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Another Gearing Thread.

JonnyCat63

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
San Diego
Wanted to get real world feedback on the gearing I'm leaning towards on my latest build. I've got a 99XJ, 4.0/AW4/242/D30/8.25. Going to run 33's. I'm getting ready to build the axles and am strongly leaning toward 4.88 for the gearing. Won't be a daily driver, but I occasionally will drive it up to 2-3 hours to go wheeling. Eventually I want to get a car hauler trailer and go that route, but that's a couple of years off. It will mostly get stored at my desert place, so it will be mostly a trail rig.
From all the different threads I have read, much of the consensus is 4.56 with 33's.
But here's my dilemma, my other 2 similar set up (mostly trail rigs) XJ's are running 31's with 4.10's, and I just sometimes feel I should have gone 4.56 on 31's. I feel like deeper gears would be better off road. I'm not sold on 4.56's with 33's.
So, for those of you that are or have run 4.88 with 33's, what's your opinion? Are you glad you did it? Was it horrible on the freeway? I'm really looking for people who have had experience with this set up.
Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I've built and wheeled all of the configs you list above at one time or another. IMO 33" and 4.56 are the way to go assuming the following.
Basically a somewhat stock rig ( yeah. this includes armor) using a d30 and cry 8.25 and being used as a wheeler/daily driver. I like the 4.88's for a mostly off road rig but freeway does get a bit buzzy (not that the 4.0 cant handle it, it can). Note: if your 33" actually measure out to something closer to 32.* maybe 4.56 are the way to go. Personally I've always thought 33" are the cross over point. By that I mean if you go bigger, now your looking at steering upgrades, frame stiffeners, axles, etc... Anyhow thats my.02$
 
4.88 with your setup, will make the rig more usable, even with the occasional 2-3 hour trip.

I have 4.56 with 33's and I am happy, I also have an LS so power isn't an issue, in your case 4.88 would be the best choice.
 
If not a DD and mostly a trail rig I would go with 4.88. Not sure anyone ever wished they had higher gearing while on the trail. For reference, I'm running 4.88 and 35's and it seems perfect, although I have a manual 5 speed.

What part of SD are you in?
 
I've run 4:88's and 33's (285/75/16 and 295/75/16) with an AW4 in my 2000 XJ for the past 12 years, putting 100k miles on this setup daily driving/weekend wheeling. Avereage hwy mpg is 16-17, on a rig with 5.5" of lift and 220k miles on the original engine and typical elevations between 4000 and 10000 ft.

I would never recommend 4:56's with this tire/trans combo, 4:88's are perfect both on and off-road.

Did you not read this thread? https://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1157028
 
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Another option is a diferent low gear in the transfer case to give you offroad power low, but retaining stock gear in high, That is what I have on my XJ with 33 tires, 4.11 diffs, renix motor, lots of weight from added gear. Still a bit of a dog on freeways and steep roads, but put her in low for offroad, with a 4.1 transfer case low ratio and she does nice.
I might regear her diffs sometime, but it is a big job, go other priorities

When the jeep became my owner, it was set up his way. Prior person geared for 31 tires he bought for the jeep, then later switched to 33 tires
 
I've built and wheeled all of the configs you list above at one time or another. IMO 33" and 4.56 are the way to go assuming the following.
Basically a somewhat stock rig ( yeah. this includes armor) using a d30 and cry 8.25 and being used as a wheeler/daily driver. I like the 4.88's for a mostly off road rig but freeway does get a bit buzzy (not that the 4.0 cant handle it, it can). Note: if your 33" actually measure out to something closer to 32.* maybe 4.56 are the way to go. Personally I've always thought 33" are the cross over point. By that I mean if you go bigger, now your looking at steering upgrades, frame stiffeners, axles, etc... Anyhow thats my.02$

Good point, and I'm going to make sure the tires measure a true 33". Jeep will not be a DD and I didn't list all I am doing to it right now. Full set of frame stiffies from IRO, front and rear IRO trusses, Just finished burning in my spacers tonight for my WJ knuckle swap, with steering and track bar upgrades, front and rear lockers.
Appreciate your input!
 
If not a DD and mostly a trail rig I would go with 4.88. Not sure anyone ever wished they had higher gearing while on the trail. For reference, I'm running 4.88 and 35's and it seems perfect, although I have a manual 5 speed.

What part of SD are you in?

I am leaning towards 4.88's, especially based on my experience with 4.10's and 31's.

I'm in Normal Heights. The wife and I have his and hers XJ's. We have a place down in the Salton Sea area, so we mostly wheel in Ocotillo Wells and surrounding areas. We'll do Big Bear, too.
 
I've run 4:88's and 33's (285/75/16 and 295/75/16) with an AW4 in my 2000 XJ for the past 12 years, putting 100k miles on this setup daily driving/weekend wheeling. Avereage hwy mpg is 16-17, on a rig with 5.5" of lift and 220k miles on the original engine and typical elevations between 4000 and 10000 ft.

I would never recommend 4:56's with this tire/trans combo, 4:88's are perfect both on and off-road.

Did you not read this thread? https://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1157028

Thanks for the input. I did read that thread, and you're one of the reasons I posted this one. You're the culprit! LOL! :laugh:

Most everyone was pushing the 4.56's, but you really got me thinking about 4.88's, and I thank you for that!
 
We have a place down in the Salton Sea area, so we mostly wheel in Ocotillo Wells and surrounding areas.

Cool, I'll be camping/wheeling at Superstition Mtn next weekend. Will be my first time out there. Next time you're looking for someone to wheel with look me up :thumbup:
 
Cool, I'll be camping/wheeling at Superstition Mtn next weekend. Will be my first time out there. Next time you're looking for someone to wheel with look me up :thumbup:

Absolutely, I'll let you know. Planning a couple of outings in Ocotillo in February. As soon as I nail down the dates, I'll shoot you a pm.
 
What is the advantage of 4.56 gears over 4.10s off road on the same vehicle? Calculators can tell me the crawl ratio is higher so I can assume I'll go slower. Does it put the RPMs higher before wheels start moving so it prevents over heating? Does it give me more wheel spin? I can't see why I'd want to switch to 4.56 yet when I haven't found a spot where I couldn't get up so far.
 
I always felt like I was pushing too many RPMs on the highway with 4.56 and 33s. Not horrible, but since I daily drove it, it was probably more noticeable to me. Feels perfect with 35s now. Of course with a 4:1 case, I never had any reason to go 4.88 or above. The pinion mesh with the ring gear at 4.88 is kind of scary anyway; I would just go with a beefier axle at that point.
 
It's in the place where if have to ask you'll never know. If you know then you don't have to ask..
Extra points for anyone who can tell me where I got that from....

Harry Potter

I have run both 4.10 and 4.56, running 33"s.
It just runs better and gets better mileage with the 4.56s, keeping the RPMs higher in the power range, with less downshifting on grades.
Cruising RPMs with the 4.56s is similar to stock gearing with stock tires.
What's not to like?
 
What is the advantage of 4.56 gears over 4.10s off road on the same vehicle? Calculators can tell me the crawl ratio is higher so I can assume I'll go slower. Does it put the RPMs higher before wheels start moving so it prevents over heating? Does it give me more wheel spin? I can't see why I'd want to switch to 4.56 yet when I haven't found a spot where I couldn't get up so far.

More control. Going downhill, you'll need the brakes less, which means less slipping and sliding. Going uphill, less throttle is needed to climb over an obstacle, making it easier to back out once you clear it and giving you more control as you climb.
 
Ok, now I have to throw in a monkey wrench into my own gearing thread. I was leaning towards 4:88's.

But, after much research, I picked up a 241J (4:1) transfer case out of an 03 TJ. So now, given the ratio on the 241, would 4:56's be more appropriate?

I was worried that 4:88's might be more revs on the freeway, but I was willing to live with that.

But now I'm thinking 4:56's might be more appropriate, it will be a little less revs on the freeway, and still have more crawl ratio that I was looking for.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
Definitely something you should consider. I run 4.10's with 33's and a 4:1 T-case,it has always(20yrs) ran great towing my trailer thru the mountains and crawling I have gotten under the jeep when in gear on the trail as it moves so slow. Now with my stroker I could easily pull with some 3.73's!
 
If you go that route, you might consider getting an override switch for the AW4. Depending on the type of trails you're on, 1st can be kinda slow in 4L, and 3rd can be a little fast. 2nd is the sweet spot for most of my trail runs, especially in a convoy with rigs closer to stock gearing.
 
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