The 4.88 mega thread!!

Getting mine installed later this month. 3 days is what they want time wise.

 

Yeah, I'd say 2 to 3 days for a good shop to install, test drive, heat cycle etc.

 

Good news. They have a ecgs bushing remover. They used mine. And kept it.

 

Does anyone know if the needle bearing is replaced as part of the master or mini install kit? I have an ecgs bearing that I previously ordered and didn’t install yet and want to know if it will be a duplicate bearing or not.

 

It is not part of the master install kit

 

So I finally threw down and had 488’s installed. Having read many stories on here and issues with rear end whining and such I was hesitant on who to have install the gears. I currently live in Northern Utah and had a business trip planned in Arizona. I figured why not knock out 2 birds with 1 stone. I had read on here about SDHQ off road and have also heard from other off road shop owners about what a professional shop this was so I called up Joey @ http://store.sdhqoffroad.com/ and he fixed me up. I planned to have the 488’s REM polished gears installed (about ($2,750ish) and then have the speedometer re-calibrated as well as have an icon leaf pack installed with some daystar cradles for my air bags.

I currently run 285/75/16’s, so I am pretty much fed up with the BS shifting. I run a shift sense shift computer which has helped a small amount, but not really. Here is my gas mileage on the way down to ?AZ, I averaged around 75-80mph and constant upshifting at every single small incline. RPM’s would go screaming up to 5500 and then back down. For the most part my gears sat in 3-4 gear.



Had my gears installed, took 3 days. The truck now runs smooth and shifts perfectly. No rear end noises, speedo is reading correctly, double checked with a GPS unit. Here is my gas mileage on the way home. Remember, I’m mostly going up hill to around 4,700 feet in elevation at my house. Gears sat constant on the freeway in 6th gear and pleasantly downshifted to 5th as needed and rarely to 4th. Only 1 time it shifted down to 3rd gear on the way home. On the way to Phoenix it must have hit 3rd gear a hundred + times.


Here is the RPM’s while cruising on the freeway. Peace at last, I was about to slit my wrist on the way down to Phoenix. I am finally happy.


REM polished dont need breaking in so I was able to drive home from Phoenix without the whole break in period. I highly recommend the 488’s if you have the dough.

 

Dude, thanks for your observations on this. I can emphathize with you on your pain with the constant shifting with the engine screaming but the truck barely moving up hills. On a recent drive from Medford to Portland going through several mountain passes, I was ready to trade my truck in for a tundra. I’ve since bought my gears and have it scheduled for installed this Tuesday. Unfortunately, I bought it before I learned about REM polishing so I’ll have to manually break it in. No biggie, but I hope to gain my MPG’s back and most importantly, my sanity!

 

found out first hand about the Nitro back order issue. Made my purchase and a week later was told the front set is 6 to 8 weeks out for shipping. Canceled the order. Hello Nitro! Anyone home? Lots of us in this boat and ready to make the fix.

 

Pretty sure sdhq has them in stock and ready to ship

 

I just had mine done. Went to Diff shop in Phoenix area. Any shop doing Diffs for a living are going to use master kit. This shop is well known in area and have done 4 of my rigs including my taco.
REM parts and labor $2650. I locked the front also with the ARB. I supplied the twin as I have a few new in the barn.

 

Newb question, what are REM parts?

 

I think at times when things go wrong and people's emotions are ...well not where they normally are they tend to embellish.

 

Polishing of gears and plus parts..sorry

 

I didn't lock my front but should have since I was in there. I also need a dual compressor. On my mod list

 

Most gear shops will say anything under 60k and you're fine. Hell my Rock Buggy has a 14 Bolt with 200k on it, and I reused everything, It's still kicking strong. A daily driver Taco, I wouldn't waste the money, and I know how to waste money

RES pulled my diffs apart, and the factory grease hadn't even worked it's way out of the pinion seals at 12k.

 

Was it mentioned if the dealer can re-calibrate the speedometer. I don't really feel like installing an after market module. I tend to have bad luck with things failing.

4.88's with the 2.7 manual is pretty good. At 80mph I'm at ~2,850rpm on 35's.

 

That would be sweet. I don’t want to buy a calibrator. Too expensive.

 

Yeah I think the dealer would still charge 1hr labor at $140. But still cheaper than the $250ish calibrator thing.

I have left my dealer 2 messages asking them to call me back if they can or cannot calibrate, and they have not returned my calls.

 

Not something a dealer can do unfortunately.

 

Haha. I was just going to order one from Amazon but they don’t ship to CA.