Trans Damage on 33's?

[CutLaredo]

Would running 33's on a stock setup cause damage to the auto trans?

 

[GSequoia]

I can't speak for the manual, but the AW4 (the only auto behind the 4.0) is damn hard to kill. The only problem I see is lugging because you'll be undergeared, nothing that some manual shifting can't temporarly take care of, but I'd save up for 4.56:1 gears.

Sequoia

 

[woody]

It could possibly cause overheating, but I won't say it "will for sure" cause damage. I ran 33" on stock 3.55:1/open diffs for about a year before swapping in my locked/4.56 axles. I didn't get much use from the OD gear...

Out of maybe a dozen trips wheeling, I only had one incident where I thought I 'cooked' the tranny. (Easter in Uwharrie-thanks for the tug up the hill BigWoody!) I was being pretty much extra-mean to it...it was muddy and the fun-pedal was the only option. The beast eventually just slipped, more gas = no go. I let it cool off for 1/2 hr or so while the other hooligans played on a muddy rock obstacle, and it went back to normal operation. FWIW I changed the fluid immediately after driving it 30 miles home, and it's done fine ever since.

Thanks for reminding me of this...my junk will probably cook the next time I wheel it

 

[JnJ]

My Opinion, the auto tranny is killed by heat. If your running stock running gear and no after market cooler and over sized tires, you run the risk of over heating the tranny. It may not die today or tomorrow, but you may be shortening it's life span.

 

[Nay]

It doesn't matter. 33's bite with 3.55 gears. You will hate it, and that will get you to swap for lower gears.

Nay

 

[BLKXJ33]

I just put 33's on with stock gears and I don't think it is all that bad. Like everyone says, the AW4 is a solid tranny. As crazy as it sounds, my buddy ran 38" tsl's with 3.55 gears and stock drivetrain. He's run it for about a year, and his engine will overheat before anything ever happens to the AW4. Its all personal opinion on whether you want to regear or not, as for me i'm going to run stock gears for a while because of low budget reasons. Just throw the tranny into gear 3 and you'll be fine. Thats what I do to get up the mountains on the wayto North Georgia College. Its almost impossible with it in 4th.

 

[dellstopjeep]

nearin 200,000 miles, engine is runnin decent but not great, transfer case decent but no perfect, but i can say tranny is perfect. smooth shifting still. and for thoe big hills 3rd gear is the answer with no problems. But someone on here said drive it like a manual.... isnt that bad to do on a automatic tranny? or is it really okay?

 

[BajaXJ92]

I overheated my tranny on the highway this past weekend on 33s w/ 3.55s. I would highly NOT suggest this setup without at LEAST a tranny cooler. :nono:

 

[xjblaine]

My friend runs 3:55's and 35" tires as well, and he never has any problems with this aw-4. I'm running 33"s and 3:55's for now, but, I will be adding a tranny cooler in the future (just to make sure it survives). FWIW, I put the 33"s on yesterday, so we'll see what happens to mine in the meantime.

 

[BLKXJ33]

I overheated my tranny on the highway this past weekend on 33s w/ 3.55s. I would highly NOT suggest this setup without at LEAST a tranny cooler. :nono:

I need some opionions on a tranny cooler guys, who makes the best one out there. My buddy took a zj tranny cooler and added it to his wrangler, but with hose adapters and stuff it looked like it restrained the transmission fluid flow a little bit. I dont feel too safe with that. What do yall think.

 

[19XJ96]

Not to hijack the thread. I have the tow package on my XJ and it has a tranny cooler but is that sufficient or should I look at an aftermarket cooler. Also has anyone on here mounted one with the attached fan?

 

[Nay]

The late model factory XJ tranny coolers are more than sufficient - I don't know about earlier models. I towed a 5,000 lb trailer from Virginia to Colorado in the dead of summer (100 degree heat in Kansas) with no problems. My XJ is a '97.

Nay