tera 4-1

[88mjmanche]

has any body put one of these tera 4 to 1 set ups in there comanche, and how good does it work. i want to put it in my 88 jeep comanche 5 speed of course.

 

[jeepdoggydogB]

It depends on what you want to do with your truck. I wanted a truck that I could drive to any trail, and still have a decent crawl ratio. I have 3.73 gears, 31's and a 5 speed. I try to stay in 4 hi in the mud and sand with the STT's aired down to about 20 psi. The 4 Low or 2 Low works great for hills, and trails with steep inclines, I don't have the guts to take my MJ on the rocks :eek: but I would imagine the 4Low would be great.

 

If you go with even lower gearing or have an auto you might want to think about a brake booster upgrade.

[Comanche County]

I've heard guys get a 4:1 and then wish they hadn't because it was too low. I guess it depends on your gears...I've got 3.73s and 33s, most of my miles are highway so a 4:1 would work well for me I think or anyone with 4.11s-4.56s....IMHO if your gears are lower than that and you're not running huge tires then the 4:1 would be too low, i.e. (what does I.E. mean anyway) if you've got 5.89s and 35-37" tires, the 4.1 might be too low if you don't do a lot of crawling.

 

Also, you I've heard you can't rev a 4:1 higher than 2500 rpm or the T-case will go, so your better off being correctly geared for it with the right tire size to get the maximum benefit.......I'm sure someone here with the terralow setup can comment better.

 

If I found one cheap I'd slap it in in a heartbeat though.

[jeepdoggydogB]

I've heard guys get a 4:1 and then wish they hadn't because it was too low. I guess it depends on your gears...I've got 3.73s and 33s, most of my miles are highway so a 4:1 would work well for me I think or anyone with 4.11s-4.56s....IMHO if your gears are lower than that and you're not running huge tires then the 4:1 would be too low, i.e. (what does I.E. mean anyway) if you've got 5.89s and 35-37" tires, the 4.1 might be too low if you don't do a lot of crawling.

 

Also, you I've heard you can't rev a 4:1 higher than 2500 rpm or the T-case will go, so your better off being correctly geared for it with the right tire size to get the maximum benefit.......I'm sure someone here with the terralow setup can comment better.

 

If I found one cheap I'd slap it in in a heartbeat though.

Good info, also Tera doesn't recommend revving the tera in 4low beyond 2500 RPM if you are in a gear other than 1st as I recall.

:cheers:

[DirtyComanche]

I didn't know you couldn't exceed 2500rpm in low range with it - that's totally useless. Unless they're getting at 'continuous' usage, even then that's pretty useless.

 

 

I've said it before, I don't think it makes ANY sense to buy one. They're too expensive for what you actually get out of it. Which is a 4:1 low, and that's it. A rubicon NP241J (NP241OR) is similarily priced, 4:1, and has upgraded front and rear outputs from the get-go; you just need to do some flange changing and such.

 

 

For the price of either option... I'd probably save a few more dollars and buy either a stak or an atlas. And I'm leaning towards stak there - the mini-monster 3spd is attractive as it offers a lot better gearing options (like, 5.4:1, and 3.8:1 for one set, or something like 4:1 and 2.7:1 for another). That way you have another selectable low gear. Atlas 4spds also offer some usage, but their gear split isn't as usable as the stak. Atlas is fully synchro'd, but it still doesn't shift worth anything when not moving from what I've seen. The stak isn't synchro'd, but you can shift while not moving with it. Parts in both are way more HD than anything ment for production vehicles.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have one in my TJ and wouldn't be with out it for the rocks. I am only running 4:10s and 35s. If I upgraded the front axle again I'd have gone much lower, say in the 5's. But the hi-pinion 30 is maxed at 4;88s but that makes for a mighty small pinion IMHO, so 4:56 is about as lo as I would go. My 8-8 came with 4:10's so the re gear was cheaper only having to do one axle.....

 

I also sprung for the 2WD lo, I use it quite a bit in the TJ , but don't think I would in the MJ.

 

IMHO, if you running the rocks and the price is right go for it. if your in the mud, you will never use it..

 

CW

[jeepdoggydogB]

Just for clarification this is right off the installation instructions. You can get them here.

 

http://www.teraflex.biz/category/tech/i ... tructions/

 

"Avoid high engine speeds when using the Low231 in low range in 4th or 5th gear with manual transmissions or with high gear automatics. This is common when driving in snow, mud, or sand. Because the gears are turning 50% faster and with the high gear ratio, it is possible for input speeds to reach 6500 RPM and cause damage to the transfer case.

We recommend using a lower gear in high-range for higher speeds rather than running the Low231 at extreme RPM’s."

 

I have never found a reason to use 4Low in 4th or 5 th gear.

[Comanche County]

I also sprung for the 2WD lo, I use it quite a bit in the TJ ,

 

My T-case is a 231 with JB short shaft SYE and has the 2-Low option....I love the 2-Low, I use it plowing and hauling wood up my 40 degree driveway. I shimmed my vacuum CAD so without manual hubs the 2 low is very handy....

[SuperWade2]

I have one in my TJ and wouldn't be with out it for the rocks. I am only running 4:10s and 35s. If I upgraded the front axle again I'd have gone much lower, say in the 5's. But the hi-pinion 30 is maxed at 4;88s but that makes for a mighty small pinion IMHO, so 4:56 is about as lo as I would go. My 8-8 came with 4:10's so the re gear was cheaper only having to do one axle.....

 

I also sprung for the 2WD lo, I use it quite a bit in the TJ , but don't think I would in the MJ.

 

IMHO, if you running the rocks and the price is right go for it. if your in the mud, you will never use it..

 

CW

 

I have it in my TJ....it's too low really with 4.56 Gears on 33" tires with my 3spd Auto... I find myself having to pop out of 4Lo whenever I'm between even moderately hard stuff...nice for steep long declines....I just idle down and barely have to touch the brekes.... might be better when I move up to 35" tires... It's also pretty noisy and whines pretty good in 4Lo... I have 2Lo as well...can't say I've ever used it yet, but had it done when the Tcase was opened up.

[Pete M]

(what does I.E. mean anyway)

 

"Id est" meaning "that is" or "in other words ", is commonly abbreviated "i.e."

 

I love the interweb. Ask and ye shall receive. :D

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have it in my TJ....it's too low really with 4.56 Gears on 33" tires with my 3 spd Auto... I find myself having to pop out of 4Lo whenever I'm between even moderately hard stuff...nice for steep long declines....I just idle down and barely have to touch the brakes.... might be better when I move up to 35" tires... It's also pretty noisy and whines pretty good in 4Lo... I have 2Lo as well...can't say I've ever used it yet, but had it done when the Tcase was opened up.

 

OH MY GAWD... You have 4:56's, 33" tires, a 4:1, all behind a AUTO !?!?!?!?!? How do you stop that thing?????? The 4:1 was never recommended behind an auto, with its variable ratio aspect. That's what the 3.8 or 3.0:1 is for... :eek: :eek:

 

Its for CRAWLING guys. If your moving along at anything above a trot its NOT what you need. If your going fast enough for it to be whining, shift into 4hi.

 

Because of the TJ's short wheel base and excellent traction from the locker, I find that even 4WD is rarely needed sans for the bolder fields and ledges. So your right, the 2WD lo sure is handi!!

 

CW

[SuperWade2]

I have it in my TJ....it's too low really with 4.56 Gears on 33" tires with my 3 spd Auto... I find myself having to pop out of 4Lo whenever I'm between even moderately hard stuff...nice for steep long declines....I just idle down and barely have to touch the brakes.... might be better when I move up to 35" tires... It's also pretty noisy and whines pretty good in 4Lo... I have 2Lo as well...can't say I've ever used it yet, but had it done when the Tcase was opened up.

 

OH MY GAWD... You have 4:56's, 33" tires, a 4:1, all behind a AUTO !?!?!?!?!? How do you stop that thing?????? The 4:1 was never recommended behind an auto, with its variable ratio aspect. That's what the 3.8 or 3.0:1 is for... :eek: :eek:

 

Its for CRAWLING guys. If your moving along at anything above a trot its NOT what you need. If your going fast enough for it to be whining, shift into 4hi.

 

Because of the TJ's short wheel base and excellent traction from the locker, I find that even 4WD is rarely needed sans for the bolder fields and ledges. So your right, the 2WD lo sure is handi!!

 

CW

 

If I'm pointed downhill and want to stop in 4Lo, I acutally have to shift to Neutral.... it will literally shove the locked front tires on loose ground in 4LO with the Brakes Mashed (and I've upgraded the fronts with Vanco's and replaced the rear drums with the Currie Explorer Disc kit as well)....

 

And it whines at 1-5mph when I'm not even touching the gas... But it sure crawls pretty well when I need it too

 

Also my RPM's will be a little better when I get 35" tires... .On the FWY at 65-70 It's wrapping up 3300-3400 RPM's

[Andy in Pa]

My XJ has 5.13 gears with the Tera-Low 4-1 and 35's, with an auto... and I LOVE it. This is with a HPD44 front, and XJ D44 rear. Its not hard to stop, I have upgraded my brakes with better components and it stops pretty well now. I don't even have to touch the gas to start crawling obstacles. I have played on a wide variety of terrain, but I would say 90% rocks with it. I VERY rarely ever went over 2500 rpms. If I needed that much wheel speed, I'll just put it in 4-Hi.

 

I have had my 4-1 since 01. It has well over 40,000 miles on it, some of them VERY HARSH,VERY SLOW miles. It has ALWAYS whined, but works as well as the first day I put it in.

 

That being said, if I had it to do over again, I would just do an Atlas now. Unfortunately, there were not many options back when I built my XJ.

[reson46]

I'm surprised how many think a 4.0 low range is too low. :hmm:

 

I've been running a 4.3 Atlas for years with 35s, 4.10 gears, and an automatic. I almost never use high range. When I go wheeling I immediately shift into low and go. I wheel in just about every terrain besides sand. I could see how it may be too low for sand or baja, but for everything else it is great. There have even been several times I would have liked lower gearing.

 

Willy

[CWLONGSHOT]

I'm surprised how many think a 4.0 low range is too low. :hmm:

 

I've been running a 4.3 Atlas for years with 35s, 4.10 gears, and an automatic. I almost never use high range. When I go wheeling I immediately shift into low and go. I wheel in just about every terrain besides sand. I could see how it may be too low for sand or baja, but for everything else it is great. There have even been several times I would have liked lower gearing.

 

Willy

 

I completely agree!!! My 4:10's where not my first choice... They just made the most "monetary" sense.

 

CW