Do Yourself a Favor - Regear Your 2012-Up JK!!

[TwoSonAZ]

Keeping the thread alive...I've got a 2011 JKU Rubicon with 4.10 gears and of course the 3.8L engine. I've sworn all along I'd stay with stock wheels and 255 tires however the 2.5" lift begs for more meat in the flares however no bigger than 35".

I'm having a hard time deciding between 4.88 and 5.13 gears. This is my weekend vehicle (15,000 miles in 4yrs). So, while I'm not a highway commuter I do want to keep pace on the highway at 70/75 and not have high revs and terrible gas mileage.

There are a good number of discussions regarding 4.88 vs 5.13 concerning D30 vehicles. I'm really in need of advice for which gearing setup to go with for my D44. Also, I'm in San Diego if anyone has a recommendation for the install. I've only gotten one quote from the Jeep Shack. Thanks!!

 

[OverlanderJK]

Keeping the thread alive...I've got a 2011 JKU Rubicon with 4.10 gears and of course the 3.8L engine. I've sworn all along I'd stay with stock wheels and 255 tires however the 2.5" lift begs for more meat in the flares however no bigger than 35".

I'm having a hard time deciding between 4.88 and 5.13 gears. This is my weekend vehicle (15,000 miles in 4yrs). So, while I'm not a highway commuter I do want to keep pace on the highway at 70/75 and not have high revs and terrible gas mileage.

There are a good number of discussions regarding 4.88 vs 5.13 concerning D30 vehicles. I'm really in need of advice for which gearing setup to go with for my D44. Also, I'm in San Diego if anyone has a recommendation for the install. I've only gotten one quote from the Jeep Shack. Thanks!!

5.13's for sure.

Don't go to the jeep shack. That place is a joke. ORE in Fullerton has a regear special for $999 which is hard to beat. I haven't found anyone in SD that even comes close to that.

 

[Jk909]

Take it to drew at ore in Fullerton. Trust me it's worth the drive for their experience and the 999.00 special. I'm running 4:88 on my 2014 with 35's and I love it.

 

[TwoSonAZ]

Glad to know ORE is still at $999. I read that price in older posts and just figured it was out dated. The price still being the same says a lot about the business's integrity!

The more I read the more confused I get to be honest. Another thread advised that if equipped with a D44 inside a JKU Auto 3.8L to go down to 5.38. But I say again...how can freeway driving be possible for a roadtrip on 34" - 35" and sustain 75mph?

 

[nknacd]

Glad to know ORE is still at $999. I read that price in older posts and just figured it was out dated. The price still being the same says a lot about the business's integrity!

The more I read the more confused I get to be honest. Another thread advised that if equipped with a D44 inside a JKU Auto 3.8L to go down to 5.38. But I say again...how can freeway driving be possible for a roadtrip on 34" - 35" and sustain 75mph?

after my last wheeling trip this past weekend at 4W2H's Rausch Creek i really need to regear. Either that or get a rubi transfer case. my 3.21's just don't seem to be cutting it. this is the one time i wish i lived in cali in order to go to ORE cuz that is a great price. most quotes i get are 1600 or more.

 

[Krystianjk]

Damn I was set to regear to 4.88 cause I'm planning to run 38s. Should I do 5.13 instead? I have Dana 30 on a 2014 JKU

 

[MR.Ty]

after my last wheeling trip this past weekend at 4W2H's Rausch Creek i really need to regear. Either that or get a rubi transfer case. my 3.21's just don't seem to be cutting it. this is the one time i wish i lived in cali in order to go to ORE cuz that is a great price. most quotes i get are 1600 or more.

I'd regear before buying a new transfer case. You'll befneit both on and off road from it, instead of just getting a new 4low ratio.

 

[wayoflife]

Damn I was set to regear to 4.88 cause I'm planning to run 38s. Should I do 5.13 instead? I have Dana 30 on a 2014 JKU

What you should do instead is get a normal regular size set of tires like a 37. 38's are an odd size, will tend to cost more, can be harder to find and will be harder to bum a spare in a pinch. That being said, 5.13's have a really really small pinion in a Dana 30 and I personally would NOT recommend it unless you're open up front, spend most of your time on pavement and just doing light wheeling.

 

[BertaNation]

Damn I was set to regear to 4.88 cause I'm planning to run 38s. Should I do 5.13 instead? I have Dana 30 on a 2014 JKU

Don't think there are to many ppl on this forum that would recommend 38s and/or 5.13 for a d30.
But if u do I would truss,sleeve and gusset that axle. Then let me know how it works out for u so I can put 37s on my d30. Already have the 488

 

[wayoflife]

Don't think there are to many ppl on this forum that would recommend 38s and/or 5.13 for a d30.
But if u do I would truss,sleeve and gusset that axle. Then let me know how it works out for u so I can put 37s on my d30. Already have the 488

I personally wouldn't even recommend running 37's on a Dana 30 and have personally seen how installing a truss WILL BEND an axle housing. Personally, throwing ANY money at a factory axle is a waste of money.

 

[OverlanderJK]

Don't think there are to many ppl on this forum that would recommend 38s and/or 5.13 for a d30.
But if u do I would truss,sleeve and gusset that axle. Then let me know how it works out for u so I can put 37s on my d30. Already have the 488

What exactly are trusses and sleeves going to do? Not going to prevent a ring and pinion break. Not going to prevent bending the axle housing at the pumpkin. What they will do is waste your money and probably bend your axle when welding the truss on.

 

[Jk909]

I own a welding shop and I would never burn a truss on my Dana 30. It won't do anything for you but warp the hell out of it.

 

[BertaNation]

Well they must be doing something because ppl are running them and having good things to say. I don't wheel hard enough to worry about upgrading to a pr44 or anything equivalent at this time. I also have limited resources when it comes to money that goes into my jeep. I don't have 5k for a front axle and I am not a patient person. So when the time comes and I want 37s on my d30 I will most likely do it and when it breaks u guys can say I told u so and I will say your right. Then I will come up w the 5k to get my rig going again.

 

[MR.Ty]

Well they must be doing something because ppl are running them and having good things to say. I don't wheel hard enough to worry about upgrading to a pr44 or anything equivalent at this time. I also have limited resources when it comes to money that goes into my jeep. I don't have 5k for a front axle and I am not a patient person. So when the time comes and I want 37s on my d30 I will most likely do it and when it breaks u guys can say I told u so and I will say your right. Then I will come up w the 5k to get my rig going again.

Your dana30 housing is NOT the weak point when you increase your tire size. Your internals are. A truss will NOT prevent your internals from breaks.

 

[BertaNation]

If ur d30 is Not the weak point then why don't ppl just say upgrade ur shafts and everything else. But don't worry about ur axle. Maybe u mean ur axle housing is not the only weak point.

 

[MR.Ty]

If ur d30 is Not the weak point then why don't ppl just say upgrade ur shafts and everything else. But don't worry about ur axle. Maybe u mean ur axle housing is not the only weak point.

You are free to believe whatever you read on the internet.

While housing failures (not bends) have happened, they are rare and are typically the result of a missed quality control check at the factory. Bends happen after high speed run through the desert and bends still happen after a truss is installed.

When rock crawling, your internals are what break. The housing isn't going to suddenly start smiling at you or simply combust.

I'm not telling you to run out and buy a PR44 right now. I'm recommending that you don't waste money on trussing something unnecessarily.

But hey, it's your money and your Jeep. Feel free to do whatever you want.

 

[Hot94Z28]

C's is the only money I plan on putting into my D30, I rather spend the money that would go into beefing a D30 towards a new axle fund.

 

[wayoflife]

If ur d30 is Not the weak point then why don't ppl just say upgrade ur shafts and everything else. But don't worry about ur axle. Maybe u mean ur axle housing is not the only weak point.

Because people are stupid and are easily influenced to throw money at their Jeep with things they don't need just because they heard others say they needed it on the internet.

As mentioned, if you play hard, the REAL problem with running 37's a Dana 30 is the size of the axle shafts and ring and pinion. IF you play hard enough, you can and will break one or both especially if you're locked up and this is regardless of what type of shafts you're running and the risks can be greater to the ring and pinion depending on what ratio you are running. This isn't speculation, these are things I have personally seen time and time again over the last 9 years. More than the housing, the whole point to upgrading to something like a ProRock 44 is that you can now run bigger shafts and a bigger ring and pinion. Of course, so long as you're going to a 44, you might as well get one that is a lot beefier and with TRUE 44 tubes unlike what come on a factory Rubi 44. And, IF you bomb through the desert, you will bend a housing regardless if you are sleeved or trussed, I have seen this too. At that point, a bent tube will lead to seal leaks and put more pressure on your locker which will lead to failure as well.

Of course, I'm just a nobody typing away on the internet trying to save you some money so, you can all that with a grain of salt :yup:

 

[WJCO]

Because people are stupid and are easily influenced to throw money at their Jeep with things they don't need just because they heard others say they needed it on the internet.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[BertaNation]

Because people are stupid and are easily influenced to throw money at their Jeep with things they don't need just because they heard others say they needed it on the internet.

As mentioned, if you play hard, the REAL problem with running 37's a Dana 30 is the size of the axle shafts and ring and pinion. IF you play hard enough, you can and will break one or both especially if you're locked up and this is regardless of what type of shafts you're running and the risks can be greater to the ring and pinion depending on what ratio you are running. This isn't speculation, these are things I have personally seen time and time again over the last 9 years. More than the housing, the whole point to upgrading to something like a ProRock 44 is that you can now run bigger shafts and a bigger ring and pinion. Of course, so long as you're going to a 44, you might as well get one that is a lot beefier and with TRUE 44 tubes unlike what come on a factory Rubi 44. And, IF you bomb through the desert, you will bend a housing regardless if you are sleeved or trussed, I have seen this too. At that point, a bent tube will lead to seal leaks and put more pressure on your locker which will lead to failure as well.

Of course, I'm just a nobody typing away on the internet trying to save you some money so, you can all that with a grain of salt :yup:

I understand that the d30 and internals are inferior. The guy asked about 38s and 5.13 on a d30
guess I should have stated that No one on this forum would suggest that and will rip u apart for thinking about it
if u insist on throwing money away into ur d30 beef it up and the internals. Did I mention that ur an idiot. Oh and let me know how it works out
See lots of ridiculing ppl instead of supporting and sharing information to fellow jeepers. Kind of irritating