Checklist for a 3" lift

[Rob5589]

Opinion noted. I understand - A guy I work with has 33's and the stock 4.10s in his 05 Rubicon and has no complaints at all - but he has a manual transmission. If he had the auto, he may not feel the same. He seemed surprised when I said I was putting 4.88's in my LJ to run 33's. But, the difference is in the overdrive gear. The 0.69:1 overdrive in the 42RLE is a big contributor to the need for the big reduction. The NSG370 that he had was only a 0.84:1 reduction in 6th. Way different and probably part of why the 4.10:1 final drive didn't bother him. When I told him the overdrive ratio of the auto and how it compared to the NSG370; he seemed to be more understanding.

I think the point is - to maintain stock feel with larger tires; you should re-gear. You may be okay with the feel and performance without re-gearing (and that's perfectly fine). What constitutes acceptable performance is subjective and there is no right or wrong.

Also - if you are very mechanically inclined and are willing to risk it; you can always regear yourself - that's what I did.

I'd have gone for 5.13 over the 4.88's

 

[BendLarry]

I’m on 32’s 4:10 auto. Driving here in the valley no big deal. It scoots if I punch it. Going through Tahoe and Truckee and Reno it’s a dog.
Your response was dick-ish but aren’t we all a bunch of swinging dicks

Hey Bobs a good guy. Don’t know about the dick-ish thing though?
He has offered up some good advice to me a few times, and it has always been appreciated, but what does he know about gearing?[emoji6]


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[BendLarry]

I’m on 32’s 4:10 auto. Driving here in the valley no big deal. It scoots if I punch it. Going through Tahoe and Truckee and Reno it’s a dog.
Your response was dick-ish but aren’t we all a bunch of swinging dicks

I have never driven a Jeep that I didn’t think was gutless, stock or modified.


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[balfred]

I have never driven a Jeep that I didn’t think was gutless, stock or modified.


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You should drive mine then lol! It's got a built 5.7 sbc and 4.88s, it's terrifying at times

 

[Thunderhead]

Hey Bobs a good guy. Don’t know about the dick-ish thing though?
He has offered up some good advice to me a few times, and it has always been appreciated, but what does he know about gearing?[emoji6]


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Yea plain text is hard to read into unless your a word smith like @jjvw .
His name is Jim. Bob is the TJ
He ran 31’s ,32’s, and 33’s before regearing
He ran 33’s then regeard.
Your 4:10 runs wonderful for you. Have you TRIED anything else? That’s why it sounded dickish.

 

[Thunderhead]

I drive a lifted Rubicon with 33’s and 4:10 gears and auto tranny. I’m not bothered by the gearing.


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Sorry @BendLarry this is the clutch of the matter.
We all drive Jeeps and know what they are. I agree. If your cool driving 45 up a 3% incline, more power to ya. Just signal to the commercial trucks

 

[Farmergreg]

Compared to some other guys pushing 40, I suppose I do look young for my age.

Made me chuckle!
My 19 y/o son asked me the other day: "When were you able to go to a parts store and get treated like an adult, or like you know what your talking about?"
I told him a few gray hairs seem to help. But also many we talk to across the parts counter seem to need to "show" how much they know. Now that I'm the "older guy" talking to parts people...It's my job to carefully "mentor" them w/o being an ass and hurting feelings>
My son is likely sharper than many when it comes to repairs. Even with his 19 y/o cocky overconfidence!

 

[BendLarry]

Yea plain text is hard to read into unless your a word smith like @jjvw .
His name is Jim. Bob is the TJ
He ran 31’s ,32’s, and 33’s before regearing
He ran 33’s then regeard.
Your 4:10 runs wonderful for you. Have you TRIED anything else? That’s why it sounded dickish.

What about when you air down? The tire diameter can be reduced at least an inch. I have aired down to a 31 inch diameter and do not suddenly feel new pep in my rig. Maybe when you throw a bunch of money at the issue you have to believe it’s improved. I will say once again.... I have driven stock Jeeps so I know how smaller diameter tires with 4:10 gears feel. I have never pissed on anyone for gearing down, I just wanted the OP to know at least one Jeep owner doesn’t see the need.


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[jjvw]

Sorry @BendLarry this is the clutch of the matter.
We all drive Jeeps and know what they are. I agree. If your cool driving 45 up a 3% incline, more power to ya. Just signal to the commercial trucks

I70 runs up a long 6% grade to the Eisenhower tunnels at 11,000 feet. When I ran 33s/4.10 it was a struggle to reach the top at 45mph. Now with 4.88, 55-60mph is easy and much safer now that I can keep up with traffic.

I also know that after the regear, I found myself downshifting far less than I used to. Being able to pass on the highway in OD is really nice, too.

 

[basic]

I'd have gone for 5.13 over the 4.88's

I was limited to 4.88 because of the Dana 30 front. If I had a Dana 44 front, 5.13 may have been in the cards. 4.88 seems good to me right now - won't run a bigger of a tire than a 33 on the Dana 30 anyway.

 

[BendLarry]

Yea plain text is hard to read into unless your a word smith like @jjvw .
His name is Jim. Bob is the TJ
He ran 31’s ,32’s, and 33’s before regearing
He ran 33’s then regeard.
Your 4:10 runs wonderful for you. Have you TRIED anything else? That’s why it sounded dickish.

FYI, when I typed above... “but what does he know about gearing” followed by a winking emoji, I was attempting to lighten the mood a bit.


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[jjvw]

Made me chuckle!
My 19 y/o son asked me the other day: "When were you able to go to a parts store and get treated like an adult, or like you know what your talking about?"
I told him a few gray hairs seem to help. But also many we talk to across the parts counter seem to need to "show" how much they know. Now that I'm the "older guy" talking to parts people...It's my job to carefully "mentor" them w/o being an ass and hurting feelings>
My son is likely sharper than many when it comes to repairs. Even with his 19 y/o cocky overconfidence!

For better or for worse, I discovered very young that age does not necessarily equate with wisdom. It's often a risky balancing act for the young and intelligent and aware. Things do get easier with age. Learning to be tactful sooner rather than later in life goes a long way. I say that with some hindsight and a little bit of regret!

 

[bobthetj03]

FYI, when I typed above... “but what does he know about gearing” followed by a winking emoji, I was attempting to lighten the mood a bit.
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We're all good at my end brah. And you're right, I know enough about gearing to get myself in trouble I guess, lol! Just wanted to throw a little attitude your way after you got a little snippy with @jjvw. Your opinion is valid.

 

[Rob5589]

I was limited to 4.88 because of the Dana 30 front. If I had a Dana 44 front, 5.13 may have been in the cards. 4.88 seems good to me right now - won't run a bigger of a tire than a 33 on the Dana 30 anyway.

5.13 is available for the 30, but no deeper until you have the 44, then you can go 5.38.

 

[Rob5589]

What about when you air down? The tire diameter can be reduced at least an inch. I have aired down to a 31 inch diameter and do not suddenly feel new pep in my rig. Maybe when you throw a bunch of money at the issue you have to believe it’s improved. I will say once again.... I have driven stock Jeeps so I know how smaller diameter tires with 4:10 gears feel. I have never pissed on anyone for gearing down, I just wanted the OP to know at least one Jeep owner doesn’t see the need.


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When you air down, it's even better. And there is no "throwing a bunch of money" and believing there was an improvement; there will be an improvement. Maybe one of the best/important improvements you can make to a rig along with lockers, disconnects/AntiRock, etc.
In 4lo yours does have the advantage of the 4:1 case but that doesn't help at any other time. You are satisfied with your current set up and that is all good. But you are definitely in the minority.
As far as my gearing experience; I have done a few

 

[Farmergreg]

I70 runs up a long 6% grade to the Eisenhower tunnels at 11,000 feet. When I ran 33s/4.10 it was a struggle to reach the top at 45mph. Now with 4.88, 55-60mph is easy and much safer now that I can keep up with traffic.

I also know that after the regear, I found myself downshifting far less than I used to. Being able to pass on the highway in OD is really nice, too.

I'm guessing that the engine puts out less power at elevation also? If you're starting out at the mile high city and going to 2 miles elevation....your results are probably quite different from my 700' elevation.
Conversely, if I head to colorado with a gear combo that was awesome "here"....Both the jeep and I would be sucking wind!

 

[jgaz]

You just didn't play the "old fart" card, did you? Come on brah! I've owned my TJ for 13 years. I'm no spring chicken, so I can't fit in the "young" category, but having gone from the stock 30" tire to 31's, then 32's, and now 33's, I can tell you the performance drop as I increased in tire size was noticeable. I ran the 33's on 3.73's with the 5 speed for over a year before re-gearing, so I can't argue with you on the differences between it and the auto, but I can tell you, without a doubt, that re-gearing to fit the 33's with my setup was very significant. I re-geared just before driving to Moab for a week of wheeling, and the performance increase was amazing. I daily drive my TJ, so little nuances are significant to me.

@bobthetj03. If I may ask, when you went from 30’s to 31’s what axle ratio were you running? Manual or auto Trans? Did you notice much performance difference between those two specific sizes.

I’m due for tires on my 06 LJ, 4.0, auto, 3.73 gears. I’m only considering the 31’s because I have a possible smoking deal on a set of BFG KO2s that are very low mileage takeoffs.

I don’t daily drive mine anymore but I do drive a fair amount of hiway and mountains to get to the dirt roads and trails that lead to my hiking trailheads. Your experience sounds relevant to my decision.

 

[bobthetj03]

@bobthetj03. If I may ask, when you went from 30’s to 31’s what axle ratio were you running? Manual or auto Trans? Did you notice much performance difference between those two specific sizes.

I’m due for tires on my 06 LJ, 4.0, auto, 3.73 gears. I’m only considering the 31’s because I have a possible smoking deal on a set of BFG KO2s that are very low mileage takeoffs.

I don’t daily drive mine anymore but I do drive a fair amount of hiway and mountains to get to the dirt roads and trails that lead to my hiking trailheads. Your experience sounds relevant to my decision.

I didn't notice much of a performance loss until I went to 32's. 3.73's, 5 speed manual trans.

 

[jgaz]

I didn't notice much of a performance loss until I went to 32's. 3.73's, 5 speed manual trans.

Thank you sir.
Btw: Nice trailer!

 

[Infernicus]

@CybrSlydr. Have you taken the Jeep where you are going to wheel it? If not, the order is
1. Go there...
2. Report back...

I'm a little late to the party, but this is honestly the best advice.
What are your goals for the truck? Do you need to get over 4 foot boulders? Or do you want it because it looks cool? Either one is fine, it's your truck.

I took my completely stock TJ on 31's on some pretty cool trails. It definitely surprised me what a stock TJ is capable of.
Since it is my daily, I only plan on a small lift, and max 32's. I'm happy with that.

Get some protection first, especially for the oil pan. I dented the pan, and I am SO LUCKY its not leaking. I was able to finish the day and drive home 200 miles.