Lockers & Re-Gearing Help

[Blue Yeti]

I am planning a Winter upgrade for my Jeep. Looking into Lockers and Re-Gearing.
Was hoping other forum members could share some info.
Old Gears:
New Gears:
Tire Size:
Lockers Used:
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

I am torn between going all ARB for air lockers and a compressor or go with an Eaton TrueTrack and OX cabled locker.

Looking forward to reading your input.

[Hoodoo Man]

In my opinion you cant go wrong with ARB my TJ had one in the rear after i blew up a stock Rubi lockers internals and it worked flawlessley for me. You can save some coin by skipping the pumps too. Jim bought my old axles off me and came up with something clever and cheap you might ask him about it. I think it was paint ball gun gas cartridges to power the locker....

There are also sales occasionally where they toss in the pump for the ARB with a locker purchase so if not in a rush wait for one of those. I was talking to Cody over at Barrett fab and he mentioned they do a ton of ARBs when the sales hits. I had yuokon R&P and they worked well for me also. I installed the ARB with the help of a former member Chris D and it was something of a PITA pulling the carrier and re shimming it until the backlash was right. It took us a couple of long evenings to get it just right and you need a good press to DIY.

[wrath0r]

Old Gears: Stock 3.21 gears
New Gears: Nitro 4.10 gears
Tire Size: 33"
Lockers Used: None
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

I think it's very important to include tire size in this one. Anyway, I'm thrilled with the result. At the time, I had no need for lockers. I wish I'd done it anyway, and ARB air lockers are the way I'd have gone.

[Blue Yeti]

Thanks for the input Jeff. I am setting up a meeting with Ricky to go over some options. Would love to do it myself but gears and lockers out in the street does not sound like fun.

Thanks for your input Marc. I added in tire size as I forgot and that is a factor in deciding what gears to go to.
I got my Jeep with 32's and 3.21's and didn't see any issues... but then again, I didn't drive it before the tire upgrade so I had nothing to compare.

[Frank]

Vinny Great way to think ahead. Prime example of what we talked about. Not spending money twice. You absolutely will like selectables in both ends. No matter what brand. I was thinkin it was a daily at first and the tru-Trac is awesome for that with a selectable in back. With a 5 or 6 speed and 35s I would off the top of my head guess 4.88s are in you head. No one can tell you what to pick only what they have . The tire / ratio chart Ive been begging you to look at will explain everything you need to know. The actual selection is only yours to make as we dont know whats goin on inside the beaner,
1) I have a 4 speed
2) I had 32s and 3.73s
3) My Tcase (D300) had a 2.76x1 ?
4) Went to 4.56s
5) Changed the gears in the Tcase to 4x1
6) Went to 35s
7) My high range went up 300 RPMs
8) My low range is the added RPMs I need for total control for crawling.
The tire ratio chart will help you decide . Keep in mind , 4.88 is the tallest Id go with a Dana 30 up front as the pinion get purdy small.
Good luck pickin Dude . Some one else will chime in and give you their idea of whats best for you. FjR68

[ASauer17]

In my signature.. haha

[Blue Yeti]

Thanks for the input Frank. I have time to do this so I am looking at everything and trying to get it right the first time.
Sorry if I wasn't clear this is my wheelin machine, not my DD.
I am trying to link the chart in case anyone else wants to see what we are talking about.

With 35's, 4.56's are good for a DD and ok for wheeling.
4.88's are ok for DDing and good for climbing rocks.
5.13's will get you up a building but prob real bad for driving around.... better for on the trailer to the site I would guess?
Working on getting some quotes and this could be my Xmas present!
Whooo!!

[ASauer17]

4.88 helped me push my 35s. I can actually accelerate. The downside is that I'm at a fast crawl.

[Blue Yeti]

Thanks for your input Amanda.
Do you have the 4.0 with a 5 speed?
Could be a factor as I have 3.8 with 6 speed.
Fast crawl as you go too fast in 1st, in 4 low, barley touching the gas?

[ASauer17]

4.0 automatic.

[RandyCarol]

The research I’ve done on the JK with the 3.8 and 6 speed favored the 4.88 gears. Comparing the JK to anything else really isn’t apples to apples

[RandyCarol]

a little off topic but gearing related. The JK 6-speeds (at least 13+, probably even earlier years) have a cool feature in low range where if you are crawling with your foot off the pedals it will maintain idle speed even if the engine try’s bogging down in the rocks. This makes it hard to stall and allows you to creep along. I’ll get hung up with all 4 tires spinning without it stalling (within reason)

[Blue Yeti]

Thanks Randy. You are correct. We should compare beer to beer, rum to rum and whiskey to whiskey! LOL

You mentioned this:
"a cool feature in low range where if you are crawling with your foot off the pedals it will maintain idle speed even if the engine try’s bogging down in the rocks. This makes it hard to stall and allows you to creep along. I’ll get hung up with all 4 tires spinning without it stalling (within reason)"

I just so happened to experience that while on a pile of rocks and was like what the heck is going on?!?
I the looked into it and found it in the manual. Cool feature!!

[Frank]

That actually works in any car high or low range. The computer see it as a low idle and compensates. You are correct in looking at 4.56/4.88. and still be able to drive to the run. What you want to look at and we still dont have the bottom line is. What gear stock , what tire size stock. Did you think it suffered in any areas . Hills passing , did you like its performance over all ? If it came with 3.21 and 30" tires it spun at 2115 RPMs at 70. 2575 with 56s and 35s. 400 plus more RPMs. 2756 for 4.88s . See how that works. I dont recommend the 5.13s with a D30 let alone the JK 30. SUP to you on that one. Then you throw in you have a 6 speed not a 5 speed. You can check the first gear ratios between the two . Then check the final drive ratio to see how much below 1x1 you are for road ability . FjR68

[Blue Yeti]

Its tough for some of those Frank as I bought it used. I don't think anyone regeared but ya never know.
It didn't have stock tires on it when I bought it. They just put on brand new Rubi rims and mud terrains.
I thought it drove and wheeled pretty good with them on it. They were 31.4's.
With the 35's it is sluggish up hills and passing people... gearing up makes sense for those situations and crawling on da rocks!
I thought somewhere I mentioned I had a 6 speed... don't all standard JKs have a 6 speed???
Cruising down a 45mph street... in 4th... going 45 - 47 I was at about 1800-1900 rmps. Most of my cruising streets are 30-35 in 3rd or 40-45 in 4th. I will monitor more next time out cruising and I have to hit the highway this weekend so I will take it and see what I am doing at 55, 65 and 75.