What gears to run

[g8ter]

i have a Toyota 4WD. it has the stock 22re. i am currently running the stock gears with 33x12.50 tires. what i would like to know is i have been looking around and they are saying i should upgrade gears to 4.88. but i want to have more power for towing. and high speeds. as it sits now it will run 60-70 pushing it hard. but if i was go into bigger or smaller gears what would the advantages be? is there a medium of horsepower and torque gains while still having performance off road? any advice on what to do?

[live4yotas]

Well for 4.88's well be the perfect match and be what you need. You can go to 5.29's but you will have to much gear. With the 4.88's it should run the way it did before the 33's were put on the truck. With the 5.29's you will have plenty of get up and go and plenty of pulling power put be reving higher rpm's at highway speeds. My book says for 31"-32" run 4.88 gears and for 33"-36" run 5.29's. But everyone I know runs4.88's for 33's and 5.29's for 35's. Good luck

[g8ter]

so do you actully think that the gears actully do do that much for power. my dad has stock everything oh his truck and it will whitesmoke and mine has no luck. but i was just worried that if change the gears that it will get higher RPMs and maybe a decrease in power. guess i need to read some more forums to truely understand new gears... thanks

[fourwd1]

What ratio do you have now ?
Auto or manual ?

Typically with 33's 4.56 if it's most street driven or 4.88 if it's mostly offroad. Use a lower ratio (4.88) if it's an auto .

[g8ter]

i ahte the stock gears in now. havent decoded to see what gears it has now. but it is a 5spd manual.

[live4yotas]

You most likely have 4.10 gears. Yes gears make a big difference. They did in my truck. I had a 95 tacoma 4x4 with 2.7L 4 banger with a automatic trans. On the interstate I ran 80mph with 5.29 gears and 36" TSL Radials. I wasn't on the floor and I was in overdrive and I was only running 2,700 rpm's. Before the lift and the gears and the tires the truck was stock with 31x10.50's and wouldn't hardly maintain 80mph. You wont regret changing your gears you just have to choose what you use your truck for the most. Mostly highway and around town driving try 4.56's. Towing and offroading go with the 4.88's. I personally like the 4.88's. My cousin had a 94 toyota 4x4 with 33x12.50 thornbirds and 4.88's and it did great.

[speedy]

I run 33 12.50's, on Friday I will be ordering 5.29's. I am going with the bigger gears because I already have another vehicle that does well on the freeway and I plan to go to 35's a.s.a.p. when $$ permits. I imagine that in the meantime, I will definitely be pulling some high rpms on the freeway, but heck, right now with 4.10's I can barely use 5th gear. Plus I will be going from a 37:1 crawl ratio to a 47:1 crawl ratio and when I put the 4.7 gears in the transfercase I will be a whoopin 98:1 crawl ratio, YEAH! And with a second transfercase with stock gears, I will be at a 223:1 crawl ratio, in which case I could put it in gear, point it up the hill and get out and take pictures as it crawls up!!!! Sorry guys, I am getting excited...

[94cnytoy]

With the extra rolling mass of the larger tires the lower gear ratio is going to be great for you.
Even if you match up tire size and gears to the factory ratio, you'd still have a power and milage loss.
Might as well have some power back at the cost of a little more fuel.

Stew

[fourwd1]

Actually, 33's and 5.29's on a 4 cyl/5 spd sucks.
You're always shifting looking for the right gear, and the right gear would be 2.5nd, 3.5rd, etc..
Get those 35's on there ASAP.

[speedy]

I expect that you are right fourwd1. I know I will have a period of dissatisfation associated with the gear change. I just don't want to change out the gears twice. I am torn between upgrading my 32/36 weber to a 38 or just getting some 35's or 36's used that I have found on Craig's list around here. So much to do, so little $$ to do it with! I am trying to upgrade my kayak, tune up my boat, and repair winter storm damage to my Durango all at the same time when all I really want to do is throw all my $$ into the Toy! Thank god I don't have to keep a girlfriend or wife happy at the moment, I would be living in a box! Do you think I can live with the over-gearing for a while and upgrade my carb first, or am I going to be pissed after the gear change and need a bigger tire quick? Once again I am jacking g8ter's thread to get some answers of my own! Sorry bro!

[rockcrawlintoy]

i liked 33s and 5.29s i have a TON of power. i would have loved to have a 6 speed. its not that bad cruzing on the freeway kinda sucks if u have to go for a long way

DRew

[94cnytoy]

I could be wrong, but I think he'd be better off with the extra power availability.
The "wrong gear" scenario seems to always exist, at least from my experience.
I'd like a 4sp w/ high-low-dual range PLUS a transfer case.
They make them.....
Under/over drive assy's.
But the $ I can't justify.

Stew

[fourwd1]

speedy said:

I expect that you are right fourwd1. I know I will have a period of dissatisfation associated with the gear change. I just don't want to change out the gears twice.

I know what you mean.
You'd probably get used to it after a while. I only did it for a month while waiting on my 36's.

[speedy]

The $$ shows up in my account after 1a.m. tonight, it leaves my account shortly after I wake up tomorrow! 5.29's here I come. I am going to get the gears, a front aussie locker, install them, and then decide where to put the rest of my fortune after I drive it. Of course I say that now, before I get paid!