question about gearing

[firechero]

if you change the gearing in the back do you have to change the front? what gearing do you need for 37 inch tires, will a dana 44 hold up with 37 inch tires?

[J4GRAND]

You need to have matching gears front and rear, especially if you have a QT xfer case. With 37" tires you're going to want 4.09s or maybe lower (numerically higher) gears. Dana 44s will hold up to mild wheeling with 37s but I wouldn't push them too hard.

[talntar]

if you want to use 4wd

[joe]

rpm = (mph x gear ratio x 336)/tire dia.

[over2land]

The front ratio and rear ratio must be within somethign like .1% (1% maybe?) of one another to prevent drivline binding. So like 4.09's and 4.10's are ok, even though with 44's front and rear you can get the same exact ratios... But 4.10s' and 4.56's aren't ok.

And, if you don't use 4WD, and remember not to grab that lever, you can setup the rear one weekend, and the front the next. OR have the shop do it, and then as money allows (bearing in mind you have no 4WD for the duration) get the front done.

I'd tend to say though, do the rear first, if you must do it peicemeal.

And, on gearing, it really depends on if you have OD or not. Without getting into surface area of contact between the pinion and ring gear (1.5 teeth or whatever on the 4.88's)... I'd say if you have OD go with 4.56's, or 4.88's. No OD? Strong engine? Go with 4.10's.

Then again, if you are never on the highway, go a low as ya want.

[firechero]

i guess 4.10's with a detroit rear is the way im ganna go, wheres the best place to pick up the sets of gears for cheap

[over2land]

Don't get cheap gears man.

Get good gears.

I get all mine from Randy's ring an pinion. I use precision gears. Those ads for budget gears scare me. I've heard horror stories from the guys who taught me how to set gears up... both with setup and with wear charecteristics of the "budget gears"

Another pet peeve of mine is Timkens. I am not keen on other bearings either. Timkens just seem to wear the best. Whenever you take em out, and look at the races, and tapered bearin surfaces, there is less heat distortion, and less wear in a timken than a no name brand.

[dnixon]

I'd just like to say that D44's+37's= BROKEN AXLES. If you were running this in a Baby jeep then you MIGHT be able to get away with it but even with a light foot our heavy rigs are going to reak havoc on those axles. i wouldn't dump the money of a detroit into a 44 if you are planning on running 37's straight out the gate. I really think you need to look into a 3/4 Ton or 1ton axles if you want to run 37's.

I made this same mistake, and one i realized it I had already gathered some of my D44 parts.. It really sucks to have to back track on a project. At least thats my take on it...

[firechero]

so what would be the best swap into the jeep, i could probably find something used with the gears already set up ? maybe even with a locker in it? would it require any other modifications? or just pop off springs, tires and driveshaft and go, ok one more ? , what if i just changed out the back to say like a 3/4 ton axle and and left the front a 44 but just changed the gears, doesnt the front take less strain than the back anyways? if im ganna keep this jeep forever i wanna do it right