Gearing down stock Rubicon carriers

[Don Bulee]

5.38 Revolution gears. That’s what I’m putting in my 05 Rubicon with 35s and an auto tranny.

Hello Chris,

I checked the revolution web page but the 5.38s are out of stock, but I find them in Amazon (link here below) my question is.... I have a rubicon 2006 (with 4.10s obviously) and my OEM lockers are still working fine... but I dont have a limited slip (already checked) do these gears are still the ones that I need? and second question, I'm currently on 33s (285/75/16) but eventually I want to get into 35s... here in Mexico is fairly cheap to have a LS swap (around 4.5K) so I was wondering.... what could I expect from the re-gearing of 4.10s up to 5.38s in terms of power gaining? (or should I save a little more for the LS swap instead?) and do 5.38s are too much for my 33s? (should I change the tires before the re-gearing?) I have an auto tranny in my rig and I dont see a lot of highway since I live in a small town and everything is very close (you can go through the entire town in 10/15 min) but I want to keep my rig as flexible as possible in the highway/off road terms, thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ETJR1R2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[Jerry Bransford]

If your '06 is still running the factory locker in the rear you do also have a limited slip differential as part of the factory locker. It's part of the rear locker and there's no way to remove it.

5.38 will make a HUGE improvement in both highway performance and your mpg. Mine went from 11 mpg to 14.6 after regearing to 5.38 with 35" tires. 5.38 is great but still not quite enough for 35's, I wish I could have gone one deeper ratio but it's still great as-is. I'd expect you to love them with 33's without them also causing excessive highway rpms. Regearing to 5.38 was one of the best thing I ever did to either of my two TJs.

 

[Don Bulee]

If your '06 is still running the factory locker in the rear you do also have a limited slip differential as part of the factory locker. It's part of the rear locker and there's no way to remove it.

5.38 will make a HUGE improvement in both highway performance and your mpg. Mine went from 11 mpg to 14.6 after regearing to 5.38 with 35" tires. 5.38 is great but still not quite enough for 35's, I wish I could have gone one deeper ratio but it's still great as-is. I'd expect you to love them with 33's without them also causing excessive highway rpms. Regearing to 5.38 was one of the best thing I ever did to either of my two TJs.

maybe because my jeep is mexican Jerry, but I dont have the limited slip.... I lifted the tires and rotate them and if I rotate one clock wise the other one rotate ccw like an open diff, and I checked with my VIN number the characteristics in a webpage that I found here in the forum and it mentions only trulock, but not a limited slip... (or maybe there is a diff reason of why the tires rotate in different directions?)

by saying "Huge improvement" you are talking about gaining power? if that's so... you gained power in highway speeds only? or it gives you more power in the lower speeds while wheeling? thanks Jerry..

do you think this is the gears I will need correct?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ETJR1R2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[Jerry Bransford]

maybe because my jeep is mexican Jerry, but I dont have the limited slip.... I lifted the tires and rotate them and if I rotate one clock wise the other one rotate ccw like an open diff, and I checked with my VIN number the characteristics in a webpage that I found here in the forum and it mentions only trulock, but not a limited slip... (or maybe there is a diff reason of why the tires rotate in different directions?)

View attachment 405518

by saying "Huge improvement" you are talking about gaining power? if that's so... you gained power in highway speeds only? or it gives you more power in the lower speeds while wheeling? thanks Jerry..

do you think this is the gears I will need correct?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ETJR1R2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

That is how the Rubicon's Torsen style limited differential works, it will spin its tires in opposite direction when when one tire is rotated and there's no load on them like if both are in the air. Same with a Detroit Truetrac Torsen style LSD. A clutch-type LSD like the Tracloc used in non-Rubicons will spin its other side rear tire in the same direction.

A lower ratio like 5.38 will improve/raise power no matter if you're wheeling at low speeds or on the highway.

 

[Don Bulee]

That is how the Rubicon's Torsen style limited differential works, it will spin its tires in opposite direction when when one tire is rotated and there's no load on them like if both are in the air. Same with a Detroit Truetrac Torsen style LSD. A clutch-type LSD like the Tracloc used in non-Rubicons will spin its other side rear tire in the same direction.

A lower ratio like 5.38 will improve/raise power no matter if you're wheeling at low speeds or on the highway.

as always.. thank you Jerry..!!

 

[Don Bulee]

That is how the Rubicon's Torsen style limited differential works, it will spin its tires in opposite direction when when one tire is rotated and there's no load on them like if both are in the air. Same with a Detroit Truetrac Torsen style LSD. A clutch-type LSD like the Tracloc used in non-Rubicons will spin its other side rear tire in the same direction.

A lower ratio like 5.38 will improve/raise power no matter if you're wheeling at low speeds or on the highway.

one last question Jerry, are my used 4.10s gears any good for any other non-rubicon jeep that want to improve their gearing? I mean, if I have a buddy with normal 3.73 gears and a Dana 44 can he use my 4.10s? or since they are for rubicon they wont fit in non-rubicon model?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Used gears are very difficult to set up since they have been work hardened together where they meshed. That means extra effort would be required during the setup so they mesh exactly how they did on your axle. Many shops even charge more to set up used gears, I don't believe they're work giving to your buddy unless he's aware of that.