on some bigger tires. Was thinking 4" lift with 33" tires. It sees mostly pavement but some off-road, nothing extreme. As stated it's a stock 4.0 inline 6 with 6 speed manual. Would still like to be able to do 65mph on highway and have some fun off road. I see a lot of gear suggestions for 5 speed but nothing for 6. What would be best gears for my situation. Thanks in advance!
 
The gearing is mostly based on spinning the engine at an appropriate speed in high gear. The overdrive on the 5-speed and 6-speed are pretty similar (0.78 and 0.84) so the recommended axle ratio is the same.

With that, your engine will turn at about 3000 RPMs at 75 MPH, and it will happily run at that speed all day.
 
cassius420 said:
Hello all!

I'm new to forums and a new Jeep owner so any and all help is greatly appreciated. I picked up a stock 06 Wrangler Sport about two years ago and ready to lift and slap on some bigger tires. Was thinking 4" lift with 33" tires. It sees mostly pavement but some off-road, nothing extreme. As stated it's a stock 4.0 inline 6 with 6 speed manual. Would still like to be able to do 65mph on highway and have some fun off road. I see a lot of gear suggestions for 5 speed but nothing for 6. What would be best gears for my situation. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

456 for the 6-speed and 33’s.

488 for the 5-speed and 33’s.

Make sure 33’s is your final tire size. If you’re like me you keep doing more. I geared my 6-speed with 33’s at 4.56 and then jumped to 35’s and need at least 488. Now I’m planning a transmission swap and will need 513’s. 😬

What’s your absolute FINAL tire size?!?! Answer that and you’ll have your answer.
 
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JMT, can't answer that with 100% certainty. But from what I've read so far is that if a person wants to jump to 35s you'll have to upgrade a bit more than just gears. I'm no pro so please correct me. Will a 4" lift look silly with only 33s?
 
I regeared to 4.88’s with 6 speed and 35’s. You will be good with 4.56’s on 33’s but, if you’re toying with the idea of 35’s in your future, you should build towards that end. Cry once and do it right the first time.
 
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cassius420 said:
JMT, can't answer that with 100% certainty. But from what I've read so far is that if a person wants to jump to 35s you'll have to upgrade a bit more than just gears. I'm no pro so please correct me. Will a 4" lift look silly with only 33s?
Click to expand...

To see what the 33 to 35 jump looks like, see the first post in this thread. It's a chart with Yes or No, so it's very easy to quickly see what you're in for.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/a-comparison-of-building-for-33s-and-35s.65713/

No, a 4" lift with 33's will not look silly.

IMG_1594.JPG
 
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Nice Jeep! Wow thanks for all the useful info! If those are 33s in that picture I don't see the need to go to 35s. But I can't tell the future🤷‍♂️. Are those 15" rims?
 
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cassius420 said:
Nice Jeep! Wow thanks for all the useful info! If those are 33s in that picture I don't see the need to go to 35s. But I can't tell the future🤷‍♂️. Are those 15" rims?
Click to expand...

Thank you.

That's 15" rim with a 33" Maxxis Razr tire. The tummy tuck is what I think makes it all look just right. Notice the belly looks flat. I remember ooing and ahhing when I first did that mod. Makes it look like a skinny girl.

Are you sure you don't want 35's? This is the current iteration.

IMG_0046.JPG
 
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I don't think so, don't get me wrong those look badass, but I prefer the way the 33s look and they'll get me anywhere I want to go. Have any suggestions on lift kits? I understand u get what u pay for and the sky is the the limit. But mine won't ever see any extreme wheeling just some two tracks and small hills. Don't want junk but don't want to brake the bank either.
 
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I regeared my ‘06 with the 6 speed manual to 4.56 & I love it! It happily runs down the freeway at 70 or even 75 mph with no problem. Here’s some “before & after data concerning my gear swap.

IMG_8217.png
 
With a lift "kit", you'll get what the manufacturer wants to sell you, not necessarily what you want on your Jeep. Lousy shocks is the most often heard complaint. Poly bushings. Unneeded drop pitman arm. The list goes on.

You might want to make up your own "kit". The exact springs you want, OEM-style or adjustable control arms you want, with the bushings or joints you want. It takes a little work, but you're going to be getting into this detail level when you install it, you might as well get the right parts and nothing else. Order shocks last, after you have the other parts installed, and you have cycled your suspension and measured exactly what you got, so you can get the best possible shock length for your lift.
 
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All great info for this newbie 👍. A huge thank u to everyone for their insight! Very excited to get started down this expensive rabbit hole.
 
cassius420 said:
I don't think so, don't get me wrong those look badass, but I prefer the way the 33s look and they'll get me anywhere I want to go. Have any suggestions on lift kits? I understand u get what u pay for and the sky is the the limit. But mine won't ever see any extreme wheeling just some two tracks and small hills. Don't want junk but don't want to brake the bank either.
Click to expand...

Take a look at this post. Just follow the 33’s column and you’ll be golden. This is the expensive way, but the best way.

Thread 'A comparison of building for 33s and 35s'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/a-comparison-of-building-for-33s-and-35s.65713/

This is a cheaper but good way.
  • 2” suspension coils (BDS)
  • 1.25” body lift (BMB)
  • 1” motor mount lift spacers
  • Rancho 5000X front and BlackMax rear shocks
  • Adjustable front trackbar (JKS)
  • Rear trackbar relocation bracket (OME)
  • Proper bumpstops
  • Cable shifter for transfer case (Savvy)
  • Proper backspace wheels (~4”)
  • 33” tires
  • Quick disconnects (JKS)
  • Stock gas tank skid tuck (for 03-06) (free)
With this setup you should be able to stay away from the much deeper rabbit hole of doing a 4” suspension lift. It also sets you up for a tummy tuck. My son is running just like that now with my old setup. The biggest drawback is finding a good length shock that gives you 50:50 travel.

I ran 33’s for a long time on this setup. I ran Moab Rim, Hell’s Revenge, Poison Spyder, and many other trails in Moab on that setup. My biggest gripes were hitting my rear control arm brackets at the frame and banging my bumper.
 
Last edited:
MutantNinjaTJ said:
This is what I run, pretty good mix for highway/off road use. Go to 4:88’s for more off road use, or if you’re thinking 35’s later in life, you only want to re-gear once.
Click to expand...
Off-road in 4-Low 4.56 vs. 4.88 makes very little difference, especially if you have an automatic. It's on road where 4.88 vs. 4.56 makes a significant difference.
 
OldBuzzard said:
The overdrive on the 5-speed and 6-speed are pretty similar (0.78 and 0.84) so the recommended axle ratio is the same.
Click to expand...
Another way to look at that is each gear step is right at 5%. The difference between those two over drive ratios is greater than one gear step, so I'd never expect the recommendations to be similar.
 
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