new gears

[2kyjeep]

hey yall, good morning. I have a 94 wrangler, I am about to get new gears and lockers, I have 33" tires, I have been told to go with 456 by one and another told me I would be dumb not to go with 488, any input from my boys here

 

[tazsean]

i may be new but i have looked at the charts and 488 is alittle high for 33". it willll give you great acceleration but ****ty top spead and worse fuel economy. if i where you i would use the 4.56 gears unless your nto guna drive it on road at all and then maybe i would go with 4.88 just for future upgrade and saving money purposes. but if your going to drive it on the road at all your gunna want the 4.56 so you can afford to keep it filled with gas and goin down the road.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

we need to know which engine and transmission type you have before we can give you a good recommendation. It also helps to know what your stock axle ratio is.

 

[Rubiconrich]

If you are going to do a gear swap Toss your Dana 35 rear end. Do not put a dime into it. Go with a Dana 44 or a Ford 8.8. (You can also use 4:10's works great with 33"s. and a I6 )If you need to crawl then do the 4 to 1 kit.

 

[bootguy]

If youre putting the money in dont think just 3 months down the road but what you might want to do 3 yrs down the road. mudding or crawling calls for different gearing. And to throw out there, my sons jeep has the 2.5L, automatic and 488 on 31" tires 95% on-road, great speed 70MPH at 3500 RPM. it also averages 15 to 17 mpg.

 

[JeepWrangler1999]

i have the 2.5 manual. with 31" bfg all terrains i think im going to get 4:88 gears. everyone think that would be okay?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Yes, a 2.5 5spd should go to 4.88 for 31" tires. It's as low as you can go in the stock axles, and 4.10 to 4.56 isn't enough of a change to justify the trouble & cost.

 

[Team Twisted Off Road]

I had the same post....http://www.jeepz.com/forum/cj-yj-tj-jk/28485-help-dana-30-35-4-88-gears-info.html


ID DO IT...

 

[jfrabat]

I had 4.88 and 31's and loved it. Now (with the 33's I now have) I wish I could go to 5.13's to get the torque I had back with the 31's and 4.88's.

 

[Rubiconrich]

That's why I will never own a 2.5.

 

[jeeperwilly]

Like the previous post state, it all depends on your drivetrain. I run 4.88's in my TJ with 4.0/5spd. I run it all 3000 miles out to Moab and back though the Rockies and I average about 16mpg for the whole trip. Not to say the engine isn't working since at 70mph I'm taching 2950.

I have a D44, personally I wouldn't invest my time and money into a D35 (if thats what you're putting the gears in). I've seen some guys sucessfully run 33's on a D35, but they had autos and a "very" light foot. More often then not you're gonna snap an axle shaft.

If you plan on keeping the Jeep, take some time, save the money, and just swap in a superior axle (D44 or Ford 8.8) and do your gears then. Just my $0.02

Best of luck