CK5
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4 most popular get ratios in Offroad???
- Thread starter nedceifus
- Start date
5:13
Completely depends on your setup......engine, transmission and transfer case ratios, tire size, etc... To be honest I would place the axle gear ratio fairly low on the list when it comes to what can be done to improve off-road performance. I've ran 4.10s in my K5 on 40" tires for years and while I would like to have 5.13's I really don't think it would become any more capable off-road.
454Sub
5/8 ton status
I thought that too until I went to 5.13s.
It was at that point I realized I was 125% wrong.
It was at that point I realized I was 125% wrong.
No doubt 5.13s would definitely improve the capability of your transmission to live a longer and more trouble-free life and your ability to get out of tight spots. It depends on the off-roading you do, but there's a reason why multi-speed transfer cases and numerically higher gears are a thing. I'd personally place a well-matched tire/gear combination quite high on the priority list of improving off-road performance. If it stays on the pavement, being under-geared is less of an issue. Now if you have a really stout engine/transmission combo, I guess gearing becomes a lot less important. To each their own.
I sell 4.56 4.88 and 5.13 the most. Then 3.73 repair ratio.
Gearing is not necessarily about making a vehicle more capable, many times it's a needed compensation for added workload (ie; larger tires). Same reason you typically would not use a 6" long 3/8" drive ratchet to tighten u-bolts, it may be capable of doing it but you're going to have to work a lot harder to get the job done and possibly break stuff along the way when a long 1/2" pull handle does a better job.
As for popular ratios, I'll choose these...
4.10 (popular because it comes in so many stock applications so it must be good, right?)
4.56 (mindset of "deep" gears without getting crazy)
4.88 (sort of an odd ratio, aftermarket sales pitch)
5.13 (imo, great ratio for anything with 36"-40", just adequate for 41"+)
That said, I think most 5.13 people would be better off with 5.38's or bigger if possible.
As for popular ratios, I'll choose these...
4.10 (popular because it comes in so many stock applications so it must be good, right?)
4.56 (mindset of "deep" gears without getting crazy)
4.88 (sort of an odd ratio, aftermarket sales pitch)
5.13 (imo, great ratio for anything with 36"-40", just adequate for 41"+)
That said, I think most 5.13 people would be better off with 5.38's or bigger if possible.
That is why I said it depends on the trans and transfer case gearing, along with the engine and how you drive. With 4.10 axle gears my low range crawl ratio is 34:1 with the automatic trans and NP241 (all stock stuff) which is fairly decent (in the real world, not the internet world........). In comparison a buddy with a C6 (basically same as a TH400) and NP205 with the same 4.10 axle gears only has a crawl ratio of 19:1. Even if you put 5.13 axle gears in a TH400/C6 and NP205 equipped truck you only get a 25:1 crawl ratio. Point being is that my rig would still have a lot lower crawl ratio with 4.10 gears as compared to some other drivetrain setups even if they had 5.13 or 5.38.
With that said pavement performance and daily driving is a different animal since you don't have the luxury to use low range in the transfer case, and honestly I think axle gears are more important for road driving then off-road because of this.
5.86 For the win! 
Been running them for 15 years, with a doubler and 44" boggers, on the rocks....Always hear they're to weak... I've had two failures, both on the front....Once when a shaft broke and the second when I didn't replace a worn out carrier bearing.
After saying that....I just jinxed myself for this weekend.
I always ran a 4.88 with 38" tires when I was running a mud/street.
Been running them for 15 years, with a doubler and 44" boggers, on the rocks....Always hear they're to weak... I've had two failures, both on the front....Once when a shaft broke and the second when I didn't replace a worn out carrier bearing.
After saying that....I just jinxed myself for this weekend.
I always ran a 4.88 with 38" tires when I was running a mud/street.
I ran 3.73s with 40s running a 205. IMO depends what wheeling ur doing. Anymore I gear for on road use more than off-road. I just don't go off-road much anymore. If your playing on the rocks then the deepest you can go, mud tho need wheel speed to clean tires out. See how it works but gonna run 4.56s in my hoe with 35/36s, if not enough I'll jump to 4.88s. But if/when I ever swap the 454 5-speed, the 4.56s will work good.
I chose to stick with the 4.56's in my wrecker axles for two reasons....doubler and 454. I run 39.5's.
The 454 will pull up to 75+mph with plenty left in the rpm range, and the 4:1 low still works great offroad crawling, and the 2:1 is great for sand and easier off roading where speed is used more.
That said it depends a lot on application, engine output, and other drivetrain gearing to get in the range of axle gearing that works best
The 454 will pull up to 75+mph with plenty left in the rpm range, and the 4:1 low still works great offroad crawling, and the 2:1 is great for sand and easier off roading where speed is used more.
That said it depends a lot on application, engine output, and other drivetrain gearing to get in the range of axle gearing that works best
greatwhitez71
1/2 ton status
I'll take the 4.56 one 
I'd have to say
4.10 (factory "deep")
4.56 (real world "deep")
5.13 (standard in Offroad community deep)
It's a toss up after that for me
I'd have to say
4.10 (factory "deep")
4.56 (real world "deep")
5.13 (standard in Offroad community deep)
It's a toss up after that for me
