Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Axle Regear for D30/44 - worth it?

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  FreaknTJ 
#1 ·
I've been planning my mods (lift; tires; etc..) and this weekend rode along with my son in his TJ at Redbird SRA. Quite exciting for my first time off road in a Jeep. After actually going trough the trails (mud); hills (mud); creeks (mud); and woods (mud).... and now I'm rethinking that maybe I should also be looking at a higher lift and maybe regear my axles lower as well. Looking at a Zone Combo and 33" MTs.... possibly moving up later on to 35's. This is not my DD but for fun.

Suggestions on what to do with my 3.73 Dana 30 / Dana 44 (Tracloc) axles? I was considering maybe a move up to 4.10 and a front selectable locker (Eaton or Ox - turned off for winter driving).... but perhaps 4.56 is more appropriate if spending the bucks anyway? My son installed a HP30 and a Ford 8.8 in his....not on my wish list to go that far.

Or should I just keep what I have for now and use it for a while @3.73?
 
#2 ·
If you are even thinking about 35s, I would go ahead and gear for that. 4.88s. No sense in paying for a regear twice.
 
#4 ·
BTW - I've spent nearly my entire life racing dirtbikes. Motocross; enduros; desert scrambles; and for a long time Observed Trials. I really see my approach to 4wheeling the jeep to be like trials riding...pick a great line and make overcoming the obstacle easier vs brute force. Now at the age of 57 with busted up limbs/body I can no longer ride bikes offroad (or on) and switched over to a Jeep. Hoping to keep the flame going....

I believe that for my style of driving I would be happy with 33's..... I'm just concerned that every time we go out that I end up being the guy constantly getting winched out and not "keeping up". So would regearing to 4.56 and 33's keep me in the game...or do I need the locker too?
 
#3 ·
Doing a gearing upgrade is one of the single best mods you can do to your Jeep. Since doing one is not cheap, as was said, do it right the first time. Going to a 4.10 will gain you nothing, so if your goal is to run 33's, go with a 4.56 ratio. If your goal is to run 35s, then go with a 4.88. Of course these assume your running a 6 spd, per your signature.


Also, keep in mind that going to 35" tires will require more than a gearing change. You'll have to look at upgrading brakes, steering, flat fenders, and more, if you want to run reliably and safely on and off road.
 
#7 ·
A lot of it is just being particular what lines you take on an obstacle. I recently re-geared to 4.56's, running 33's and a 3" lift. Just ran trails in Moab with a group of 5 other jeeps all running 35's, and I was able to keep up with them without much issue. I was a bit slower only because I was being picky at my lines.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top