Downshifting @ 60-65mph, regear??
12-28-2009, 09:06 PM
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Downshifting @ 60-65mph, regear??
Please excuse any cues that indicate I'm a newbie to gear ratios, or even my Jeep in general because both are true lol.
I've been doing a lot of reading up on these forums and on the internet the past few days as I'm a proud new owner of my first Jeep and one of the questions (among many!) that keeps coming to mind about my Jeep is the necessity to look at or alter my gear ratio.
A little background ... the Jeep is, for all intents and purposes, stock. I bought it used but to the best of my knowledge, any upgrades that it has are factory upgrades included but not limited to 33/12.5/18 Mudgrapplers and a 1" body lift, electronic rear axle lock and front sway bar disconnect.
One thing I keep seeing is a suggestion to change gear ratios at a certain lift or tire size (most commonly I've see this around a 4" suspension lift, and 35" tires) but one of the things I've seen as a symptom (if you can all it that) of needing to regear is unnecessary downshifting at normal highway speeds which I believe I am currently experiencing on flat, low altitude driving conditions. I know there is no concrete "yes" or "no" answer to needing a regear but I was fishing for some of your opinions. And thank you in advance for your advice.
I've been doing a lot of reading up on these forums and on the internet the past few days as I'm a proud new owner of my first Jeep and one of the questions (among many!) that keeps coming to mind about my Jeep is the necessity to look at or alter my gear ratio.
A little background ... the Jeep is, for all intents and purposes, stock. I bought it used but to the best of my knowledge, any upgrades that it has are factory upgrades included but not limited to 33/12.5/18 Mudgrapplers and a 1" body lift, electronic rear axle lock and front sway bar disconnect.
One thing I keep seeing is a suggestion to change gear ratios at a certain lift or tire size (most commonly I've see this around a 4" suspension lift, and 35" tires) but one of the things I've seen as a symptom (if you can all it that) of needing to regear is unnecessary downshifting at normal highway speeds which I believe I am currently experiencing on flat, low altitude driving conditions. I know there is no concrete "yes" or "no" answer to needing a regear but I was fishing for some of your opinions. And thank you in advance for your advice.
12-29-2009, 01:06 AM
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Are you staying with 33's? Or do you plan to go bigger?
There are hundreds of re-gearing threads here, with tons of info and opinions for you to look through. But as you already mentioned, re-gearing is a preference. - Only you can decide if it is needed.
Instead of using a generic, 'one size fits all' rpm chart as was linked above, I'd suggest the RPM charts in the Drivetrain FAQ (top of this section). They are designed specifically for the JK, with our anemic engines. And be sure to use the 'actual' tire height, not the mfg's listed height. You know where your rpm's are now, so you have a good baseline for comparison with the other gear ratios.
The other suggestion I would make is to read through the Flashpaq threads also. Since your 33's are only an inch taller than stock, that may give enough of a boost to keep you happy.
There are hundreds of re-gearing threads here, with tons of info and opinions for you to look through. But as you already mentioned, re-gearing is a preference. - Only you can decide if it is needed.
Instead of using a generic, 'one size fits all' rpm chart as was linked above, I'd suggest the RPM charts in the Drivetrain FAQ (top of this section). They are designed specifically for the JK, with our anemic engines. And be sure to use the 'actual' tire height, not the mfg's listed height. You know where your rpm's are now, so you have a good baseline for comparison with the other gear ratios.
The other suggestion I would make is to read through the Flashpaq threads also. Since your 33's are only an inch taller than stock, that may give enough of a boost to keep you happy.