Since I researched this for what seemed like an eternity, and found tons of helpful information... But sometimes hard too sift through .. I figured I would offer just some personal experience, as limited as it may be, on swapping out my factory 3.21 gears for 4.88 gears.
I'm not a mechanic, or an engineer, or a life long Jeep guy. I think I understand the basics. But I'm just a rookie. I know I love moderate/difficult trails here in New England, but also I want to enjoy around town too. Much of life is compromise, despite my (sometimes obsessive) pursuit of "the best". I was looking for a good compromise.
Once I decided to bump up my tires from 33" to 35", I knew that also meant new gears asap (especially with the heavy Toyo m/t). I would have lived with it on the streets. But off road it was much less fun. And my Jeep is all about fun.
I'm glad I researched and read and talked to people with lots of experience because I'm happy with the way things turned out. I landed on 4.88 because some good and smart people were saying 4.56 and other good and smart people were saying 4.88 and 5.13. I choose the middle, hoping it would be a good compromise.
It is noticeably better (as you'd expect) off the line, around town, hills, wind etc. On the highway, since I settle into the right lane at 65mph, sixth gear is comfy again, and I got 17.6 mpg last highway trip vs 18.6 on the same trip before (measured by Jeep dash ... Gasp!). Around town it seems to be around 17ish.
So, for anyone looking for one more data point for your decision ... Here's my story. I really like the way 4.88 worked out for me.
Next question ... Will I be happy with my TrueTrac in the back? We'll see how this year on and off road turns out ... and I'll let you know what I think.
One more thing ... I'm glad I found a good shop, with fair (regional) pricing and a good reputation. That seemed like the hardest part of the process.
I'm not a mechanic, or an engineer, or a life long Jeep guy. I think I understand the basics. But I'm just a rookie. I know I love moderate/difficult trails here in New England, but also I want to enjoy around town too. Much of life is compromise, despite my (sometimes obsessive) pursuit of "the best". I was looking for a good compromise.
Once I decided to bump up my tires from 33" to 35", I knew that also meant new gears asap (especially with the heavy Toyo m/t). I would have lived with it on the streets. But off road it was much less fun. And my Jeep is all about fun.
I'm glad I researched and read and talked to people with lots of experience because I'm happy with the way things turned out. I landed on 4.88 because some good and smart people were saying 4.56 and other good and smart people were saying 4.88 and 5.13. I choose the middle, hoping it would be a good compromise.
It is noticeably better (as you'd expect) off the line, around town, hills, wind etc. On the highway, since I settle into the right lane at 65mph, sixth gear is comfy again, and I got 17.6 mpg last highway trip vs 18.6 on the same trip before (measured by Jeep dash ... Gasp!). Around town it seems to be around 17ish.
So, for anyone looking for one more data point for your decision ... Here's my story. I really like the way 4.88 worked out for me.
Next question ... Will I be happy with my TrueTrac in the back? We'll see how this year on and off road turns out ... and I'll let you know what I think.
One more thing ... I'm glad I found a good shop, with fair (regional) pricing and a good reputation. That seemed like the hardest part of the process.
