The 4.88 mega thread!!

Took them a while because of part issues with nitro gears and being their first 3rd gen to do gears on. I used whatever ecgs recommends on their site

 

Re gearing void the entire power train warranty?

 

Not if you don't tell the dealer... Ha ha, no way of them knowing anyway.

 

If anyone is in SoCal (I’m in the IE) with a MT and is running 4.88’s, I’d be extremely grateful to be allowed to test drive it, to better educate my buying decision. You can drive my stock MT if you want too to help you remember the old times.

 

Im in vegas with 4.88s on a manual with 285s. What were your concerns?

 

I wanted to feel first hand how the power delivery felt, Rpm levels at various speeds, shifting differences and ride quality.

 

Got my gears installed! Definitely don’t have to get on the gas as much for town driving so far. I’ll continue with updates as I proceed thru the break in process and my impressions

Using 85-140 non synthetic. Upon more thought, I believe ECGS recommends this weight due to more rotation compared to stock gearing, resulting in more friction/heat build up.

 

You will definetely notice the torque increase throughout the whole rpm band, but ride quality is unchanged.
The only rpm's that are worth noting are 2450 RPMS @65 MPH, 2700 RPMS @75 MPH, and 3000 RPMS @84 MPH.
Reverse feels a lot better along with starting in 2nd gear on a rolling stop.

Average mpg is 16.5 with full steel armor, arb lockers, tonneu cover and bed mat, 285s, and recovery gear/tools at all times.
So essentially it does pretty good for how much extra weight I carry, when it was stock i was lucky to get anything past 17.5

I liked the rpm's before the gearing, but hated the lack of power. I don't regret my decision, I just wish I could have best of both worlds with 4.56 gearing.....
Hope this info helps you out

 

I just got my truck back from Pro Gear in San Diego. They did 4.88 gears f&r, ECGS bushing, and an ARB air locker. They did an awesome job and had my truck back to me in two days. I'm still breaking in the gears but my first impression is WOW! For starters I don't have anymore vibs from the crappy Toyota needle bearing. Also it feels weird driving in 6th gear on the freeway because before the gears I used to drive in fourth gear most of the time on the freeway. These gears are perfect for a daily driver with a mix of city and freeway driving.

I have a few questions for those of you with 4.88 gears:

I'm running 285/70/17 tires and I'm barely tacking ~2100rpm at 70mph in 6th. Is that normal? I would have thought 4.88 gears should have been more aggressive but I guess with our double overdrive maybe not.

How far off is everyones speedo? Mine is only 4mph off at 70mph. Seems low. I used Gaia gps because I use the app for trail maps.

Also, did it take the truck a few miles to learn/adjust to the new gears? My truck is once again racing to the highest gear. It might be because I don't have to "mash" on the throttle to get my pig moving, but I find the truck getting in a high gear then having to down shift to get back into a more suitable gear.

Anyways this is one of the best mods I have done for drivability. Once I break-in the gears, push the truck a little more and do some off-roading with the locker I'm sure I'll be super stoked.

 

Glad to hear another great experience!

I just got my truck back from regearing as well so I can’t answer all of the questions..

Are your gears REM finished? I might have missed it but I see later in your post you still mention “break in” so I’m gonna assume not (I hate assuming so I gotta ask)
If not, the break in procedure that I’ve read prohibits going over 60 mph (I don’t know why that’s just what it said), so I’m unsure on what the rpm’s would be at 70.

Second part, yes I felt like my truck had to relearn for a bit. After I left the shop I started counting, it was in 4th at 30mph hahaha. But after a few trips, varying speeds and elevation changes (don’t forget heat cyclying) it started to learn. I’m only 30 miles into my break in but I can feel the shift points changing

 

No my gears are not REM finished, but I didn't know I couldn't go over 60mph. Thanks for that. I just drove to work and back.

 

Im not 100% sure on the speed part. But I did a tonnnnnn of reading on breaking in gears just because it’s so crucial to do it properly. I don’t wanna do any damage so I’m just gonna play it safe, I’m sure you feel the same way.

If you have access to one, use a thermo laser gun to get temp readings off your diff from each drive. It’ll help with having a peace of mind doing heat cycles and knowing if your approaching oil breakdown

 

Thanks for the tips

 

Bump!

 

Does anyone have a 4th gear cruise at 75 MPH RPM number??

 

No clue! I have an A/T and never know what gear I’m in half the time, but it drives like butta with the 4.88’s. I honestly can’t tell much difference between the before and after. I’m currently running 295/70/17’s, but swapping to 285/75/17’s tomorrow for what that’s worth.

With the exception that MPG’s suck, but haven’t gotten a full tank drained. She’s guzzling at a phenomenal rate.

 

Pair your new setup with the tune and . Im having a blast driving it now

 

Yup. 4.88’s + OV 91 tune = happiness

 

Make no mistake the 4.88’s are sweet. Just haven’t felt the need to do the tune.

 

Does ov tune offer a file that speedo corrects?