Topic: Gearing Opinions

[stan98tj]

by the way..thank you to all who have responded to this thread. really helped me set my mind on what im going to do next. Im going to go with Art's advice on the tranny bands..ill get em reset and see if that gets the tranny good and running.....just to recap, we're all pretty much agreed that 4.56s and 33s are the best bet for my 3spd auto...that would def be better than leavin the 33s on the stock gearing taking into consideration torque and efficiency/consumption?
if so, 33s, 4.56s, a little lift so they fit nice and tranny bands to get her shiftin nice.  ill keep you all posted. im hopin to get this done after i ship out and get my first real paycheck...or maybe sooner if i can catch some shifts standing watch as a mate while im waiting on a ship
-stan

[Jeffy]

im only goin to lock the front. the fear i had with 33s is that my lift is made for up to 32s..i personally dont like the look of really stuffed up tires..i like a bit of room..not too much though. what i want to avoid is having the tire stuff up and rub the fender flare. happens to my buddy's jeep all the time and actually stops his forward momentum a lot of times if hes going slow enough (he has 33s.) i checked the rough country site and found that the 3.25-3.75" lifts actually start off as a 2.5" (which is what i have) and just add a spacer, sway bar discos and a few other things. so ill just order the body lift to get that clearance. i want to avoid the tire stuffing up and catching the flare when flexing....and i do not want to trim the flares.

Well, you can always add coil spacers if you want.  The tire to flare contact is usually from when the owner adds wheels with too much BS.  Too much BS moves the tire too far out and when you flex, the tire then rubs and then proceeds to eat the flare.

[stan98tj]

Well, you can always add coil spacers if you want.  The tire to flare contact is usually from when the owner adds wheels with too much BS.  Too much BS moves the tire too far out and when you flex, the tire then rubs and then proceeds to eat the flare.

but w/o bs u run into frame contact when turning-something that i experienced with the 31s until i spaced em out. ill have to see about the spacing for the 33s given my current set up.

[Jeffy]

but w/o bs u run into frame contact when turning-something that i experienced with the 31s until i spaced em out. ill have to see about the spacing for the 33s given my current set up.

Then you turn the steering stops out so the tires aren't turning into the frame.

[aw12345]

Or get some cheapo wider flares so the tires tuck under them at full flex, keeps some of the mud of the sides also

[sharpxmen]

      4.88 with 33s is like stock from what i know (or at least for my YJ)
 

Again, Stan has an Automatic so he can't go too deep.

i did it again, i keep thinking manual transmission  

[Got Wood?]

I have a 97 TJ 4 cyl. auto and I put 33x10.5x15s on it last summer, I have been thinking of regearing to 4.56 but overall the Jeep doesn't do too bad with the stock 3.73s. Most of my driving is on high ways and once it gets up to speed it seems to run just fine, it just takes a while to get up to speed. As far as rubbing, bumpstops are the key IMO years ago the trend was "lift it high", now days though people have figured out that a low COG is key, just extend your bumpstops so your tires can't rub limiting your up travel. Last week I put a 1.75" spacer lift on a 99 TJ, the guys showed up on stock suspension with 33x12.5x15s he said they didn't rub, but then again he hadn't wheeled it either.

[stan98tj]

ill prob space em out a hair..i like the look of em pokin a bit from under the flares. then ill limit the up travel if it stuffs too much in the flare. Jeffy, you mentioned gettin a lighter 33...would the 33x10.5R15's or 33x9.5R15's still be good candidates for the 4.56 regear?

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

I was running 33x13.5 tires with 4.88's which was perfect. I am now running 35x12.5 and the 4.88's are still keeping me in the game.

[aw12345]

Skinnier tires are easier to get rolling but the diameter is the same so the same gearing as the wider tires is good. It might accelerate a bit better and improve milahge a hair other than that not a lot of difference

[stan98tj]

im sold. 33x10.5 and 4.56s...now ill have to hunt around to find a nice tire that has an agressive enough stance but not too much like a swamper. i like the dakota MTs i have now. id be looking for a nice tread pattern that cleans out the snow and mud.

[stan98tj]

by the way..can anyone give me a rough idea what the 4.56s will "feel" like driving wise? how will it be off the line and time to get up to speed on the highway...how about offroad?

[FourbangerYJ]

Do the KM2's I was with a guy yesterday wheeling and he was running 33/10.5 KM2's I'll post PICS on Monday.
The "feel" should be a bit more pep that stock, and offroading it will be easier to control your speed.

[dwtaylorpdx]

Skinnier tires are easier to get rolling but the diameter is the same so the same gearing as the wider tires is good. It might accelerate a bit better and improve milahge a hair other than that not a lot of difference

When I went from 33" AT to 33" MT and changed nothing else I lost MPG,, and in head
winds it was brutal, The big lugs sticking out in the air stream are like paddles stirring the air.
My dad noticed the same thing on his 2500 Dodge Diesel. Did not hurt him as bad...

Dave

[aw12345]

The bigger the tire the more the rolling resistance is an issue, believe it or not My Jeep had the worst milage on cooper stt's 33x12.5 14mpg then I went to 32x11.50 mtr 16 mpg then to 35x12.50 Baja mtz's 17-18 mpg all with the exact same gearing and lift and same driving style and the MTZ's are a hair over 13" wide so go figure The stick out nore than any other tire I had on the Jeep so it's more rolling resistance than anything else and serious mud tires have terrible rilling resistance because of the big lugs