What to expect from a 3FE regear?

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Dec 13, 2007
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Arizona
After another Phoenix to Flag trip crawling at 45 mph :crybaby: I'm done. If I go from a 33x12.5 to a 285/70/16 and a regear to 4.56 (3FE) how much of a difference could I expect? On hills that I now do 45, how much more power would I have? Would I be able to do 55, 65 or 75 on the same grades on now do 45. Or would my result be minimal?
 
I think 4.88 would be bit much for my needs. I do more highway miles then anything else.
 
Five-O, I am guessing you meant a 285-75r16 tire vs a 70 series? the 285-75 is also a 33" tire so I dont know if you will see any benefit from that switch. If you go back down to a 31" tire in the stock 275-70r16 size, your stock gearing should allow for better travel up the hill to Flagg.

If you want to stay with the 33" size, I rec the 4.56 gears. In my opinion, the 33's with the 4.88's will put you at a too high a rev at highway speed and would overcompensate IMO. I know some sections beg for the 70-80 mph along that stretch. The calculator says that with your 33's at 65 mph you are currently running about 2700 rpms with stock gearing. With 4.56's, you go to 3000 rpms. With 4.88's you would run just over 3200, 75 is over 3700! Yikes~

Sometimes a little is good, too much is not. I am running 4.88's w/ 35's and the 33's with 4.56's result in very close to the same final gearing ratio. It is still geared lower than stock and is great up the hill. Any more than that and I wouldnt personally care for it for highway traveling.
 
Right now Im at about 2100 rpm at 65mph.
 
Yikes! No wonder....at 2100 rpm, I can see the difficulty. The gear calculator is pretty accurate with mine ~ Im not sure why so far off?

Either way, sounds like some regearing in your future.

A trip up to the pine country really sounds good right now. I hear that today we will set an AZ record for the most consecutive triple digit temps in a row for May. Ive already been in the pool this morning!
 
I was in your same situation, I ran 33"s and 456 gears. If I had to do it again, I would go with 488's with 33"s. My 35"s and 529's are sweet.
 
VT, Slow. If this was a mainly a wheeling rig I would go 4.88. This is mainly a long highway miles truck. I also might downsize a bit in tires.
 
Yea 31s suck. Are you saying that the 3fe needs to be geared different than the 1FZ?
 
Yea 31s suck. Are you saying that the 3fe needs to be geared different than the 1FZ?

Yes. 3FE + 33's + 4.88's = The Awesome

MJADDICTION, a member from a while ago, put this combo on his 92 and LOVED it. He wouldn't stop praising it :lol:
 
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