3.73s for 33s

[L0jik]

For the time being, you cant use 4 wheel drive until you get your front gear ratio matching your rear, your cheapest option would be to look on craigslist and facebook marketplace for a Dana 30 with 3.73 gears, which shouldn't be too hard to find. A TJ (wrangler) dana 30 will be perfect but you can certainly use a XJ (Cherokee) Dana 30. Having your gears matching will be more important than getting the "right" gear ratio for your tire size, you can go offroading, use your Jeep the way it should be, and get more experience driving offroad. Save up and down the road you can pay to have the axles regeared to a more ideal ratio.

 

[bromel]

An auto may actually handle 33s with 3.73s better than a manual if it’s a 32rh.

Good point, the 3-speed auto is a lot more forgiving than the 4-speed for non-ideal gearing.

 

[thekidwithquestions]

DO.
NOT.
Engage 4wd with different axle ratios. If you think it's something you'll forget and accidentally do, pull the front driveline.

I know im being careful

 

[thekidwithquestions]

For the time being, you cant use 4 wheel drive until you get your front gear ratio matching your rear, your cheapest option would be to look on craigslist and facebook marketplace for a Dana 30 with 3.73 gears, which shouldn't be too hard to find. A TJ (wrangler) dana 30 will be perfect but you can certainly use a XJ (Cherokee) Dana 30. Having your gears matching will be more important than getting the "right" gear ratio for your tire size, you can go offroading, use your Jeep the way it should be, and get more experience driving offroad. Save up and down the road you can pay to have the axles regeared to a more ideal ratio.

that's the advice i'm looking for, thanks

 

[CharlesHS]

I’m running 373 and 33 and it’s great with an auto,not AWFUL at all.View attachment 255492

Nice looking Jeep....

My '01 TJ has 17" rims, 32s and NVG3550; on the highway the Jeep performs fine. For off roading it is adequate...., but not ideal.
No plans to spend the $2K plus required for 4.10/4.56s.

 

[JMT]

the 44 and the 33s are both already installed so C is where im at rn

Well, you can't drive it in 4wd with the different gear ratios. As others suggested, I'd look for a Dana 30 with 373 gears to match the Dana 44. That's the cheapest way. You should be able to find one for $100-200.

You can live with 33's and the 32rh pretty well on 373's.

Cheers and welcome to Jeep ownership. My 15 year old twins are building their 2004 Sport on 32's and 373 gears with the 42rle. It's actually pretty peppy for the naysayers.

 

[DropTopDon]

By far the more unpopular opinion here, but I for one have a good experience with 33's and 3.73 gearing. I have 3.73 gears stock front and back with a Dana 44 in the back, and a 42RLE automatic transmission. In no way is my Jeep awfully sluggish or slow. I am running 33x12.50 KM3's and I have no complaints other than slight lugging of the engine on hills. If you know how to drive your car however you can avoid the lugging. I am sure that a higher gear ratio would obviously be more ideal for 33's, but like you I am still a teenager so funds are tight. I say get matching gear ratio's and 33's and have fun.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

By far the more unpopular opinion here, but I for one have a good experience with 33's and 3.73 gearing. I have 3.73 gears stock front and back with a Dana 44 in the back, and a 42RLE automatic transmission. In no way is my Jeep awfully sluggish or slow. I am running 33x12.50 KM3's and I have no complaints other than slight lugging of the engine on hills. If you know how to drive your car however you can avoid the lugging. I am sure that a higher gear ratio would obviously be more ideal for 33's, but like you I am still a teenager so funds are tight. I say get matching gear ratio's and 33's and have fun.

If you drove a Jeep that was properly geared for your 33's my bet is you wouldn't be so happy with how things are now. And it's not a higher ratio that is needed, a lower ratio is needed. In gear-speak, 4.88 is a lower ratio than 3.73 is.

 

[TheBoogieman]

FWIW most Dana 30 axles from XJs have 3.07 or 3.55 gears. The ones with factory tow packages had the 3.73 option.

 

[Cheetokps]

I just installed my 33x12.5 ko2's the other day with 3.73 gears in my nv3550, and it is not as bad as I was expecting. I'm sure that 4.56 would be nice, but I am contempt with mine for the foreseeable future. Eventually I think I'll regear but I don't see too much reason to spend maybe $1500 on something I do not have a big issue with currently

 

[TheBoogieman]

I just installed my 33x12.5 ko2's the other day with 3.73 gears in my nv3550, and it is not as bad as I was expecting. I'm sure that 4.56 would be nice, but I am contempt with mine for the foreseeable future. Eventually I think I'll regear but I don't see too much reason to spend maybe $1500 on something I do not have a big issue with currently

I agree with you. I know way more people that are fine with 3.73 gears and 33s than people who hate them. It's a personal choice. I had an over-geared Jeep with 4.56 gears, 32rh auto and 32s and it sucked gas with highway driving (high rpms).

 

[Cheetokps]

I agree with you. I know way more people that are fine with 3.73 gears and 33s than people who hate them. It's a personal choice. I had an over-geared Jeep with 4.56 gears, 32rh auto and 32s and it sucked gas with highway driving (high rpms).

I used to fly through first gear really quick before, now it lasts longer which I kind of like most of the time. Especially after reading about @bobthetj03's experience starting after a regear, not sure I want to fix it if it isn't broken

 

[ARawls88]

I’ve got 3.73 R&P you could have but it will probably be more costly than finding a Dana 30 and just swapping the entire axle.

 

[papasjeep]

Same here,
I have a 3.73 r&p you are welcome to.
These are in excellent condition.
I swapped to 4:56 gears.

 

[qslim]

I’ve been driving my TJ on 33s with a 5sp manual. It’s not great, but also not hateful. I never see 5th. Wheeling in 4 low isn’t bad either, you can still go most places. I have a set of 4.88s on the shelf that I’m going to install once I get around to figuring out my locker solution, but until then it’s fine.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Used R&P gear sets are not worth the substantial extra time and expertise required to install and set them up. Many R&P installers even refuse to accept installation jobs when the gears are used, or they will charge extra for the extra time they will require. The problem is the gear faces get work hardened where they touch and if reinstalled, they need to get set up so they touch exactly as they did before which is very difficult and very time consuming. Any cost savings associated with used gears is usually lost during their installation.

 

[papasjeep]

Used R&P gear sets are not worth the substantial extra time and expertise required to install and set them up. Many R&P installers even refuse to accept installation jobs when the gears are used, or they will charge extra for the extra time they will require. The problem is the gear faces get work hardened where they touch and if reinstalled, they need to get set up so they touch exactly as they did before which is very difficult and very time consuming. Any cost savings associated with used gears is usually lost during their installation.

That makes sense about the work hardend.

 

[thekidwithquestions]

By far the more unpopular opinion here, but I for one have a good experience with 33's and 3.73 gearing. I have 3.73 gears stock front and back with a Dana 44 in the back, and a 42RLE automatic transmission. In no way is my Jeep awfully sluggish or slow. I am running 33x12.50 KM3's and I have no complaints other than slight lugging of the engine on hills. If you know how to drive your car however you can avoid the lugging. I am sure that a higher gear ratio would obviously be more ideal for 33's, but like you I am still a teenager so funds are tight. I say get matching gear ratio's and 33's and have fun.

yeah, honestly all you need is 4wd and and a little skill driving and ur good, no matter the gears, so long as its not REALLY bad

 

[papasjeep]

That makes sense about the work hardened.

 

[TRevs]

I was just wondering if 3.73 gear ratio is ok for 33s, I recently bought a dana 44 with 3.73s from a jeep yard to replace my stock dana 35 with 3.07s and im about broke now
I want to know if its ok for 33 inch tires/what is your experience with it, should I get 3.73s for the front so at least I have usable 4wd? btw im 15 and there's no way I
can afford new gears for front and back axles, let alone getting them installed
i'm going to be off-roading so put that into account, not hard off roading but just for fun

I’ve been on 33’s with 3.73 and the 6 sp manual since I got the Jeep two years ago, and it’s definitely adequate. I don’t love it, and I do plan to regear eventually, but it’s been fine for on-road and moderate trail use. Go with 3.73 up front. You absolutely have to get your 4wd functional.

If it’s sluggish on road, just downshift and drive slower than everyone else. If it’s weak off road, use 4LO. But by all means, get 3.73 up front ASAP so you have an actual TJ. A Jeep without 4wd is, i don’t know... words fail me.

also, do they give out driver’s licenses to 15 year olds in NC??