I want bigger tires... but
- Thread starter mgroeger
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- 35" gearing transmission
Jay P
TJ Enthusiast
You will love the 4.56 gears with that tranny. I can’t imagine 3.07s on 35s as I was on 33s for a month with that ratio and it was unbearable. I imagine once you do the gear change you will think that it was pretty awful on the streets anyways. I went to 4.56 and was smiling and laughing at the difference for weeks.
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ErikOffroad
TJ Enthusiast
I get where you are coming from. I will have to look at prices and see what the difference between a lunchbox and shafts is compared to a super build.
Jay P
TJ Enthusiast
I have a forum recommended Powertrax No-Slip in my Dana 30. I love it so far. I paid $400 and I have extra stock shafts that are fully assembled. I believe the chromoly shafts are $500-$600 so for me, they can wait.
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Awesome I hope it is as great of an improvement as everyone says! The most reputable driveline specialist shop in my area quoted me at $2300. Said I would need a new carrier in the Dana 35 and that was all new bearings and seals. Seems pretty high to me. I think I've found a retired mechanic who might do it for $1200, but no warranty of any kind.
As Blaine said, you don't need a Super 30. Just replace the existing shafts with hardened alloy 4340 27 spline shafts and you won't have to worry about breakages. I broke a front ear on my front axle shaft years ago while on an unusually tough trail and replaced both shafts with hardened alloy shafts and no more problems.
Just getting hardened alloy shafts which have hardened ears like from Revolution Gear will eliminate that issue without the need to convert from the OE 27 spline shaft size 30 splines which requires a new 30 spline carrier and 30 spline unit bearing hubs.
Keep in mind too that the front axle doesn't have to be built as strong as the rear shaft does since the front shaft seldom sees more than about 50% of the load the rear axle sees.
I agree that many issues that become frequent subjects in internet jeep forums are far less common than the tone of some posts would indicate. Prime examples are ECM/PCM issues in the 05-06 model years, "laughing monkey OPDM's, and "garbage" 42RLE transmissions.
Although there is no way to verify numbers, I'm sure that the number of TJ's that have been re-geared to 5.38 is relatively low and the number of those with post 5.38 re-gear vibrations is even lower than that. However, based on re-gear installation reports and the increasing number of 5.38 gear ratios listed in internet jeep profiles, and the fact that searches for posts describing post re-gear front end vibrations yield almost none that predate the release of of the thick cut 5.38 gear sets by Revolution Gear & Axle, every indication is that sales of 5.38 gear sets are brisk which in turn suggests that we may hear more vibration reports in the future.
I guess what I am saying is that as more people re-gear their TJ Rubicon Dana 44's to 5.38 gears the more vibration reports we are likely to hear and the more common manual hub conversions are likely to be among those like me who don't have the patience to chase those vibrations. Enough so to warrant asking whether manual hubs have been installed when someone boasts that they re-geared to 5.38 and have no vibrations whatsoever. I am told that a forum member has made just such a boast here. Ironically, if it is the individual I think it is, he does have manual hubs.
Manual hubs aren't for everyone. They are an expensive proposition and start one down the slippery slope to other modifications that would otherwise never be under consideration. But as I acknowledged at the outset of my quest for a resolution to the vibrations that became apparent after my re-gear - I don't have the patience to spend hours trying to dial the vibrations down to an acceptable level much less dial them out altogether, especially when manual hubs are a "sure fix."
I have two 04 TJ's. One is an Unlimited. One is stock gearing, the other is 4.88's for 32's which both run. Both have 231 t-cases. Both have newish sound driveshafts front and rear. Neither have an SYE due to stock suspension.
Both have the faint harmonic that will turn very annoying once shaft speeds go up. The TJ has had it since new. The Unlimited has had it since I owned it.
Point being that it is not as cut and dried as being more prevalent since the introduction of the lower gearing. It is out there and has been. It just gets talked about more when folks spend a lot of money on gearing and now it sucks.
OTOH, I also have a TJ with an AW-4 and 5.38's that does not have even the faintest harmonic vibe. It has a 231 as well.
Oddly, I had 4.88's in the TJ with 33's and no harmonic. It was there stock, went away when I lifted it, came back when it was converted back to stock with all new parts.
I don't know the answer but what I do know is with rare exception, it can be dialed out without resorting to a hub kit.
I think the best answer may just be, "Its a Jeep thing." I was able to dial down the vibes but not dial them out without eliminating steering return to center; @bobthetj03 has yet to find any relief for the vibrations in his jeep; you have had success but not without mechanical aptitude and the investment of substantial time and energy ; someone else will surely report an experience unique to them.
My "solution" certainly isn't for everyone but it works for me. I've reached the point in life where every day is a gift and time isn't something that should be wasted. Too many of my friends who had projects they wanted to address or places they wanted to go when they "got around to it" are no longer with us. I decided to throw money at this problem to get my jeep back to being Interstate ready as quickly as possible. Not everyone can and in my younger years neither could I.
Just so it is clear, I have zero issues with your solution. I am a fan of hub kits, I think they are very good things to have, I just wish they were cheaper.
X2, a hub kit is not needed to keep the possible vibrations away. I occasionally drive my TJ on the highway with my hubs locked and have no vibrations. There's no difference in feel whether they're locked or unlocked, I can't tell if they're locked or not unless I look at the hubs.
Want to take a crack at mine? It's been over 2 years, and I still can't dial it out. Mine's a 5 speed, so the OD issue doesn't apply to me.
Sure, we are more than glad to take a crack at it. When does it present the worst?
50-60 mph it starts out as a audible sine wave harmonic. 62+mph it turns into a physical vibe felt in the wheel, seat, and floor board. Anything above 70mph for sustained periods is just scary for me.
Does the harmonic vary in amplitude and appear to increase and diminish seemingly from one end of the vehicle to the other and back? Sort of like a dog shaking off water except not stopping when the water is gone?
How many times have you replaced your front driveshaft in the last few months?
Bare with me, it's been 2+ years and a bunch of parts throwing. Currently, the harmonic at 50-60mph is cyclic and seems to come from center to rear. 62mph seems to be a lull, and almost normal. Above 63 the physical felt vibe kicks in and it is constant(no cyclic vibe) Via previous posts with you, I've adjusted pinion angles in many configurations with no improvement, so I feel the issue is in a special place I can't reach.
@ErikOffroad You’re wasting your money. You’ll never be that guy on the side of the trail sitting there with your wife cursing you for two hours. Upgraded chronology shafts would be a good move