The longer you stick with this, the more you will figure out that there is a lot of popular bad information out there.
Colorado Daily-Driven Trail Warrior
- Thread starter zachpeakee
- Start date
The longer you stick with this, the more you will figure out that there is a lot of popular bad information out there.
Some of it is old too, right? Wasn't 4.88 the deepest you could go in the 30/35 for a long time? So you can't read stuff too old
That's upsetting.
I debated on 4.88's vs 5.13's for 2 months, and finally pulled the trigger on the 4.88's.
Paid for, and parts are on the way, as well as ARB's.
Was under the impression that 4.56 was "the best", but being in CO and liking trails I decided to go deeper.
Thought the 200rpm difference wouldn't hurt much. Maybe I goofed.
I guess I'll run them awhile, and swap out later if needed.
On the way is not the same as installed. See if you have the option to switch or else you will pay twice.
It's either $400 for new gears now, or pay $2000 in labor later to get it regeared for the second time.
I wasn't about to steal the opportunity from you.
IF I fix my 44, and IF I don't come across a smoking deal on some RD117s... I promise to volunteer as tribute.
5.13 and 5.38 in the Dana 30 and Dana 44 respectively has been around for quite a while. I don't know about the Dana 35.
What I do know is that the popular understanding of gear ratios, pinion sizes, engine rpms, and the heirarchy of ratios to tire sizes seems to be pushed by a lot of guys who have never once done the math and never paid attention to what Jeep did at the factory.
The early TJs with the 32rh tell us that regearing with 3k rpm at 75mph as a goal still isn't deep enough.
Fwiw (what you paid for it), I initially chose 4.88 because I had a 6 speed and that's right in line with what you get with 5.13s and an AX15. When the NSG crapped the bed and I decided to swap in a 5 speed, losing the highway rpm was one of my hesitations.
I don't even notice it and not in a million years would i say an extra 200rpm would be worth the expense of a regear. I miss the low first gear a lot more, and I'd rather fix that with a transfer case. And if you end up like some of us and end up with driveline vibes afterward, you might be glad to get a few more mph before they kick in...I sure am.
Are you doing the regear or hiring it out?
I don't even notice it and not in a million years would i say an extra 200rpm would be worth the expense of a regear. I miss the low first gear a lot more, and I'd rather fix that with a transfer case. And if you end up like some of us and end up with driveline vibes afterward, you might be glad to get a few more mph before they kick in...I sure am.
Are you doing the regear or hiring it out?
You guys have thoroughly convinced me.
Just to note, I initially was dead set on 5.13's, but got cold feet last minute, and went for 4.88's.
It's lingered in my mind for awhile though.
Going to shoot a call to the shop handling the install tomorrow, and get them swapped around.
There's a ton of it though.
Hence why I chose to join the forums, versus Facebook where I was previously gathering info.
(absolute shit show by the way)
$1550 out the door for both axles Re-Geared + all new seals (w/ 2year warranty on the work)
plus additional $1,050 per ARB (install included since the gearing will be out anyways)
Just to note, I initially was dead set on 5.13's, but got cold feet last minute, and went for 4.88's.
It's lingered in my mind for awhile though.
Going to shoot a call to the shop handling the install tomorrow, and get them swapped around.
I've done what I could in weaning out the bad info.
There's a ton of it though.
Hence why I chose to join the forums, versus Facebook where I was previously gathering info.
(absolute shit show by the way)
hiring it out because I don't know enough about the process of re-gearing to feel comfortable tackling it myself.
$1550 out the door for both axles Re-Geared + all new seals (w/ 2year warranty on the work)
plus additional $1,050 per ARB (install included since the gearing will be out anyways)
That’s a very good price on labor. It would be nearly double in my area.
Following along!
We have a tan interior we used black carpet and seats left the dash and doors tan and I really like the combo. Stock seats were totally shot and carpets was gone. You’re right about the factory tan carpet showing everything…except dirt. It’s the only saving grace for it sometimes.
We have a tan interior we used black carpet and seats left the dash and doors tan and I really like the combo. Stock seats were totally shot and carpets was gone. You’re right about the factory tan carpet showing everything…except dirt. It’s the only saving grace for it sometimes.
Having it done at Evolution Off Road.
Owners name is Drew Berrett.
I like that he not only owns a 4x4/Off-road specific shop, but also wheels in some of the group rides.
Seems like a pretty cool guy from the few minutes I spoke with him at the shop.
All the gearing discussion is interesting. Back in the day when TJs were the current jeep model we’d only go the step lower recommended gearing(say 4.56 vs 4.88) if we had a standard because it had overdrive. I ran 33s, 35s and eventually 37s all on 4.56s with a 3 speed auto and 3.8 atlas. I never liked super low gearing though and I live in Texas where it’s flat. All three tire sizes with 4.56s and it would still blast down the highway. This was the guidelines we used back then.
31s 3.73
32s 4.10
33s 4.10 or 4.56
35s 4.56 or 4.88
37s 4.88, but 37s were considered huge tires when this information was relevant.
I’m not even sure we could get 5.13s to be honest, no one in our group had them or even discussed them.
This is not advice just a little anecdotal information from a group of us TJ folks back in the early 2000s. My current TJ build is staying 31s and stock 3.73 gears so I don’t have to really consider it for now and my JKUR has 5.38s and 37s. I’d go lower on the JKUR if I could hahaha.
31s 3.73
32s 4.10
33s 4.10 or 4.56
35s 4.56 or 4.88
37s 4.88, but 37s were considered huge tires when this information was relevant.
I’m not even sure we could get 5.13s to be honest, no one in our group had them or even discussed them.
This is not advice just a little anecdotal information from a group of us TJ folks back in the early 2000s. My current TJ build is staying 31s and stock 3.73 gears so I don’t have to really consider it for now and my JKUR has 5.38s and 37s. I’d go lower on the JKUR if I could hahaha.
Anecdotally, this is exactly the bad thinking and methodology that still plagues gearing discussions to this day. It was incorrect 25 years ago.
My dad is of a similar time period and was taken aback when I told him I was regearing to 5.38. He was still flustered after I explained that with the tire size and transmission, the rpms were only about 2850 at 75mph. Then he had to wrestle with the idea of driving a Jeep on 35s comfortably at 75mph.
I was only 15-16 back then so the dads/old guys were the ones suggesting these things. I think it come from 1/4 mile drag racing gearing when you had 300+ HP V8 doing the bulk of the work and they were just looking at cruising RPM through that lens.
If I had to regear my 31” tire jeep today in 2024, I’d go at least 4.56 even on 31s.
Axle work is scheduled to happen on Thursday of this week.
I've been procrastinating the "perfect" on-board air setup.
Found this ARB on Facebook Marketplace FOR $150.
Guy installed it onto his JK, pulled it back off, and chose to run a twin model instead.
Thing is practically brand new.
$100 cheaper than online/new pricing, and works out great for me because I was swaying the direction of running 2 compressors anyways.
(One for lockers, and a separate one for on-board air)
I know the basics of how it should be installed, but if anyone has any pointers/tricks, or anything you wish you'd done differently for the install, feel free to shoot them at me.
For now, I'm happy.
I've been procrastinating the "perfect" on-board air setup.
Found this ARB on Facebook Marketplace FOR $150.
Guy installed it onto his JK, pulled it back off, and chose to run a twin model instead.
Thing is practically brand new.
$100 cheaper than online/new pricing, and works out great for me because I was swaying the direction of running 2 compressors anyways.
(One for lockers, and a separate one for on-board air)
I know the basics of how it should be installed, but if anyone has any pointers/tricks, or anything you wish you'd done differently for the install, feel free to shoot them at me.
For now, I'm happy.
That's the best way to run ARB's. Solenoids mount straight to it, can't get much easier.
I've always gutted the ARB wiring as I run mine with a spod.
It's no good for anything other than lockers so you'll definitely need another compressor for OBA.
It’s not ideal for air, but I can air up a 35” tire from 8psi to 26psi in about 2 1/2 minutes running that compressor….
Similar threads
