2.7 which gears should I get?

I have a 96 base Reg cab, 2.7 5 speed. 265/75/16 Goodyear Duratracs with stock 3.56 gears. It's fine around town, but on the highway is bad. I won't even take it on the interstate. I have a company vehicle so I don't drive it much. I do this time of year due to hunting season. So I'm the spring I've decided to put new gears in. I will not go any larger tires than I have now. Don't tow anything with it. Question is 4.56 or 4.88?

 

I have 33's and 4.56 and it's about perfect for me. Have to drop it in 4th up big hills but will climb at 70 mph. It runs smoothest at 75-80 mph and not even break 3k rpms. I'm not sure how 4.88 would do but I imagine the rpms would jump up a bit more.

 

Use the gear calculator on Grimmjeeper.
http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html
It's very helpful.

In your case I'd go 4.56. You'd be 6-7% over geared to help make up for the lack of power the 2.7 has. I have 4.88 w/ 33s and like the combo. If had gone w 32s I would have went with 4.56 for sure. I think 4.88 will be too much for 32s

 

Thanks guys. What brand gears did you get?

 

Nitro from ECGS

 

Does anyone have experience running 31s with the 2.7 and standard gearing? Not sure what to do when I buy new tires in the spring.

 

I ran 31x10.5 with 3.91 gears. It was ok around town and decent on the HWY and lost some speed on up hill grades. I definitely wasn't trying to pass people on the HWY but it wasn't ridiculously slow either. It felt about same as a 3.4L with 33's on 4.10's if you've ever driven a set up like that before.

 

If you're just going to 31's i wouldn't mess with the gearing. I realize some trucks came pretty high geared off the lot but even at that a 31 isn't a huge tire, heck even 31's were used on plenty of stock tacomas.

What size you running now? They must be fairly close to a 31 id guess??