Do I need to re gear?

Tmacphee

New member
Think about what kind of terrain you usually come across. If 33s are all that's needed to get the job done, stick with those. If you are struggling a lot more than you'd like, make the jump to 35s. Just my thoughts on how I'm building my rig. With that said, I know a couple people running 35s with 4:10s on their JKs and are just fine with it. Good luck, and congrats on the new rubi!
 

crawler#976

Expedition Leader
...
Second thought was 2.5 lift and 33's

Thanks for any insight

Jim

Good plan! Fuel mileage will be better, we average 17 with 285/70-17, and the AEV 2.5XT lift has been stellar. Cost is also less all the way around.

Sent via gigawatt laser...
 

Finatic Angler

Adventurer
Looks like 2.5 and 33's will be the best combo for me.

Mainly the jeep will be used for hunting and fishing. It will also be used to move soldiers on cold mornings to get them to hunting stands. (Link below explains)

Jim
 

bigd74

Jeeper
Skip the 33s, rubis come with the equivalent on 32s. If you are buying new tires go with 35s. You can run them with no lift if you d t mind trimming your flares.
 

Krytos

Adventurer
One thing to keep in mind is what kind of JK it is. A lot of people I wheel with got tired very quickly of being high-centered while running 33-35" tires on their JKUs; The 2 door guys seem to do better with 35s. The issue here is that running 37s on the TJ/LJ/XJ platform was a huge deal, usually costing the owner drivability or a lot of money.

Running 35s on a JK is no big deal and 37s are also way easier to deal with on the JK than on the TJ/LJ/XJ. You're ahead of the curve with front and rear Dana 44 axles.

The type of tire is important also, Nittos will be way heavier than a Goodyear MTR/K and they'll measure up differently too; a KM/2 will run smaller than an MTR/K or a Nitto.

As for gearing, you need to look at it from a cost benefit perspective. While you might get a few more MPG swapping your R&P, is it worth the cost of doing so? Expect to spend at least another $500-600 in parts alone for a re-gear.

I wheel with guys that run 35s and 37s on 3.21 and 3.73 gears and they do just fine. I would run a 35 or 37 inch tire on 4.10 gears any day. (this next part is typed from memory of a thread on Jeep MPG a few years back so excuse any mistakes) The 4.0 engine does not like to be lugged, and does better on gas above 2300 RPM, where there is enough gas being injected in the cylinders to cool the walls. Under a certain RPM, the computer dumps fuel into the cylinder in an attempt to cool it down, causing not only a drop in MPG, but also richness of the Air/fuel ratio. The JK engine doesn't deal with that same problem, so ostensibly, shouldn't be that affected by being a bit low of its target RPM.

When actually offroading, your 4:1 transfer case and lockers work to hide any deficiencies your gearing might have. One of my friends has a Rubi Unlimited, with the stock 4.10s and 37 inch MTR/Ks on ATX Slab beadlocks, not exactly a super light combination. He drives it daily, gets pretty respectable gas mileage, and is extremely capable offroad.

Just something to keep in mind.
 

crawler#976

Expedition Leader
33's on a JK are just fine...

Unless you plan on doing 4 rated (1 to 5 scale), there is no need for anything larger.

Sent via gigawatt laser...
 

Idahoan

Adventurer
I run 34" and 4:10 on my 13 JKUR. 2.5 lift. I'm really pleased with it. I'd throw on the wheels/tires you want and run it a bit.
 

DallasJKU

Adventurer
I run 315's on my JKU with 3.73's and while not ideal it is more than drivable. I might even try the 3.73's with 37's. I live in flat Dallas though.
 

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