Well, yes and no. First, you gotta remember that you can wind that little 2.5 tight. You don't HAVE to shift when the shift light comes on. Run it up more and use what's available. Second, gearing can be lowered a bit, but I think the money you put into that, could be better spent on different/stronger axles. The way I myself figure it, off road, it no problem. That's what 4-low is for. On the road, it might take a little longer to get up to speed, and you can always down-shift on inclines. I know there is more than 1 person on here running 33's with a 4 banger. I know of 1 running 35's, but he has re-geared. You should just know that all the money put in on mods for a 2.5, are not going to pay off dollar for dollar. I don't know any specific numbers, but the horsepower gain out of a modded one is not as much as you would expect or hope for. Maybe someone else has some numbers, but I don't think they will be that impressive. Are you running 31's now? Does it do well for you now? The difference in RPM between the two is only about 170 rpm's running down the road. Anyway something to think about. Later