Help with 4.30 Gears from ECGS

I have a 2005 tacoma 4x4 with 6 speed manual, and stayed with the stock gearing on 33's for a long time and wheeled pretty well with them. lockers are more valuable than 4.10 on 33. Just my opinion.
I went to 37's and 5.29 because i too wanted more torque, which i got, but my top speed is limited. 2500 rpm put me around 66 mph cruising and close to 2900 at 70. I dont mind it as its fast enough to stay out of the way of everyone, but i knew this going in with 5.29. 38's are next tire size for the next set. I also had to install a speedohealer to correct the speedometer. It was way off. Over 14.7% inaccurate.

I would stay with the 3.73 and get a front locker if you already have the factory rear locker. Save that money for if you plan on bigger tires where gearing will definately be worth the cost to install.

For the price of both front and rear regear parts and labor will be over 2500 minimum depending on shop. Northwest fab crawlbox doubling the 2.57 t case will drop your low low range to 6.6 to 1 ratio which is plenty for 33's and the 3.73 gears. Crawlbox is 1400, plus sourcing another tcase as a donor is roughly 300 to 500. You get dual cases and ability to go double low for same price as a regear to 4.10.

Just an opinion.

 

I re-geared last year to 4.56 with Harrop e-lockers. I'm a 6-speed on 255/85R16's with a heavy and not aerodynamic truck. I'm glad I went with the ratio I did as the truck is MUCH more drivable and it works great off-road. I am slightly over geared but I take my time on the highway and stick to about 70mph. If I was not as heavy, I'd have likely went the same because the difference between 4.30 and 4.56 is only ~300rpm at highway speed but the truck is so much nicer to drive. If I was in an auto with the same specs, I'd have went with 4.88s. If you're not heavy then it may be better to just stick with the stock 3.73 since the change to 4.10 or 4.30 would not make a huge difference. Of course this depends on what your truck is used for, how you drive it, etc, etc. YMMV.

The chunky girl...

 

I was curious what OP did but since y’all seem knowledgeable let me give you some more info. I have been running 33’s/255/80R17s for several years now and the 3.73s are fine. BUT I do have some added weight, aluminum bumper and full skids, winch, sliders. I do not wheel hard at all, truck is built to access the spots that I camp, hunt, and fish. I also use the truck like a truck, it’s not uncommon to have a 2000# pallet in the bed or be pulling 3000# trailer. And I will (hopefully) soon be towing a 3500# fishing boat. The math is what has lead me to these two gear choices so I certainly understand that 4.10s are not a huge change from 3.73, would actually put me right back at stock. The reasons I may consider 4.30 are listed above. I do have the 2LO mod so that’s a huge help with trailers at low speed. I also should add that I have no interest in a front locker, I don’t think our CVs are really designed to hold up to that and ATRAC has always worked just fine for me.

 

In your case i get why you would go with 4.30 for the lower rpm at highway speeds. As stated , 300 rpm difference with the 4.56. I personnaly would go with 4.56, as the loads and towing would be the factor to consider. Although, I could live with an increase in 300 rpm at freeway speeds.

Your personal use would determine the gear you choose.

My truck geared at 5.29 with 37's i rarely downshift for anything while cruising in 6th gear. But, i dont mind it.

It will come down to what you want and need.

 

What kind of mileage are you seeing with 37s/5.29?

 

Guestimate around 14 to best days of 17 mpg ( average 16)
I do commute daily 70 miles best i got was 340 miles for a tank. Cruising at 65 mostly.

 

Just wondering if you can answer this with regards to a 33” passenger tire 50 lbs roughly on a 3rd gen TRD sport double cab long bed. 2.5 lift -12 offset 17x8.5. I do a lot of highway Driving not much off-road. Do I keep stock gears or not and how do I go about purchasing the right gears and from where. ?

 

Anyone have suggestions on where I can get gear changing done to my Tacoma in Toronto Ontario Canada area ?

 

I have a truck equipped for trail use, running 255/85-16s. 6psd MT. I also live in the West where mountain grades are the norm. I've been running 4:56 gears going on 10 years now, and no way I would go to 4:30. Here is why:

I hear people talk all the time about "returning the truck to stock gearing" after adding larger tires. It doesn't work that way! This is not just a numerical gearing problem, and that is why there is so much misinformation and confusion around choosing gears. Stock gearing puts you very low on the torque curve by keeping your RPMs low. This is fine for a 4,400lb stock truck with stock tires/wheels. Once you start adding weight, and ESPECIALLY tire/wheel weight, You must have more torque to maintain the same performance. That means you must turn at a higher RPM! There is no free lunch, as I see post after post imply. This is why things like truck weight and tire weight matter. When you start adding all this stuff, your engine HAS TO MAKE MORE POWER to move it around. That is just a fact of physics. The conversation should revolve around "returning my truck to stock performance" There are also limits to what can be done with this truck. It is not a bottomless pit of power that can simply be accessed by gearing. If you want a decked out trail rig with huge tires and still cruise at 85 without revving your engine, then you should seriously consider another truck. That's my opinion. Choosing gears requires a consideration of many factors:

1. how tall are your tires?
2. how heavy are your tires/wheels?
3. how heavy is your truck?
4. are you a flat lander, or do you live in mountainous areas?
5. Is all your driving at sea level, or do you live at elevation?
6. do you mind downshifting on every slight grade?
7. does performance matter to you?
8. is your truck a MT or AT?
9. are your priorities around highway performance or trail performance,....or just looks?
10. How have your mods effected the aerodynamics of your truck?

These are all legit questions to ask. Honestly answering these questions for your truck and needs could put you anywhere from stock gearing to 5:29, and it is why you see recommendations run all over the map. The two tools that you need to make an informed decision for yourself are a gearing calculator, and a copy of the HP/torque curve for your engine. Once you determine the increases in loads, you can determine the power needed to move those loads. Look at the HP/torque curve and determine what RPM achieves that, and then select your gears. People want simple answers, I get that. I do too, but this is a case where none exist if making an informed choice is your goal.

One last comment I will make is that people worry about revving their engine higher with lower gearing, but actually, forcing an engine to run too low (lugging) is far more damaging.

 

Im not sure what the stock gearing is on the 3rd gens (i know it varies depending on trim and mt or at), and i know with the double overdrive others have opted to go a little past what is normal to spin the engine faster.

 

6 speed manual, 35x10.5 tires, and lots of added weight and I am very happy with 4.30's. I live in western washington so i frequently drive from sea level to 6000' and for me the gearing works great. There have been a couple times now i was in colorado or utah pulling passes loaded with camping gear where i second guessed myself not going with 4.56, but for every other instance i encounter my truck works great. One of the biggest benefits of going with 4.30 is that 3rd gen 4runners offered that ratio stock, my rear 3rd is from a 98 4runner and its a direct swap for our trucks, you can source one used and save a ton of money, in my case i saved enough by not "regearing" the rear end that it covered to cost of my Elocker in the front when i had the front diff regeared.

 

You are making me think 4.30s would be too low for me, 33s and some added weight but not "lots"...

 

I think you'd be happy, personally i wouldn't spend the money to go from 3.73 to 4.10, it isn't big enough of a reduction.

 

Yeah I’ve come to the same conclusion. 4.30 is a big enough difference to make it worth it. But not 4.10

 

@Bannerman , where did you end up? I am in the exact same situation as you. 255/85r17 and at altitude I a in overdrive a lot to keep up. Did you do 4.30?

 

No. Selling the truck when my 2022 F-150 Tremor get delivered

 

Would you be able to clear up some confusion, my VIN shows 4.30s from the factory on my 22 TRD w/6speed manual. Your saying you had to change to get 4.30s on a manual transmission? Thx

 

This is the 2nd gen forum.

 

Ack! Ty…