Regear 2nd gen - 4.88 vs 5.29 gears

It might help us help you if you share how you intend to use truck and what are your priorities. In high gear at about 70mph you will find about 200rpm difference from 4:56-4:88-5:29 if that helps.

 

coming from a 2nd gen so maybe fact check ... but I think 3rd gen has that 7 speed AUTO and the 5.29 works b/c the 2nd overdrive gear works well with it. The 2nd gen auto doesn't have that additional gear.

You have the manual with 6 gears so you'd probably want to use the gear site to check your RPMs at various speeds. I am not sure if you'd end up the same as the auto 2nd gens or not but I'm sure someone knows.

 

well it’s not a tube frame chassis on 40’s getting trailered to king of hammers

I think 2nd gen 5AT 5th drops RPM low so people regear more
Even more so for 3rd gen 6AT where 6th is an extreme overdrive, that coupled with a crappy TCM

honestly in my opinion (may be wrong) I think most shops are using the shittiest calculator to make recommendations and quoting whatever their experience is on an auto 3rd gen which is apples to oranges because they are different trucks in terms of motor, gears/speeds, and ratios

I used the Grimmspeed calculator to see how 4.88 looks better than 4.56
And no store has told me about using grimmspeed which lists the exact RPMs, speeds, and specific trans
I feel like their calculators are a Leapfrog from Toys R Us
Have even seen such a low quality calculator on one of their websites. That had no differentiation on the specifics of the vehicle.
And when I ask them about RA60F (the manual trans) they act confused like they don’t know what that means.

Grimmspeed is probably the best calculator
And it takes time to use
Vs calling a shop they say “hold on” Toss the Magic 8 ball (or not at all) then say 5.29

again I could be wrong maybe 5.29 is magical but simply having at least one drawback in that you can’t swap in a stronger axle if you need to later that matches ratio
Because while other bigger axles do come available in 4.88, they do not in 5.29.
I think it will be hard to complain about 4.88 if coming from 3.73.

 

I’ve had 4.88’s and 35’s with a RA60F. I broke 3 of the ECGS elocker set ups. That being said I swapped back in my sport rear axle with 3.73’s. Next time I regear I’m doing 4.56’s. It screamed at 3k @ 70 and would be around 5k around 80 in 6th down the freeway. On the highway, back roads and going over MT passes it was a freaking monster and could haul ass. If you ever plan on driving on the freeway do 4.56. It sucked going on road trips on the interstate doing 60 because at 3k it got 11.5 mpgs.

 

You must be doing some hard wheeling..

 

Two let loose on the Freeway and one doing about 15 mph in the snow. I do things with my truck, but wouldn’t consider it hard wheeling by any means. I’m the type of person that will drop into 4low and engage the locker to make something easy so I don’t break shit because I still have to drive it to work on Monday.

 

I was also 4.88 for AT and 4.56 for MT if you're going 35's. I have been running 4.56 on 315's and the S/C and its been a nice setup. 4.56 with 285's i thought was perfect. a tad higher RPM but it drove nice. Def took a hit with the tires before the S/C.

That being said I went through 3 diffs or I am on my 4th one after regear and 2 ECGS swaps in 3-4 years.

That being said I would def not do 5.29. I have buddies running 37's an they still run 4.56 or 4.88. I am swapping to a Fab'd Tundra rear in a couple of months ( You can get this in 5.29 if you really wanted to ) but they do not have it in 4.56 so will be going 4.88 and re-gearing the front again in 4.88.

Deep down I want to go with 37's at some point so this adds to that option.

 

Gotcha.. over looked you were a MT.. I’m the same way.. trucks gotta get me home and to work on Monday.

 

4.30 gears on 35x10.5 with the 6 speed manual here, full armor, canopy, and a RTT. 4.30's have been great on the skinny 35's and you can get a rear diff from a 3rd gen 4runner and save a bunch of money.

 

I just got the 4.88 haven’t installed them. Got the front locker. Don’t think I’ll need it, but got it.

I do a mix of both highway and city.

don’t wanna have to replace a diff just for city driving and some occasional wheeling.

 

well there you have it. Looks like there is no right answer.
Gonna go 4.88 and see what happens. I trust ECGS and KFlos recommendations given he’s engineered and probably researched the fuck out of it.

the fact that Grimmspeed caulculator shows RA60F made to 4.30 or 4.56 behaving close to stock (crap) means it should bump up to 4.88 for weight.

I’m curious to how a 4runner diff is cheaper than a spare third for $50-150.
It may save $250-$500+ on master install kit and gears

but I’m guessing they’re 8” elocker only and not the stronger 8.4”

this does make me wonder about swapping in a different third or whole axle.
You can find used 3rd gen axles which are bigger.
I don’t know if any factory thirds in 8.4” have better gears. Sequoia tundra T100 all likely crappy gears from factory.

FJ is 4.30 rear but might only come in 8” elocker.

I heard some 3rd gens have around 4.30 rear but such part used will likely be overpriced and impossible to find.

so far have not found anywhere to confirm stock availability on a front torsen

 

Always had a soft spot for 4.10's

 

I got a set if you need it

 

Enjoy my 4.10 with 255/80/17s

 

I have a v6 4.0 auto trans currently on 265's but going to 315 e rated 17's soon

I have steel rear bumper, 4x innovations swing out steel hybrid front, aluminum full skids, tonneau, steel bed rack, standard rooftop tent prinsu roof rack, 6ft awning synthetic winch, rango shackles and hangers, road shower, 4 gallon gas and water, high lift and lots of other weight like compressor gussets and so on 3" lift with 1" body lift.

I do a fair bit of highway driving to get to offroad and camp spots I load up with lots of camp gear 2 x 12 foot kayaks but other than adventures I don't drive that much since I work from home.

Leaning towards 4.88 am I on track?

 

I did the same switch. Just drove 1k miles from TX to CO for the winter and the 488s are good on the hwy and great off road. I don’t have all that weight but if I did I’d still go with this setup unless I was right next to the dirt with little to no hwy driving.

 

If you’re actually going to daily drive or highway drive, 488 is the way to go. If it’s not your daily and maybe short highway to your camp/off-road, I’d say fugit and do 5.29 gears. Only thing with 529 is that you’ll need to swap the front carrier assembly to a thin ring gear/390 and up gear carrier. Not a problem if you put in a locker, because you’re already replacing the carrier.

 

My 2013 4x4 came with 4.10’s stock

 

cool

 

No, it didn’t unless it is a 4banger then yes