Looking for advice on Regearing

[Qban]

I'm comparing prices and products and the two packages I've come across are:

4x4groupbuy - Item Number: XJ 30/8.25 4.56M?
http://www.4x4groupbuy.com/store/rough-country-8401-cherokee-dana-chrysler-gear-package-p-66550.html

and

Rusty's Offroad - Item Number: GEARSP30R825
http://www.rustysoffroad.com/rustys-gear-special-xj-d30-rev-front-chrysler-8-25-rear.html

Rusty's are listed as Motive Gear Performance Series, 4x4groupbuy's are listed as Motive Gear Standard Performance.
Is there a difference between Motive Standard and Performance?

Also, Rustys included master install kits use Timken bearings, the ones from 4x4groupbuy are unknown to me but I sent an email. I figured I would try to stick to Timken bearings cause that's what I will be pulling out of mine to make setup bearings.

Basically, everything to me sounds like I should order from Rusty's but I'm trying to not order from them.

I could use some input from you guys to help me decide.

Thanks!

 

[Gold Cobra]

Contact Robert at Rwkhaussupply.com

I'd bet he can beat those prices. Exceptional customer service too.

 

[Qban]

I emailed him yesterday, hoping to hear back from him soon =)

 

[Bryan C.]

Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for when it comes to gears. Cheap prices normally equals cheap gears.

This isn't a knock on any vendor or gear company. Hopefullys other can chime in to their experiences with whatever brands are popular at the moment.

 

[Qban]

Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for when it comes to gears. Cheap prices normally equals cheap gears.

This isn't a knock on any vendor or gear company. Hopefullys other can chime in to their experiences with whatever brands are popular at the moment.

Let me start with I'm not even close to being an novice in this field, but I do my research, take my time to do things right and usually don't regret the outcome even if it's less than par.

I agree with that general statement usually. However,
People complain about gears for two reasons, they can't install them properly or the gears/brand just isn't consistently good.

In my completely void of experience opinion I've come to this current result:

Yukons are flat out too expensive for me and I think they are over priced and over hyped.

USA Standard are Yukon's gears that didn't make the grade. I've heard from more than one professional installer that they wouldn't invest the time to install them on their own vehicles.

Superior Gears, I've heard nothing consistently good about them.

Motive Gears, seems affordable and most people's experiences that I've read sound in general to be satisfied.

Let me know if I'm missing something that would should justify spending double the amount in order to avoid "Cheap prices normally equals cheap gears."

 

[Bryan C.]

Ha, I wish I could help more. 8 years ago I installed some precision 4.88 gears in my D30/d44. The rear were stamped Spicer and the front were precision even though they both came in precision boxes. I have had really good luck with them. Over the last few years I have heard nothing but bad things about Yukon. I also set up some motive gears recently. They were on an 8.25 and set up really nice. Other than that I dont have much experience outside of dealership parts.

 

[Mnkyboy]

I have USA standard 4.88s in my D30/D44. They set up easy, run quiet, and have held up to some major abuse.

 

[Phil]

BC, what did you put in my happy axle? Maybe motive also?

 

[wreckedxj]

I run US standard gears, they seem to be the "low end" gears, a bit harder to set up but they work just like they should

I have ran Yukons in the past, easier to set up, i am not sure why but that is just the way it seemed. They were a bit quieter as well.

 

[4WD_HARDWARE]

I'm comparing prices and products and the two packages I've come across are:

4x4groupbuy - Item Number: XJ 30/8.25 4.56M?
http://www.4x4groupbuy.com/store/rough-country-8401-cherokee-dana-chrysler-gear-package-p-66550.html

and

Rusty's Offroad - Item Number: GEARSP30R825
http://www.rustysoffroad.com/rustys-gear-special-xj-d30-rev-front-chrysler-8-25-rear.html

Rusty's are listed as Motive Gear Performance Series, 4x4groupbuy's are listed as Motive Gear Standard Performance.
Is there a difference between Motive Standard and Performance?

Also, Rustys included master install kits use Timken bearings, the ones from 4x4groupbuy are unknown to me but I sent an email. I figured I would try to stick to Timken bearings cause that's what I will be pulling out of mine to make setup bearings.

Basically, everything to me sounds like I should order from Rusty's but I'm trying to not order from them.

I could use some input from you guys to help me decide.

Thanks!

G/2 also has some great products, I can write you a quote for the set. Also I am doing a 10% gift card for orders up to $5,000.

Thanks,
Don

 

[X E Ryder]

I have dana genuine (supposedly) in the front and Richmond in the back - no problems.

Tried Sierra 4.88's and they died on the way home.

The real question is, I hear there are only a few foundries mass producing gear sets now, none in the US. Seems like getting good gears is a bit of a gamble.

Maybe someone who really dug into this can remind us which gears are made under what roof.

 

[Bryan C.]

BC, what did you put in my happy axle? Maybe motive also?

I think the gears were Motive. I didn't really have any issues with your set up either.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

Well for what its worth...

USA Standard boxed sets for the Dana axles are typically the same exact importer (so from the same factory(s)), as Motive and Nitro. Only difference is lessor warranty so you pay less.

Superior is out, have been for a few months and likely will never come back. SO DONT think about wasting your $ on anything in a superior box.

Alloy/precision are very hit and miss. Mostly miss, but hey they give you a 5 year warranty and charge you double the price.

Yukon is the ONLY aftermarket company that does state side quality control sampling/ checking of everything they offer. Not only that, but each Yukon gear set is going to be only the highest quality factory supply. At times (and most of the time) the applications that are critical to get quiet and perfect (GM Impala, Van applications, etc) are OE gears in their box, but some others do this also.

Motive is constantly ok.

Keep in mind USA Standard and Yukon are owned by the same company, so when supply runs out of USA Standard sets, it makes perfectly good sense to start boxing Yukon spec'd and quality sets in the USA boxes so not to loose sales. Also, when you buy 1000 of a product the price in nature goes down, then 500 of a product. SO why buy 500 of factory A (say this is higher cost and better lapping etc) and 500 of Factory B (installer grade), when 1000 from factory A might be the same price and breaking up to 2 diff factory's. Then just boxing all with Factory A. Hope this was clear as mud.

In any case. I install about 15 to 30 gear sets a month. Have been doing this volume for about 5 years. I would have to guess about 90% of my installs and sales have been of the USA Standard boxed sets. At about a 10-25% savings, its a Great bargain. In that say 5 years I would say I have had maybe 8-10 gear sets fail and likely a few of those from install error. SO you do the math.

I do not know of a gear set that isnt now made from a 8620 tool steel blank. I have yet to see one set by anyone not lapped at least slightly. If you have a C8.25 expect about a 5-10% chance it will make some noise if you dont break them in correctly and or they are set up even the slightest out of spec. And once that happens, the gear set will not quiet down. And the install/owner error has just rendered that set bad. I have had that happen about 3 times in the last 5 years. I sell alot less C8.25 sets then others...

I would install a USA Standard, Motive or Yukon gear, without worry in any Dana axle. And if its a C8.25 I would go Motive or Yukon. Just what I would do.

 

[X E Ryder]

Well for what its worth...

USA Standard boxed sets for the Dana axles are typically the same exact importer (so from the same factory(s)), as Motive and Nitro. Only difference is lessor warranty so you pay less........

........... If you have a C8.25 expect about a 5-10% chance it will make some noise if you dont break them in correctly and or they are set up even the slightest out of spec. And once that happens, the gear set will not quiet down. And the install/owner error has just rendered that set bad. I have had that happen about 3 times in the last 5 years. I sell alot less C8.25 sets then others...

I would install a USA Standard, Motive or Yukon gear, without worry in any Dana axle. And if its a C8.25 I would go Motive or Yukon. Just what I would do.

Good info thanks! Hey I wondered about the 8.25" being overly sensitive. I had a brand new set of 4.56 go south on the drive home - even stopped at 15 minutes and waited 4 hours for it to cool completely before finishing the drive home.

Ended up stopping a dozen times with the next set and placing bags of ice on top the diff at each stop, to get it home without overheating the new set. That set is still running great and very quiet even at highway speeds. I live 90 minutes into the mountains from the shop. Don't know how much of that was required but it did the trick so was worth it.

 

[Qban]

I would install a USA Standard, Motive or Yukon gear, without worry in any Dana axle. And if its a C8.25 I would go Motive or Yukon. Just what I would do.

Thank you for taking the time to elaborate on the current state of gears, manufacturers, and where things are ultimately coming from. This was exactly more of the information I was looking for =)

So even though I was initially against the yukons now I'm actually leaning toward the yukons in the back and motive in the front. You also changed my opinion over from timken bearings to koyos.

I'm almost read to jump in, the last part of the puzzle for me is what the end locker/lsd situation will look like in my XJ.

I have a 242 and in the end would like to retain/regain my 4 fulltime which means my dana 30 has to be a selectable (preference ARB) or an LSD (preference truetrac). The rear on the other hand can be anything.


Right now I'm leaning toward a Rear TrueTrac and a Front ARB.
(currently I have an aussie in front that I will keep till I get more money)
pros:
I get to retain 4 fulltime
I get one "real" locker in the front when I need it (crawling and offroad)
when I'm in snow/ice and other mountain conditions I get a rear LSD and safer driving
If more traction is required in rear I can tap the brakes
Around town I can turn and drive as smoothly as ever
The girlfriend can safely drive and enjoy it without popping and clanking around corners

So is the Truetrac in the rear and ARB in the front a winning combination? and will I make it through the Rubicon with it?

 

[blondejoncherokee]

you can make it through the con posi/open or open/open if you want if the rest of your rig is built pretty well. its how much do you want to work at it and how built is the rest of the rig? Id go front locker . I love the rubicon, but I wouldnt like to run it without at least one full locker. I ran it posi/locked years ago, but for the past few years locked/locked is funner for me....

gears, good tires, flat belly , good suspension,steering, spare parts, , raised rockers etc will help a ton as well.