is 3.45s to 3.73s really worth the effort

[4.0B2]

i doubt you'll see MUCH of a diff in the 2.. but if you have it laying around, personally i would.. but... its up to you.

just do the rear. see what you think.. its not just bolt in tho.
but what better way to learn if you don't know how.

i'd say get 4.56's AT LEAST. in a perfect world i'm thinking 4.88's.
and NOT on a d28/7.5 combo

 

[CHKNFKR]

I think he meant swapping the complete rear end with 3.73s, not swapping gears. Swapping a rear.really is a simple bolt on affair.

 

[-Nathan-]

yes swapping an entire axle is a bolt in affair, I was referring to gear setup.

 

[4.0B2]

Just do it... If you have both front and rear with 3.73's laying around-- do it!

 

[Bennybooster]

setting up gears is more than just switching a couple bolts, it is an involved process including many fine tolerances that MUST be followed if failure is not desired.

He has the axles to swap not the gears, so all he has to do is swap axles, an easy job

 

[94 lngbd]

I ran 456 with 33s with a 4.0. I know he has a 2.9, but 456 will still turn them perfectly fine with a 2.9 if he wants a bit better mileage. 488's would be a better compromise on 33s with the 2.9, but personally I would run 5.13 with that motor. From my experience with multiple gear sets, it doesnt affect it as much as people think it does, hence my saying 345 to 373 will be almost negligible. I gear as deep as possible.

what gearing would you suggest with 33s & a 2.3L/5 spd? Im thinking that 4.88s would be fine more so for power/torque & mpg. Not so worried about 4wd as 4low will take care of that.

 

[Bennybooster]

what gearing would you suggest with 33s & a 2.3L/5 spd? Im thinking that 4.88s would be fine more so for power/torque & mpg. Not so worried about 4wd as 4low will take care of that.

4.88's should be about perfect for the street, but if ya want some powa get 5.13's

 

[94 lngbd]

I know that they make 5.13s for the 8.8 but what about the D30 front axle

 

[-Nathan-]

what gearing would you suggest with 33s & a 2.3L/5 spd? Im thinking that 4.88s would be fine more so for power/torque & mpg. Not so worried about 4wd as 4low will take care of that.

Hey there, my new Ranger is a 2.3 5 speed with 31's and I have 410s in the axles, I am telling you 488 will not be enough with 33s. Yes you will get around, but if youre going to regear anyway, go bigger. You need to rev the crap out of that 2.3, I would highly suggest 513s.

 

[mhughes165]

it would in essence almost be easier and cheaper for u in the long run boggin to put the 3.73's in it, and to make up for loss of power with what u have access too, put in a small block, that will increase your power and gas mileage substantially

and in reality it probably costs the same to up the engine as to spend alot of money on gears

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I know that they make 5.13s for the 8.8 but what about the D30 front axle

You probably have the D35 hybrid. Basically it is a D35 with D28 guts in the differential.

D30 (unless you swapped one in) has nothing in common.

 

[Boggin]

thanks man thats good advice. but this thread should have been dead long ago, i psoted somewhere back on the first page that i went to swap axles and i can only find the front with 3.73s, i cant find a rear axle with 3.73s only one with 3 45s and a 9" with 4 10s.. i guess i threw out the 7.5 with 3 73s.