lil_loco Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Did the search but nothing coming up so please guide me here.... Situation: I have an 86 i4 tbi ax4/207 with 3.55 30/44. This truck ran well on bfg at 31x10.5 got good acceleration and kept decent speed (for those who know the 407-ETR in Ontario let's say it kept with the flow) I just rebuilt my rear end that had a pinion mishap with a 3.55 Trac-lok from a donor LJ with 60,000 highway km on it. Somewhere between the 31x10.5 bfg at grew 2" to 33x10.5 bfg at. I plan to daily drive the truck and occasionally haul the dirt bike into trail heads using fire roads etc but mostly just pavement lady driving. K so now that i wrote way too much: in all honesty with this setup will I notice much difference adding 2" total to the height? Keeping in mind it is a 4speed manual 4 banger with 3.55 as the stock gears and tires were/are both 10.50 wide bfg at. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankTheDog Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I thought my daughters wrangler was at its limit with 4.10's and 31's. I couldn't imagine how much of a dog 33's and 3.55's would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Better stick to 80km max speed limit back roads. Without hills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 That's the thing it was fine with the 31" guess I'll just have to try and see but anyone out there run the same setup? 4speed manual 4 banger owners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 That's the thing it was fine with the 31" guess I'll just have to try and see but anyone out there run the same setup? 4speed manual 4 banger owners? I wasn't happy with 31x10.50s behind a 4.0L and stock gears, although mine had 3.07s. I regeared to 3.73s because I had them, but 4.10s would have been better. I also have an 88 2.5L 4-speed with 3.55 gears. I can't believe you even drove it on 31s, and I'll virtually guarantee you that you aren't going to like it on 33s. You need at least 4.10s, and maybe 4.54s or 4.88s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnr Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 mine is an 87 2.5l and in the beginning had the 4 speed, I have since put the 5 speed in it. I'm running 32" with 4:56 gears, this seams to have brought it mostly back to stock on the road, it just takes a bit of time to overcome my rolling weight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParadiseMJ Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 My truck STILL has 3.07's with an AW4 and 235's. It had 31's and it was a total turd. 3.07's are weak enough and the change in tires made a fairly big difference. It's not "peppy", but in OD at 70 mph it runs at 2100 RPM's. When I switch the OD off (or in 3rd) it runs at 2300-2400. I drive it for utility and trips to the woods, not much else. My plan is to swap out axles to at least 3.73's but preferably 4.10's so I can go back to 31's. Riding at 70 mph with 3.55's with 33's would likely be the same or "doggier". I wouldn't daily drive it with that ratio and those tires...my own opinion. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I ran 33s with 2.5l,4spd, and 3.55s. Daily drove it that way for a long time, even commuted on the freeway 90miles every day for a while like that. It kinda sucked and 4th gear was almost unusable but it did it. I ended up going to 4.88s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timeless Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 My 4.0 with 33's and 3.55 gears was a slow pig. I can't imagine what a 4 banger would be like. You will definitely notice the increase in tire diameter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 I ran 33s with 2.5l,4spd, and 3.55s. Daily drove it that way for a long time, even commuted on the freeway 90miles every day for a while like that. It kinda sucked and 4th gear was almost unusable but it did it. I ended up going to 4.88s. Thanks for chiming in! That's what i thought I'd hear. But how was the drive aside from forth feeling useless? Would Having ax5 with the 3.55 have made any difference for the 2.5l? Anyone else with a 4 cyl manual around to give their daily driver 0.02$? Having no intention to wheel off road or go for a 1/4mile record.... Might just end up dropping back down to 31" if no one finds the setup tolerable. Be changing gears any time soon i just replaced the gears on the rear. I tried the 4.10 ratio with these 33"s on my 4.0 3speed auto TJ before i sold it and it was like pulling an anchor. Lots of start up torque but no top speed. Screamed on the highways and bogged at hills. Never broke 125kmph. 32"s with 3.55 on my 4.0 aw4 XJ was beautiful i blew away everything i wanted to pass. Should have never sold that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 My truck STILL has 3.07's with an AW4 and 235's. It had 31's and it was a total turd. 3.07's are weak enough and the change in tires made a fairly big difference. It's not "peppy", but in OD at 70 mph it runs at 2100 RPM's. When I switch the OD off (or in 3rd) it runs at 2300-2400. I drive it for utility and trips to the woods, not much else. My plan is to swap out axles to at least 3.73's but preferably 4.10's so I can go back to 31's. I ran my '88 MJ with 3.73 gears on 31x10.50s, and my wife's "car" was a 2000 XJ Classic, totally stock (automatic with 3.54 gears). The overall final drive ratio, as expressed in RPMs at 60 MPH, was exactly the same for the MJ as for the XJ. IMHO 31's with the 4.0L really should have 4.10s. I installed the 3.73 gears because I had already bought them -- but I bought them with the intention of running them on the '88 XJ with 30" tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Thanks for chiming in! That's what i thought I'd hear. But how was the drive aside from forth feeling useless? Would Having ax5 with the 3.55 have made any difference for the 2.5l? An AX-5 would be WORSE. The first four gears in the AX-5 are the same as in the AX-4. Fourth gear is direct drive (1:1). The AX-5 adds an overdrive gear. On 33-inch tires with 3.55 gears you will NEVER be able to use fifth gear, not even downhill with a tail wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Ya, what eagle said. I always told people that my AX4 was a 3spd with overdrive, I rarely ever used 4th so there is no way you could use a 5th gear. 33s with the 4.88 wasnt bad, I felt like I could run a 5th gear but didnt really need one. Really my truck with 3.55s and 33s would surprise people,it was gutless but not as bad as you would expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I'm on 32's with 4:10 and AX5 and 5th is almost unusable. I can't imagine it with 3:55. See how you like it and then save up to regear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share Posted July 13, 2014 I'm on 32's with 4:10 and AX5 and 5th is almost unusable. I can't imagine it with 3:55. See how you like it and then save up to regear.Sadly regearing is NOT an option. lowering the truck and going back to 31" is. Guess I'll be digging out the old suspension setup and tires for standby sooner than I planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattwheels Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I'm hoping my 3.55's will be fine for 32-33's and my ax15. :x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I'm hoping my 3.55's will be fine for 32-33's and my ax15. :x AX-15 with 3.55s? You swapped axles? My '88 was barely passable with 3.07s and 31s. 3.73s were better, but basically equal to stock with 3.55s. You'll be able to drive yours, but you'll be doing a lot of clutch slipping and downshifting for hills. It will be far from ideal. You really need 4.56s for 32s and 4.88s for 33s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattwheels Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I swapped transmissions, 89 was aw4 switched to ax15 so I believe it has 3.55s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 With this you can compare different ratios and setups side by side to see the differences. http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankTheDog Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Wow, that's a handy site. That just went into my favorites. Looks like my 3.55 axle set will work good with my 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Nice database but it's missing np207 I ran the data comparing my buddy's 92? YJ that runs 31" bfg at on 4:10 231 ax5 2.5l (so roughly the same hp) on the left column. My mj with 33" on 3:55 208 (closest to 207 IIRC) ax4 2.5l. This is what i got: Now if he ran the 33"s instead.... That being said the numbers say to me that I'm good with what i got? Or did I totally miss something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 I then ran a compare of scenario my old xj setup that i loved vs how the mj sits now and again i don't think this is reliable if comparing to what people's experiences are Right MJ 3:55 ax4 33" / left XJ 3:55 aw4 31": And again with 3:55 33" comparing ax4 to ax5: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroxsteve Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I don't understand how this tells you about the performance of the truck. Maybe I'm missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_loco Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 I don't understand how this tells you about the performance of the truck. Maybe I'm missing something?That's what I'm trying to understand too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 It give you some idea of how larger or smaller tires will change the way your car performs. Example, if most of your driving is on the freeway at 70 mph (for example) and your engine turns at 2250 rpm. By knowing the size tire you have now, you can calculate the change in engine speed if you go to bigger tires. Bigger tires will mean a slower turning engine at the same speed. Say perhapse 1850 rpm instead of 2250 rpm. And the typical engine produces less horsepower/torque at 1850 rpm than 2250 rpm. So your truck will not accelerate as well or go up a hill as well with the bigger tires. Hope this makes some sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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