Looking to change my gear ratio and want to find gears as close to OEM quality specs as possible. No superhardened or crawler-specific gears. Just top-quality-last-for-20-years-200k-miles kinda thing. Not looking to go cheap on this. Thanks!
OEM-Quality Gears? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jaymar
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LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
I've been happy with Nitro gears, no clue the exact metallurgy but Just Differentials seems fine with however many have been used.
IDK, but I'd expect a majority of the gear swaps here are on Nitro - they have been in both my gear swapped 80's, no complaints.
What ratio are you trying to hit?
IDK, but I'd expect a majority of the gear swaps here are on Nitro - they have been in both my gear swapped 80's, no complaints.
What ratio are you trying to hit?
- Thread starter
- #3
4.56 for 32-33s
Thanks!
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
I'm all for guys to do what they like (build it for your type use, right?)
BUT- I was with the PO of my old LX450 when it had 4.56's from the 1st owner - it was a small jump to the point of not being cost effective, really.
He drove my black 80 (in ~2003-04) on 305/70's w/ stock 4.11's & I just leave the "PWR" button on - he agreed it wasn't bang for buck.
Unless you're at altitude, run super unleaded, leave the "PWR" button locked (I burnt the bulb years ago, haha) - run the 33's & see if you don't agree.
I'd never bother with 4.56's aside from ::maybe:: if I towed a 5K trailer constantly, and KNEW 33's were my biggest tire I'd run, ever.
Just my op. HTH.
I'm with @LINUS on this one. ROI for 4.56 doesn't seem to be great. (Not only from his comment, but others over the years here)
What problems are you having with your present set up? I would think stock gears and 33's will work well in most conditions.
- Thread starter
- #7
Thanks all for the feedback. Already on 33s. No current problems other than front-end backlash. The plan is to replace everything that wears, as it's all been wearing for 22 years now. So the gears are getting swapped out one way or the other and I'm thinking, why not go to 4.56? Don't plan to go above 33s. 90% street/hwy use, 10% overlanding/off-road. (Nothing crazy, no hard rock crawling if it can be avoided.) Priorities are reliability, capability, durability. That said, a little more pep would be nice.
2 questions--
If swapping out gears is going to happen anyway--do you still see no point to changing ratio? I believe the work is the same, no clearancing required on FZJ80 rear. Either way, whatever the ration--next question is...
What is most OEM-like gear brand for quality & long life? So far I'm hearing NITRO is good. Anything else I might want to look at?
Thanks again!
2 questions--
If swapping out gears is going to happen anyway--do you still see no point to changing ratio? I believe the work is the same, no clearancing required on FZJ80 rear. Either way, whatever the ration--next question is...
What is most OEM-like gear brand for quality & long life? So far I'm hearing NITRO is good. Anything else I might want to look at?
Thanks again!
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If you're changing regardless go ahead and go with the nitro 4.56's Send them to Zuk, have them built with the solid spacer and run them for another 25 years.
I suppose if your going to swap and have no desire to bump up tire size then 4.56 would be fine. Like said Nitro seem to the popular ones. They are who I was/am planning on using when I go to 4.88's (35' tires here). Spoke with them a couple times and seem like reputable type of guys. I had a line up on some Yukons and they made a pretty sound argument on not using them..... that said I don't remember the details of that time.
What he said ^^^
What is your front backlash measure at and what problem or concern is it causing? Just trying to understand the need for a costly gear change.
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- Thread starter
- #12
Meant to say NITRO above (corrected).
Backlash measure, no clue at the moment; I can hear it rattle now and again. (Me to PO before purchase: What's that rattle? PO to me: What rattle? End of conversation.) Gear swap / axle work just part of the build / extended PM. Also planning Harrup Eaton or Detroit lockers.
RELATED Q - AXLES & BIRFS, SPINDLES & HUBS...
as close to OEM quality specs as possible. No superhardened or crawler-specific stuff. Just top-quality-last-for-20-years-200k-miles kinda thing. Again, not looking to go cheap.
Any brand recommendations--or would this also be Nitro? Thanks!
Backlash measure, no clue at the moment; I can hear it rattle now and again. (Me to PO before purchase: What's that rattle? PO to me: What rattle? End of conversation.) Gear swap / axle work just part of the build / extended PM. Also planning Harrup Eaton or Detroit lockers.
RELATED Q - AXLES & BIRFS, SPINDLES & HUBS...
as close to OEM quality specs as possible. No superhardened or crawler-specific stuff. Just top-quality-last-for-20-years-200k-miles kinda thing. Again, not looking to go cheap.
Any brand recommendations--or would this also be Nitro? Thanks!
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if it's just the front and a full rebuild is needed, I'd hunt down a low mileage third off of car-parts.com and just swap it out.
- Thread starter
- #14
Well to be clear, I don't know that any of it is NEEDED at this point (will find out when it comes apart). This is more about me knowing it's NOT needed for a long, long time to come...
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
As a follow-up, gravy if you know your use - Paul got the LX450 with 4.56's & 35's & hated it, he jumped to 5.29's & was happy. So was I when it became my 80.
More power to ya though, you know your use of your 80.
As for birfs, while not cheap - I bought brand new OE ones from Dan, was $500 ea when I did 4~5 yrs ago. You even get the ABS ring so you don't have to press yours on & off any replacement birf.
If you have yet to 'flop' the birfs side to side, you are still able to get alot of miles from yours, esp if you find your axle cracked open every couple years.
Or if you are where I was, I flat built the E-locked axles under the black 80 from all new parts aside from rear driveshaft on the DS. Even had the last 0 mile E-locker front 3rd to stuff in a new axle shell.
(OK, I'd beat the life out of my birfs, bent the axle shell, cracked splines on inner driveshafts, cracked loose 3rd member parts, had a leaky birf seal, scored spindle on 1 side, and roached the brake rotors) It was a little beat up.
But it was nice to have all new $hit, new spindles, new birfs, gears, locker & actuators, etc.
More power to ya though, you know your use of your 80.
As for birfs, while not cheap - I bought brand new OE ones from Dan, was $500 ea when I did 4~5 yrs ago. You even get the ABS ring so you don't have to press yours on & off any replacement birf.
If you have yet to 'flop' the birfs side to side, you are still able to get alot of miles from yours, esp if you find your axle cracked open every couple years.
Or if you are where I was, I flat built the E-locked axles under the black 80 from all new parts aside from rear driveshaft on the DS. Even had the last 0 mile E-locker front 3rd to stuff in a new axle shell.
(OK, I'd beat the life out of my birfs, bent the axle shell, cracked splines on inner driveshafts, cracked loose 3rd member parts, had a leaky birf seal, scored spindle on 1 side, and roached the brake rotors) It was a little beat up.
But it was nice to have all new $hit, new spindles, new birfs, gears, locker & actuators, etc.
OUCH! for the big peace of mind wallet dent
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LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Pay to play, right?
(Thank God I budget well for my style of "play" - and turn 97% of the wrenches)
But yes:
Shell $1300
Spindles $200 x 2
Birfs $500 x 2
E-locker conversion pkg ~$2400 (Ben @ Slee hookup)
Regear to 4.88's by Just Diff ~ $12-1500 (forget)
Bearings, seals, brakes, rotors, FAS kit......you get it.
But my black 80 is going to run beyond the day I go senile, so that was the intent.
- Thread starter
- #18
Nitro says their chro-mo axle components are 30% stronger than stock.
Anyone see that as an issue--being so tough they move the point of failure up the line when the stock components would deform or break instead?
Anyone see that as an issue--being so tough they move the point of failure up the line when the stock components would deform or break instead?
I dont see what tests they ran to be able to say they are 30% stronger. Life comes from proper heat treatment. If they didn't run some kind of loaded durability test(including changing the angle of the joint to simulate actual driving), then I'm not sure I believe it.
I'll be ordering terrain Tamer joints soon. The Aussies seem pretty happy with them and they arent so expensive that I'll be upset if I have to replace them ever
I'll be ordering terrain Tamer joints soon. The Aussies seem pretty happy with them and they arent so expensive that I'll be upset if I have to replace them ever
- Thread starter
- #20
Assuming they are 30% stronger--would you see that as a potential issue?
