35" Mickey Thompsons on stock gears

[Mazd4x4ped]

I bought a set of 35x12.50r15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws with a set of 15x8 Cragar Soft 8's. I jumped the gun a little bit doing this. I have a 99 B4000. From what I am told this truck comes stock with a factory 3 inch suspension. I run 265/75r15s right now as recommended. I did a 3 inch body last weekend and got alot more clearance. The tires will fit Ive got 3 3/4" backspacing. The problems I am running into are with my gears. I got the 373s in there now. basically I would like to know what options I should consider in order to get the tires on there. I was thinking 456s and that would solve all my problems. Any information would be helpful.

 

[Nater]

I would go with 4.56s

 

[WIDTIO]

I couln't agree more with going to 4.56's. IMO I think 4.88's might be a little much considering this is a DD?

 

[Ozwynn]

4.0L + 35's + 4.56 = good combo.

According to the gearing calculator in he tech library 4.11 and 35's will give you the same performance you have now.


4.88 would be way too much unless it will see more time in the rocks than it will on the street.

 

[4x4junkie]

Apparently nobody here has driven 4.88s with 35" tires if they think it's too much gear.

Go 4.88s. You will not regret it (but you might regret 4.56s).

 

[Mazd4x4ped]

I would go for 4.88s if this was strictly an offroad vehicle, but this is my daily driver and I do about 40 miles highway everyday drving back and forth to school. I take my truck out to the mud hole and trails ever weekend or so, so i think i am gonna go with the 456s. If anyone knows where i can get a cheap set of 456s for an 8.8 inch axle let me know.

 

[wahlstrom1]

Your gonna have to regear the front while your at it, and 4.88's would'n't hurt.

I'd run whatever I could find cheaply for sale, but if I was paying retail I'd go 4.88's.

 

[Mechanickid]

I'd go with 4:88's now and lift it later...

 

[Bent Bolt]

Apparently nobody here has driven 4.88s with 35" tires if they think it's too much gear.

Go 4.88s. You will not regret it (but you might regret 4.56s).

+ 1

I have 34" tires and 4.88's . Works very well.

 

[Mazd4x4ped]

Im just gonna regear the back for now and lay off the 4 wheel until i get some more cash. Looking at the chart I see that a 427 would be closest to the same performance I have now and 456 is one step up from that. I think I go with 488s on my 4.0L I will be running at very high rpms on the highway and tank my gas mileage. But then again I have never driven a truck with 456s or 488s. I am just trying to be reasonable here. This is my daily driver and i drive 200 miles a week on the highway.

 

[JohnnyO]

the 3.73's you have are really too low though. You really want 4.56's with 33" tires and 4.88's with 35" tires.

 

[mjonesjr]

the 3.73's you have are really too low though. You really want 4.56's with 33" tires and 4.88's with 35" tires.

Agreed.

I ran 3.73's with 35" tires on my old '97 and it was the biggest dog ever.

 

[lepp1892]

Agree'd on the 4.88's, I have 5.13's right now and i think they are about perfect but I don't drive on the highway much. I had 3.73's temporarily and it was not fun driving with that.

 

[wohlf 16]

I actually think everyone is missing the real problem. You drive 200 miles a week and your putting baja claws on your truck. That many miles a week you should be putting an all terrain on it. Those claws will be gone in no time.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Apparently nobody here has driven 4.88s with 35" tires if they think it's too much gear.

Go 4.88s. You will not regret it (but you might regret 4.56s).

TIMES INFINITY!!!! Looooooooove mine and absolutely do not regret it. 4.56 and 35 would feel like 4.10 and 33. Mine feels like 4.10 and 30's. And sometimes, I think it's just not deep enough! lol.







Number 1: no, your maz didn't come with any factory lift whatsoever.

Number 2: whats your current gear ratio? Reason I ask is that 4.10's and 35's with the the OHV 4.0 actually isn't that bad. But yeah, it does suck compared to being properly geared. EDIT: 3.73. If your an auto, be careful. My buddy just put in a rebuilt auto trans in his '98...then double lifted it with 35's and kept the 3.73's. Soon later(under 10,000miles), his trans was toast. After that was the manual trans conversion and soon my old 4.10 axles. Blew up my old ass end, in went 4.88's.

Number 3: You sure you got enough clearence for those 5's? I know many have done just a bodylift or suspension lift and ran 35's, but when I did it, it just wasn't much fun at all. Perfect size for the street, but maxed bars, no flares, no valence, and worried about tagging the body way too much....I just wasn't comfortable wheelin' it. I like to clear tires, rather than have them stuffed up into the fender.