Locker or ReGear??

Ay i needed some help decided if i wanted to re-gear or get a locker for the truck... im running 285s and i have a 3 day commute to Northridge its about 45mins or 50 miles from where I live.... I do offroad.... but im trying to figure out what would be a necessity right now...?? Im a little worried about the tranny from the drive with the bigger tires.... and i would like to take care of the truck as much as possible... i guess what im saying will the 33s hurt the truck in the long run...??? Or will i be ok..?? and i would like the locker to kinda compensate for not having 4WD.... if u guys can give me some ideas that would be coo... thanks

 

I have not herd of any problems with our trannys from running 285s without a regear, but i would just save up and do the locker and regear at the same time.

 

thanks im just worried about the longrun.... is it even worth it to re gear...????

 

I would vote no it's not really worth it. You went from 31 or so inch tires to 33 or so. That is less than a 10% change.
You CAN regear but I wouldn't worry too much about it. You probably want to talk to a gearing professional and get the low down on what changing your final drive gear will do. Because it'll reduce the wear on your transmission- but it'll also change your drive feeling- You may gain top end (lower RPMs are higher speed) but have a crappy start in first or vice versa....

(Disclaimer- I am not a gearing guru....so I could be AFU)

 

Really 10%..?? I thought it was more..?? Well if it's not that much then I should consider the locker then..??

 

You're AFU. Regearing (to higher ratio gears) should give higher RPM and lower speed. I am not a gearing guru either...so maybe I'm AFU.

 

You changed tire size by 2 inches....that is less than a 10% change in tire size...and 10% change is where most folks feel you must regear.
I'd do both at once if you are thinking about it....but you will save a little money if you don't regear.

Either way....There are trade offs...and knowing what you are trading off before you just throw some new gears in there is key.

 

What locker are you putting in?

If you're putting an ARB in - then you have to pay for a gearing install anyway and probably have to buy new gears regardless of what ratio they are (ARB is a carrier change and you have to buy gears that fit the ARB).

I would say..... REGEAR!!!! It's not gonna hurt anything especially if you're getting the *power band* back to its original level. Not only that - but you'll enjoy the power when you step on the gas (it'll actually accelerate). You'll also get a slower crawl while in 4lo.

Of all my years of offroading, I've never heard of transmissions failing or being 'worn out' due to regearing.

Research around and find out what a lot of people are regearing to. 4.56 is a popular choice. I had 4.56 in my Jeep with 33's and then with 35's.

 

Probably a dumb question, but don't PreRunners come stock with a locker?

 

nope. trd or. trd s. sr5 all come different. locker, limited slip, and a full open diff.

 

I was not aware of that, thank you.

 

Thanks... I was looking at the arb one... But I wasn't aware that u can change gears at the same time..?? Does the arb come With 4.56 gears..?? The reason y i was worried was because of my 53 mile commute 3 days a week and the freeway I take has a lot of mountian and hills on the freeway...

 

Bump.... I kinda want a few more opinions... Lol

 

Oh and my ba janster I meant if the tranny would get worn out If I DIDNT regear.... Thanks again for the info y'all

 

I say save up and do both. But if You had to pick one go with regearing. If I regear it will be to 4.56

 

i would regear and lock it at the same time. either one is a costly proposition: arb locker with compressor and the changing the gears, because you have to do a decent amount of work to get those installed in the diff. while your doing one its most economical to do both at the same time.

regearing returns (or makes closer) your stock power band due to the increase in tire diameter. people say that after the regear they feel as if the trucks engine works less or struggles less in order to do the same work, but with the downfall of your rpm's either being raised a few hundred or again returning close to the stock cruising rpm's at a given speed.

so in turn what i mean by struggles less, it brings back the feeling of the off-the-lot-trucks performance


i am in the same boat as you. i am trying to figure out if regearing my 4 banger is worth it while i install a lunch box locker in it in the coming couple months

 

Good mind! I think with your tires 4.56s are great!

 

I agree. If your gonna be doing work on the differentials, just save up and do both. If it came down to it though, I would regear. I hate the power loss I suffered with 33's. Talk to Paul-HBMURPHY, I think he got some really good pricing on new gears.

 

I had 35's and then 33's on my 2001 Ranger and had 4.56's. I loved it. Made the truck quick too.

 

haha. you got to it before I though you would.