Topic: ordering gears need help!

[Jeffy]

I was told to get 4.88's because I will notice alot more power and faster speeds uphills, etc... I look at http://www.wrangleryj.com/gear-ratio-guide and they say havin'g 31" tires is bad for that. Should I really upgrade to 35" tires or will the 31" be ok?  I don't want factory that is why I am upgrading.

Before we start, you should give up some idea of what we/you are starting with.  Year, Model, Transmission, tire size...

[jfrabat]

don't go for genuine gear
go for the ones jeffy mentioned, motive gear is also nice.

Just out of curiosity, why not G2?  I'm just asking because, IIRC, that's what I got in mine (I know the axles are G2; dont remember if the gears were as well).

I was told to get 4.88's because I will notice alot more power and faster speeds uphills, etc... I look at http://www.wrangleryj.com/gear-ratio-guide and they say havin'g 31" tires is bad for that. Should I really upgrade to 35" tires or will the 31" be ok?  I don't want factory that is why I am upgrading.

I used 31's and 4.88 and it was GREAT!  I could cruise in 5th without having to downshift on overpasses and slight upgrades.  The RPM's will be on the high side, but the 4 banger can handle high RPM's without much issues.  Also, you will be cruising at around 3~3.5K, which means you will be well into the powerband of your engine...

[sharpxmen]

Just out of curiosity, why not G2?  I'm just asking because, IIRC, that's what I got in mine (I know the axles are G2; dont remember if the gears were as well).

they repackage items manufactured by others.   set of axles i purchased were out of specs, one was thicker and one was smaller, had them returned and they (4wd.com) send me Alloy USA for the trouble at no extra cost - these are right on the money. Did some research and turns out G2 buys their parts and package them in G2 boxes - i had my gears ordered as G2 from 4wd, and after the experience with the axles I called them and asked to cancel and order Motive Gear instead. As a matter of fact i wanted to order Motive to begin with but the sales person on the phone talked me into the G2 - not sure if there is any affiliation between G2 and 4wd but it might. But that's just my experience, you seem to have had a different one so i guess depends on the batch (mine was a bad one).

[jfrabat]

they repackage items manufactured by others.   set of axles i purchased were out of specs, one was thicker and one was smaller, had them returned and they (4wd.com) send me Alloy USA for the trouble at no extra cost - these are right on the money. Did some research and turns out G2 buys their parts and package them in G2 boxes - i had my gears ordered as G2 from 4wd, and after the experience with the axles I called them and asked to cancel and order Motive Gear instead. As a matter of fact i wanted to order Motive to begin with but the sales person on the phone talked me into the G2 - not sure if there is any affiliation between G2 and 4wd but it might. But that's just my experience, you seem to have had a different one so i guess depends on the batch (mine was a bad one).

The reason I asked is because my rear gear DID in fact fail (there was a whine/houl coming from it, and they had to replace it at no charge to me).  In any case, apart from that issue, I have had no more trouble from my gears/axles shafts.

I think there IS an afiliation between G2 and 4WD/4WheelParts, as they are the only ones that sell them. 

[sharpxmen]

The reason I asked is because my rear gear DID in fact fail (there was a whine/houl coming from it, and they had to replace it at no charge to me).  In any case, apart from that issue, I have had no more trouble from my gears/axles shafts.

I think there IS an afiliation between G2 and 4WD/4WheelParts, as they are the only ones that sell them. 

so probably like in my case your first set was a bad one, and the second came out of a good batch. I know for sure Motive has their own factory, i did speak with a G2 tech rep at the time i had the issue with the axles and he admitted that they only repackage parts and not manufacture or have a dedicated manufacturer.

to explain how i even thought of measuring the axles: one of them was not sliding into the spider gear in the diff - i measured it and it was too big in diameter at the splines, then i put the other one in the diff and was quite loose - measure them both and they were way out of specs (can't remember exactly how much but i know it was quite a bit as the tech kept asking me if i measured them correctly and to do it again - turned out the same every time). so that's the story + finding out that all their parts are rebranded bulk bought items i decided to stay away from G2.

[drunkencityworker]

thats why I love this board...good info..Thanks

[bammerman]

Before we start, you should give up some idea of what we/you are starting with.  Year, Model, Transmission, tire size...

Sorry about that.  Should have stated this at the start.  I have a 1990 YJ 5speed manual 4cyl.  I have 31" tires on it right now.  No high end mod's yet. Looking at doing a engine swap if the gears don't cut it.  I hate having to shift to 3rd gear and go up hills  (at)  50miles and hour.  Feel like an ass getting passed by 80 year old's. I mainly use it for my daily driver but would like to do trails if my vehicle can handle it.  Want to put a 2.5" lift on it and electric fan along with the gears and maybe 33's some day (if the lift is big enough). Just not sure what i need to get gear wise to give to my mechanic.  I would rather buy the parts myself since they have such a huge profit margin on the parts if they get them.  

[jfrabat]

My best advice, do the 4.88 on 31's.  33's will not fit with 2.5" of lift unless you do some cutting (TJ flares, for example), but if you do light wheeling, 31's should be more than adecuate (especially if you go to an MT).  With 31's and 4.88, you will be able to drive against the wind and slightly uphill in 5th.  Plus, by keeping the lift low (2.5") and the tires at 31", you will not have to alter the rest of the driveline (CV Shaft, adjusting rear pinion angle, etc.) and you will put less stress on the driveline, which means you can keep the D35 on the rear without fear (unless you have a very heavy right foot!).

I put my 4.88's in when I still had 31's, and now that I run 33's, I miss the low (numerically high) gearing.  I would put the Jeep in 5th, activate the cruise control (I have an after market one that worked at that time, but has since stopped working!) and just drive...  I wish I could go to 5.13 with 33's, to be where I was at with 4.88 and 31's, but that would mean 2 new axles for me, so it's not happening.

[FourbangerYJ]

The reason I asked is because my rear gear DID in fact fail (there was a whine/houl coming from it, and they had to replace it at no charge to me).  In any case, apart from that issue, I have had no more trouble from my gears/axles shafts.

I think there IS an afiliation between G2 and 4WD/4WheelParts, as they are the only ones that sell them. 

The G2 line is 4WP/4WDH's line.

Genuine gear = Genuwhine gear. Lots of complaints on that brand.
There are only a few companies that make R&P sets. They have their own brand and private label their products for other companies. Or build other companies stuff to their specks.
Personally I think you get what you pay for in gears. There is NO free lunch! I'd stay with the major brands...Richmond,Precision,Dana,Ford,U.S.Gear,Superior, ETC.

[jfrabat]

Well, as I said, I did have a problem, but once fixed, I have not had any more issues with mine.  Since it was taken care of properly by 4WheelParts, I have no complains with my G2 rings/Pinions/axles as of today.  Mind you, I have only about 10~15K miles since I had the axles done, so there may be issues down the line, but so far, there are none.

[Jeffy]

Precision Gear as well as Alloy USA are now owned by Omix Ada.

For 31's, I would go with 4.88's.  It doesn't really make sense to go with anything less unless you have an Automatic.  4.88's will allow you to go up to 33's if you want to as well.  It will be downright peppy with 31's though.

[bammerman]

Precision Gear as well as Alloy USA are now owned by Omix Ada.

For 31's, I would go with 4.88's.  It doesn't really make sense to go with anything less unless you have an Automatic.  4.88's will allow you to go up to 33's if you want to as well.  It will be downright peppy with 31's though.

Last question for you guys, guess it is a 2/3 part.

What the hell do I order? I am going to go with the 4.88 gears (you guys all talked me into it), but is there a kit or do I just buy the gear, or are there all these extra parts I need to know about?  Lastly.  Electric fan I hear is a good mod.  Anyone have a link (as well as a link to what I need for gears) so i can just click it, order and make a time to have it installed :D

If so thanks and  




*edit's (What is a good brand of snorkel and are they easy to install?  I like the looks of them and if I can get these gears I want to play in the mud and water ponds out here).

[Jeffy]

Last question for you guys, guess it is a 2/3 part.

What the hell do I order? I am going to go with the 4.88 gears (you guys all talked me into it), but is there a kit or do I just buy the gear, or are there all these extra parts I need to know about?  Lastly.  Electric fan I hear is a good mod.  Anyone have a link (as well as a link to what I need for gears) so i can just click it, order and make a time to have it installed :D

If so thanks and 




*edit's (What is a good brand of snorkel and are they easy to install?  I like the looks of them and if I can get these gears I want to play in the mud and water ponds out here).

You want two sets of 4.88:1 gears and two Master Install kits.  Like I said before, just make sure the Master Install kits come with carrier bearings or else you'll need to buy 4 of them.  You'll also need to find someone to install the gears.  Local mechanic should be able to do them but I'd consider a speed shop who does them regularly.  They can usually do them fast as well as cost less.

As for your snorkel questions, there is only one commercial snorkel and that's the ARB/Safari.  Drill a large hole then pop-rivet a plate to the box...

[bammerman]

You guys have been a lot of help, thank you I appreciate it.

[jfrabat]

Bammerman,

My advice, find somebody to do this for you; dont try it yourself.  Changing rings and pinions requires some knowledge and use of special tools, which, based on your questions, I am assuming you dont have.  Now, since I assume you will have this done, sometimes it is cheaper to get the parts from the shop doing the work.  If you have a person (as in not a shop) or in some shops, they let you bring the parts without charging you extra for installing parts not bought at the store, then buy the parts Jeffy mentioned, but not all shops install parts that you have not bought from them...  Just a heads up.

Regarding the fan, it is a good mod, and this one is very easy to do yourself.  Basically, go to the nearest junkyard, locate a Ford Taurus from the mid 90's with a V6, and pull the fan and shroud.  Should be less than $30 (mine was $28).  Make sure it is the fan with the 3 wires, and grab the connectors as well...  You will also need to get a switch, and a relay or controller (or both, depending on what you want to run).  You will also need some wire (I used the same gage as the ones in the fan; dont remember what it was, though).

In the fan, there are 3 wires; a ground, a positive for the high speed, and a negative for the low speed.  The way I hooked up mine (there are many ways to do this!), is that I used a 3 position switch.  The middle position turns the fan OFF.  The top position goes to a relay, which turns the fan on at low speed (more than enough to cool down the 4 banger!), and the bottom position goes to the Delta Current Control box, which means the box automatically controls the fan through the high speed wire.  Basically, the hotter the temp at the return side of the radiator, the faster the fan will turn automatically.  The relay was something like $40, the fan was $28, the swithc was something like $20 (it's a lighted, labeled switch which I use for all my applications so all the switches are the same - OBA, Front Locker, Rear Locker, Fog Lights, Hi Beam lights, and fan), about $5 in wires, some water proof connectors, and an extra fuse box (I dont like a ton of wires coming out of my battery, but you can do without this), and about $120 for the DCControl box.