4.88's or 5.29's?

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LuvenMud15

LuvenMud15

Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Threads
76
Messages
313
Location
Northern Virginia
Im working on plans for my SOA, and i was just reading that if you run 5.29 gears with a locker (I have an ARB) that you have to grind alot, just to make them fit. Since Ill be running 38'' SX's do you think I should try to grind them, or will 488's spin them?

thanks,
mark
 
I never understood where that came from. I have 5.29's in my HZJ60 and in my Toyota truck running gear Suzuki Samurai. There was no grinding anywhere. if you're going to be running 38's you'll need 5.29s. Infact they really arent low enough. Here is a pic of my samurai on 38" SX's. It really needs 5.71's, but the pinion is to damn small on 5.71's.

TB

picture.JPG
 
Its gonna be a trailer queen, but it has all stock running gear for now...
Hopefully a marlin crawler toy box after I get some money after the SOA
-mark
 
If it is a trailer queen, I would ditch the stock axles right now. Get a set of axles from a 1 ton and weld up the spider gears.

I have a buddy with 4.88's, 39.5" tires, a stock TH350 and NP205, and it does just fine. That is with a 383 stroker though, and not a little sammy motor, or an "upgraded" sidekick motor.
 
V-DAWG said:
If it is a trailer queen, I would ditch the stock axles right now. Get a set of axles from a 1 ton and weld up the spider gears.

I have a buddy with 4.88's, 39.5" tires, a stock TH350 and NP205, and it does just fine. That is with a 383 stroker though, and not a little sammy motor, or an "upgraded" sidekick motor.
Click to expand...

Well, the motor in that rig is a Toyota 2L diesel. It's got the torque for it fine, but the gears could be a little lower.

TB
 
I would go the one ton route, but I already have so much money in the axles.. ARB and the 30 spline longs. Additionally, I dont have the skill or understand how to properly setup tranny's and transfer cases. Im only 18 and Im kinda learning as I go, the guy was gonna weld my perches for my spring over and then I was going to do the hy-steer and gearing etc...
-mark
 
I have 5.29s in my HJ61 with the A440 auto and 325/85R16. I had to grind the axle housing slightly to get the gears in. I did not touch the gears themselves. It was a compromise.

For me I would like to keep my dif gears as high as possible for my engines available torque and power and let the tranny and transfer cases do the majority of gear reduction for on the trail. With no availability for a toybox for the auto (and I don't think it will be needed) and my steep OD, I went with the 5.29s. This puts me at 2400rpm at 75mph. Absolutely perfect for my tire/power/torque combo. The down side is in third trying to pass my poor deisel just screems....

Take a serious look at what engine and tires you want to end up with and make the decision on rpms and speed wanted to achieve.
 
LuvenMud15 said:
I would go the one ton route, but I already have so much money in the axles.. ARB and the 30 spline longs. Additionally, I dont have the skill or understand how to properly setup tranny's and transfer cases. Im only 18 and Im kinda learning as I go, the guy was gonna weld my perches for my spring over and then I was going to do the hy-steer and gearing etc...
-mark
Click to expand...

There are people that will pay you money for those axles, then purchase the dana 60 front and 14 bolt rear. Weld both up with the 5.29's if you want, and you still may have money left over.

Setting up a tranny and t-case is simple. Just a few bolts basically. Nothing you couldn't do. You may need a crossmember built or relocated, but that can be done for fairly cheap.

I am only saying that because of the tire size. I think you can get by with those tires and axles, but why just get by when you could be nearly unbreakable?

I just wish when I started all this 10 years ago that I had a little more info, rather than go through all the various build-ups I did, and still not be where I would like.
 
5.29's won't necessarily work for you in an NAS FJ60 rear end.
You have to go full floater to get them to work. I guess that the backs of the teeth on the ring gear need to be ground down to get the cross shaft to fit with 4.88's. 5.29's are too 'tall' and you can't get the cross shaft in with the ring gear installed.

I will second what many have already said.

1 ton axles.
 
weight not gears

I see the problem here being the weight of the 38 SX. Those things are super heavy and love to chew up birfields. I just bought the 38 TSL radials and they are much lighter. With the 4.88s and an NV-4500 I have great highway gearing. For low range the 3.8 Atlas does the trick. With the stock tranny it was a little fast, but not too bad.
 
I know someone who is running 38.5 SX's on his FJ60. He is currently running 4.88's. He also has all kinds of gear reduction (SM465-NP205-Split Case) so he is plenty slow. I would if you can go with the 5.29's. You are going to want all the gear reduction you can get with those tires. Best case would be to get a gear reduction box, but if you can afford it, then well..you cant afford it.

How about some pics??
 
Thanks for all the replies!
Ill post pics after I learn how to post them lol... Its still SUA, but you guys can see what Im working with. One of the reasons I was planning to go with the 38'' SX is because Im doing the SOA with OME springs, so I think 36's would look real small. Can you put lower gears in the stock tcase to achieve lower gearing? Because I was just looking at the toy box and I certainly do not have 1,800 dollars for one of those.
thanks again,
mark
 
LuvenMud15 said:
Thanks for all the replies!
Ill post pics after I learn how to post them lol... Its still SUA, but you guys can see what Im working with. One of the reasons I was planning to go with the 38'' SX is because Im doing the SOA with OME springs, so I think 36's would look real small. Can you put lower gears in the stock tcase to achieve lower gearing? Because I was just looking at the toy box and I certainly do not have 1,800 dollars for one of those.
thanks again,
mark
Click to expand...


It's $1800 plus install, custom cross member, and skid plate. floorboard modifications and drive shafts.

Marks of Australia makes a t-case gearset for the split t-case. These gears run about $1500 + rebuild kit + installation.

Gearing isn't cheap. Your best bet would probably be to do a SM465-NP203-split case...
 
Tigerstripe has it right. You will have to grind one or two teeth off the ring gear to get the cross-pin in and out of the rear ARB, and you have to knock the corners off the teeth in front of the window in the ARB in order to get the C-clips and thrust block installed. The crosspin just barely clears a 4.10 gear set, but anything higher than that and you have to grind the gear. Here's a couple of pics of the 4.88's I installed and how much I had to grind, so you can get an idea:

ToothGrind1.jpg

ToothGrind2.jpg


The ring gear in a 5.29 set is a lot taller, so you'd have to grind a lot more off. Kinda scary. I started with a fine stone in my die grinder, then smoothed everything off with a drum sander bit.
 
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