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Author Topic: Re-Gearing the Rubicon  (Read 4641 times)

Offline LoneWolf

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Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« on: 01/29/07 - 11:00PM »
Tube Fenders, Roll Cages, tires and gears... oh my!

I leaning towards re-gearing the Rubicon instead of spending money on tube fenders or a roll cage... Frankly I am tired of it being a pooch. My Jeep just doesn't have the power it used to and with all the weight on it now my gas mileage is the pits (12-13mpg) ... correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't re-gearing give me better gas mileage since the engine wouldn't have to work as hard?

Should I go with 4.88's or 5.13's ? This is my daily driver and I do drive on the highway. Very rarely do I pull a trailer and if I did, it would be minimal weight. When it was stock ... 75mph would put the tach at about 3,000... now I hit about 2400 at 75mph.

The next set of tires I get will be 35's, but I will not go bigger than that.

Also, what gears are the best ?? USA Alloy? Yukon? Superior? and I mean the best regardless of price... or are they all made out of the same stuff, just with a different name and packaging? Is a rebuild kit really neccessary?

Lastly ... I know there are several people around who can do the work... but is it really that hard to do yourself? Is the only reason most people don't do this themselves because you need special tools or something? Or is it more like cracking open a transmission without first know rocket science?


Thanks for any help on this....
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Offline YJ_Aaron

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #1 on: 01/29/07 - 11:11PM »
4:88's will put you a little lower geared like 200 rpm's higher at 75.

If you can spend the extra $$ and get spicer gears, they are the best for dana axles.  

Yes you do need special tools and it's a PIA.  I would spend the $ on a reputable shop that will be around for a long while in case you have trouble.  

When you calculate your mileage are you adjusting the speedo for the fact you are covering more distance than what your odometer shows??  Yes gears will help your mileage a little but what's killing your mileage is more rolling mass.
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Offline LoneWolf

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #2 on: 01/29/07 - 11:27PM »
Thanks Aaron... if your saying it is a pain in the rear, then I'll take that as it needs to go in the shop...

No I am not figuring the speedometer being off... so maybe my mileage is better than I think huh?

Regardless it is a pooch, and my crawling is not the same anymore either... I mean it is still pretty low, usually on the trails I am running in 2 or 3 in 4 LO... I'd just like to get it back to what it was stock. You think 4.88's will get it back to normal with 35's?


Northridge4x4 has a great price on gear with O-haul kits...
http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddetail.php?prod=SP-ALLOYUSA-GEARS

or if the O-haul kits are not needed...
http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddetail.php?prod=ALLOYUSA-RP
$195 per axle.
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Offline YJ_Aaron

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #3 on: 01/29/07 - 11:32PM »
Yes your mileage is better than what it's showing then.  I'm not sure how to recalibrate a speedo on 03+ jeep.  You used to just swap out a different gear with higher or lower tooth count in the xcase.

You need install kits but since your reusing stock carriers you don't need the full install kit.

A quick guess on your mileage would be to add 10% to distance shown in on your trip.
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Offline LoneWolf

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #4 on: 01/29/07 - 11:41PM »
I need to get the speedometer recalibrator sometime.
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Offline Big Pimpin

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #5 on: 01/30/07 - 09:29AM »
Track3 re-geared his rubi to 4.88 but he ran 37's on the street.
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Offline HVACMASTER

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #6 on: 01/30/07 - 10:26AM »
I DON'T HAVE A RUBI, BUT REGEARED TO 4:88.  WITH THE 5 SPEED IT WAS GREAT RUNNING 33'S.  AUTOMATIC SUCKED SOME LIFE OUT, BUT MAKES UP FOR IT ON THE TRAIL.  WITH 5 SPEED 65-70 MPH ABOUT 3000 RPM, WITH AUTO AROUND 3500 RPM.
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Offline highsociety

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #7 on: 01/30/07 - 10:37AM »
I am running 4:88's and love them.  I would suggest going to a shop unless you have set up gears before.  I suggest Larry and the guys at S&S since they used to run drag cars and circle track they are just plain gear heads and stand behind what they do.  I have not had any problems with any work they have done for me.
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Offline Bradman

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #8 on: 01/30/07 - 11:01AM »
Are you gonna continue to daily drive her?  If not go with the 5:13's.  If you are gonna keep as a DD go with the 4:88's.  

and if you want to, you could just buy me a set of iether ones, and I'll tell you how they do before you commit to anything........just trying to help as always. :agree:
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Offline LoneWolf

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #9 on: 01/30/07 - 11:39AM »
Quote
and if you want to, you could just buy me a set of iether ones, and I'll tell you how they do before you commit to anything........just trying to help as always.


Thanks Bradman ... and I'm sorry but I sent the money I had for your gear-set to the girl from russia I met online... she need it for her family to survive ya know..
:bangtard:

This will  most definitely still be my daily driver... and it sounds like 4.88's would be what I want.

I'll definitely give SS a call and see what they can do it for.

Thanks everyone... appreciate the input.
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Offline iJeep

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #10 on: 01/31/07 - 01:08PM »
I ran 488s with 36s on my Rubi and it was about like stock.  If you are planning on 35s there is no way that I would suggest 513s, the highway mpg will kill you with that combo.

When you regear, the speedometer should be much more accurate than now.  Right now, you are getting milage than you think because the speedo/odometer are reading wrong, but the gears should still help some.  I think that the 03+ transfer cases use a different speed sensor that will not let you change the speedo gear like other t-cases.  There are still some methods to calibrate the speedometer electronically.

The overhaul kits for Rubi's are more expensive because they include a spacer that is special to the Rubicon.  If you can find a shop with a good side bearing puller, you might be able to get away with a minimum install kit with just shims.  If you have many miles, I would still recommend replacing bearings, just to buy more time before you have to do diff work again.
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Offline LoneWolf

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #11 on: 01/31/07 - 01:42PM »
Thanks Kevin... that helps a bunch.
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Offline YellowTJ

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #12 on: 01/31/07 - 01:56PM »
Ok so my interest is up ... how much are new gears to go to 4:88?
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Offline YJ_Aaron

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #13 on: 01/31/07 - 02:06PM »
I got an estimate of $438 or so, but that doesn't include install which will probably be another 300-400
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Offline LoneWolf

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Re: Re-Gearing the Rubicon
« Reply #14 on: 01/31/07 - 02:26PM »
Quote
Ok so my interest is up ... how much are new gears to go to 4:88?


Well I haven't got it all nailed down yet as to what gears and whose going to do the work... but I figure it's going to be at least a $1000 bucks by the time I'm done, with parts and labor. This is going with the overhaul kits in addition to the gears... probably not neccessary to do the overhaul kits, but might as well do it since they will be all apart anyway.
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