5.29 but maybe I should just do 4.88

I went with the Nitro 5.29's. They help when it comes to pulling an over 5,000lb travel trailer.
the gas mileage took a very minor hit, but sure drives nicer empty through the mountains. Hold's higher gears longer and a lot less hunting for gears. The acceleration sure is nice.

 

Ive always used the rule of thumb. One gear size for every tire size you go. IE go +3 on tires go up 3 gear sizes, then plus one the gear if you want some extra pull. Although I know with that super tall 6th gear on those 3rd gens I could see the want for the extra gear size.

 

I have 33s with 5.29
Made driving great again

 

I was going to go 4.88 and 285/75/17 (~34”s) because at the time most were saying 4.88 under 35” and 5.29 for 35” and over. A friend then commented on remembering to factor in the total weight of the truck and with bumpers, skids, sliders, winch, fridge, topper, etc, etc, etc.... I’m heavy! I then went with 5.29 & the 285/75/17’s and so glad I did because it drives great!! Like what others have said, I have yet to hear someone say they wish they had gone 4.88 instead of 5.29

 

33’s and 5.29’s I’m sitting at around 2100-2200rpm or so at 70mph. If I stay at or around 65mph I can get 18-19mpg. 70mph+ it will drop to 14-16mpg.

I enjoy driving my truck after installing the 5.29’s. Waiting on 5.29 specific tune from OV.

 

I've got 4.88 with 265/70/17. When driving at altitude the truck sits really nicely at 65 mpg. It'll hold 70 easily, but those RPMs start to tick up quickly.

I think @STPJ07 is right on with the 65mph = 18/19 and 70mph+ = 14-16mpg. My tire/gear combo is a little smaller, but I'm seeing the same results.

I don't plan on changing tires size and higher highway speeds are important to me. 5.29s would have been too much. Those extra few hundred rpm definitely tank the gas mileage over time.

 

They really don’t though. I ran 5.29s on stock tires for months to include several road trips of 1200+ miles and frequent mountain driving in Colorado and averaged 18.8mpgs to include speeds up to 70mph.

Your biggest mpg loss comes from speed and tire size, gears help bring it back. If youre cruising in 5th the whole time because you can’t hold 6th then your mpgs tank. Biggest reason for not holding 6th is tire size.

With a 285 tire I average 17.2.

 

Fair enough. Had I gone with 285s I would be on the 5.29 train. When I'm driving on the steeper inclines and I have to drop to 3rd to get some acceleration my rpms jump to something like 5200, then quickly punch back to 4th. I suppose with 5.29s there may be enough torque to not have to drop to 3rd, but I certainly don't want to regularly be turning 5500+ rpms.

I remember on one of the other threads you were discussing the details on some of your road trips across CO and UT. You said a good deal of that was cruising around 55 mph and that you were a pretty conservative driver. I took your comments, as well as all the other opinions on the 4.88/5.29 threads, and came to the conclusion that after factoring in wheels and weight, driving habits were likely the biggest differentiators in this debate. I have no doubt 5.29s are a great option for our trucks, too.

 

When I drove to Utah I was on a stock tire but that was one trip out of the several thousand miles I had before switching tires.

When I drove to Montana, and went through Wyoming and through Yellowstone I was on a 33. Driving up to Montana is exceptionally hilly and the truck was in 5th a lot but while I was in 5th my friends were in 4th. That trip came to about 17mpgs on a 33, had I been on a smaller tire there is no doubt that I would have gotten 18+

That said my truck has never seen the 5000rpm band outside testing and under normal driving conditions rarely sees 4000

 

I'm on 32s and trying to decide on the ratio, can you give some details about your tacos weight for comparison? I'm 5k with just my RTT, a passenger and full of gas. My camping weight is somewhere around 5500. I just have a hidden winch and some sound deadener; no extra armor.

I have to spend a lot of time on interstates to get where I want to go, so cruising efficiency is important to me, too. We are also talking about switching the RTT out for a trailer, no more than 1200lbs.

 

I've got an ARE CX topper and RCI sliders--those are about 300#s together. With an extra passenger and camping gear I'm probably around 5500, too. I've talked to a couple of guys here in Colorado that said 4.88s + OVT will move three people and all their gear up a mountain, no problem.

That said, a lot of the folks that are on the fence between 4.88/5.29 and are going to be towing a trailer ultimately go for 5.29.

 

If your going up bigger in tire size and more weight go 5.29. 33+ plus tons of armor 5.29 is more common. But 4.88 will also be solid. Try to think of what you are going to do. I did 4.56 on my 2nd gen but wish I did 4.88 due to tons of weight and went up on bigger tires

 

I'm planning on keeping it pretty mild. Will eventually redo the suspension for no more than 1" of lift in the front. Tires will stay as 32s and I have no intention of armoring up.

 

Well I just did 2100miles from YYC to ANC and was constantly hearing gear shifting. It was so frustrating. This was at all elevations.

https://goo.gl/maps/xJmJPVf4ujidRYuy9

 

Gears help with this, but they don't solve the problem completely. When my truck was stock I was gearing hunting between 3rd/4th and sometimes 4th/5th anytime I wasn't on flatland. With 4.88s it's for the most part solved, but I can still bounce between 5th/6th a good deal on steep grades when I'm trying to hold speed.

Remember, it's still the same computer programming. OVTune is supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle. This will correct your shift points.

 

Agreed. It will probably be installed as well. This is all a shame that we even need to descuss this on vehicles that are generally pretty well built.

Need better engineers to pull their head out of their @$$es

 

I just got back from Dawson Creek BC. I also have the 5.29's with 33's. Not much gear hunting at all.

Too bad that they are geared the way that they are to do their best on the EPA testing cycles.

 

Thanks for this info eh. This might be make decision easier. This helps as I know the area well. This gives me a bit more info.

I am assuming you got your gear done in 604.

 

Correct, the work was done by NSOR in Surrey/Langley.

 

I will probably get mine down in Alaska. Don’t want to do that long drive done again with stock.