Recommended gearing after installing 33" tires on 2000 TJ 2.5 5-speed ?

[Goatman]

If you aren't an experienced person with a wrench then I would NOT try it by yourself. There are quite a few 'special' tools an average mech won't have. And experience really helps here. If you have rebuilt a few engines and transmissions before, and have a good, clean shop with a good set of dial indicators at hand I would still say to find a buddy that has done this a few times.
This is one of the few things that I would want to leave to an expert. Your average garage is unlikely to be the best place either. Pay the money and be confident your axles are done right.

 

[WJT]

If you aren't an experienced person with a wrench then I would NOT try it by yourself. There are quite a few 'special' tools an average mech won't have. And experience really helps here. If you have rebuilt a few engines and transmissions before, and have a good, clean shop with a good set of dial indicators at hand I would still say to find a buddy that has done this a few times.
This is one of the few things that I would want to leave to an expert. Your average garage is unlikely to be the best place either. Pay the money and be confident your axles are done right.

I work in my Own stuff all the time. I don’t want to take it anywhere if I don’t have to. The only thing that I was kinda iffy about was using the dial indicator to set the backlash. I watched a video a few minutes ago and it didn’t seem too hard. He did use a thing to spread the diff open 10 thousandths to slide the shims in tho. Would I need one of them? I would rather do it at home because the place I took it too wanted to charge me $500 for each axel to install without the price to order the gears.

 

[Wildman]

I work in my Own stuff all the time. I don’t want to take it anywhere if I don’t have to. The only thing that I was kinda iffy about was using the dial indicator to set the backlash. I watched a video a few minutes ago and it didn’t seem too hard. He did use a thing to spread the diff open 10 thousandths to slide the shims in tho. Would I need one of them? I would rather do it at home because the place I took it too wanted to charge me $500 for each axel to install without the price to order the gears.

There is more to setting up gears than just setting the backlash. Some people will tell you NO you don't need a case spreader to do the gears but I like having one.

You'll need a way to measure the thickness of the shims, a inch pound dial gauge torque wrench to check preload, a way to hold the yokes from spinning so you can crush the crush sleeves, dial indicator with a magnetic base, 1/2" drive torque wrench, bearing puller & then the time to do it properly.

Yes you can do it but it isn't something that you want to mess up.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I strongly recommend not doing the gears yourself without ever having done that job. There's a WHOLE LOT to doing that job correctly and if not done perfectly your new gears will be toast within a few hundred miles. Not even seasoned gear installers get them right every time. My first regearing 20 years ago was done by a highly experienced guy and they were toast/howling within 3 weeks. I took the Jeep back in and to his credit, he took the blame for them not having been set up well enough and replaced them. I assisted (tool monkey) during the installation of my 5.38 gears two years ago and there's a lot more to the process than I thought but we had nothing but time so it was a non-issue.

 

[Wildman]

As Jerry said there's a lot more to setting gears up than just slapping them in and checking backlash.
I learned how to do gears ⚙ when I worked in a shop and the resident expert walked me through it 3 times before I was allowed to try on my own.
I had 3 axles come back for a wrong setup. Luckily the shop had to eat my screw up.
Yes people have been known to do it for the first time and be successful but how many times do they not get it right?
It's expensive to have someone else do the work for you but you are covered if it's not right. Shop around and talk to others who have had gears ⚙ in a 4x4 done to see who they recommend.

 

[WJT]

Thanks for the advice. I’m definitely getting someone to install them now that I read that. I feel confident in doing it myself but I don’t want to take that big of a risk without have the time and money to do it all again. I’ll call around to a few people and talk to some friends and see what I can come up with. Thank y’all!

 

[WJT]

I’ll end up doing it one day just not right now. Sometime far in the future

 

[Wildman]

Get a spare axle to practice on.

 

[Goatman]

Ask the shop if they'll let you watch and learn. Be surprised how many people like to pass on knowledge.

 

[WJT]

Ask the shop if they'll let you watch and learn. Be surprised how many people like to pass on knowledge.

I always thought the opposite not the passing knowledge on part but the watching part. Or is that just with helping. They don’t mind watching but no helping.

 

[reddvltj]

I always thought the opposite not the passing knowledge on part but the watching part. Or is that just with helping. They don’t mind watching but no helping.

A lot of that depends on the shop itself. Some shops are pretty strict with their employees only in the shop rules. It also depends on the tech that's doing the work. Some guys don't like the idea of the customer looking over their shoulder and some are more than willing... It never hurts to ask, if you don't ask you'll never know!