How can I get power back without re-gearing after installing bigger wheels and tires?

Ednot4saken

Ednot4saken

New Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2024
Messages
1
Location
Arizona
After installing 18" wheels with 35inch tires (35x12.5xr18) I lost significant power, torque. At 55mph RPM is way up and auto-transmissiom will not shift into higher gears or overdrive.

I do not want to change the axle gears.
Question: If I went with 33" tires, would I get my power back? Higher transmission gears?
 
I can’t see your year model on your profile but maybe I’m looking wrong-sounds like an 04 or later-

it may feel some peppier but won’t be it’s best until you regear or go to stock size wheels/tires.

33’s in a Rubicon 4:10 gears with the overdrive off might be barely tolerable.

Smaller the better if you don’t plan to regear.
 
Ednot4saken said:
...

I do not want to change the axle gears.
...
Click to expand...

You have backed yourself into a corner that can only begin to be escaped by reducing the tire size.

Ednot4saken said:
... Higher transmission gears?
Click to expand...

If such a thing were possible, then it would likely cost at least as much as an axle regear does.
 
  • Like
Reactions: D M, BlueC, MikekiM and 2 others
Ednot4saken said:
After installing 18" wheels with 35inch tires (35x12.5xr18) I lost significant power, torque.

I do not want to change the axle gears.
Click to expand...

This is a common scenario for the saying; "You reap what you sow"

I'm not entirely sure how one is supposed to answer this, because you've established that you likely know what the fix is, but you don't want the fix.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pbeach, Frank M, MikekiM and 4 others
If there is some magic reason preventing you from regearing your axles, technically you could change other factors of the final drive ratio.

Portals, swap in tcase w/ lower underdrive gears or trans swap would all technically help.


The realistic solution has already been said, regear or go smaller in tire size.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bbaldwin237 and zachpeakee
As others have stated, a REGEAR is the only solution. In the meantime turn off the overdrive. What do you consider high rpm’s. What are your rpm’s at highway speeds in third gear?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
Ednot4saken said:
After installing 18" wheels with 35inch tires (35x12.5xr18) I lost significant power, torque. At 55mph RPM is way up and auto-transmissiom will not shift into higher gears or overdrive.

I do not want to change the axle gears.
Question: If I went with 33" tires, would I get my power back? Higher transmission gears?
Click to expand...

Do you have 3.07 gearing? Might be time to sell the 18" wheels and 35s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikekiM, bbaldwin237 and Jerry Bransford
As above @Ednot4saken saken there's no cheap fix for your problem caused by the larger diameter tires. There are only two possible fixes, regear your axles to a lower ratio (5.13) that will raise the engine rpms or go back to the stock size tires. Nope cheap engine doo-dads like throttle body spacers, cold-air-intakes, different spark plugs, etc. will not help in the least.

And gear ratio-wise, high numbers like 4.88, 5.13, 5.38, etc. are considered low ratios. The factory axles came with high ratio gears like 3.07 or 3.73. Yes that may seem counterintuitive but that's ratio-speak. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikekiM and tr21triton
LONGJP2 said:
I think y'all scared him off.
Or he didn't get the answer he wanted to hear.
Click to expand...

I was re-reading this thread earlier thinking the same thing. :ROFLMAO:

The answer is clear as day, but was thrown away in the third opening sentence of the thread.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: RINC
LONGJP2 said:
I think y'all scared him off.
Or he didn't get the answer he wanted to hear.
Click to expand...

I didn't even mention how ugly 18s on a TJ are yet either! He knew his answer coming in though. It's the same thing as installing 35s without a lift then saying "how do I fix this without a lift?" knowing damn well what the only thing to do is. I always tell people the cheapest part of running 35s are the 35s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RangerTJ, zachpeakee, bbaldwin237 and 3 others
Once you start modifying your Jeep; IF you are not careful the modifications can take on a life of their own and self perpetuate.
That is why the JEEP name stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
 
LONGJP2 said:
I think y'all scared him off.
Or he didn't get the answer he wanted to hear.
Click to expand...
Snowflake
😒

SkylinesSuck said:
.....the cheapest part of running 35s are the 35s.
Click to expand...
This ^^

CharlesHS said:
Once you start modifying your Jeep; IF you are not careful the modifications can take on a life of their own and self perpetuate.
That is why the JEEP name stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
Click to expand...
And the end product is often an over-modified purposeless ride.
We have a bunch of threads dedicated to those 'unfortunates'.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tr21triton
Top Bottom
Back