changing gears?

[spincast375]

right now i have dana 44f and corp12r both running 3.73's on 35' tires. What would i gain by moving up in gears. Whats the biggest i can move up and what else would changing gears entail (if anything)?

Also how hard is it?
my front driveshaft/diff. seal leaks, badly... would probably be a two birds with one stone type of thing.

im a real newb so any help is much appreciated

tks
jake

 

[shane74]

On your current carrier, you are at the lowest gear possible. The carrier break is right at 3.73. If you plan on sticking with 35" or taller tires, I'd go 4.56 gears at minimum. Maybe even 4.88's if you never plan on running anything smaller than a 35" tire. You'll need new carriers and install kits if you really want to do it right.

However, if you ever plan on upgrading your axles, then now is the time to do it. I wouldn't put any money into a 12B unless you are certain that you will always run 1/2 ton gear, or never bigger than a 36" tire. If you will, you should consider stepping up to a 14BFF. You can pick them up for $100 and regearing them is cheaper since you can buy "thick" gears for them.

The D44 is another matter entirely. I have run 38's for years and not broken anything, but I know some have broken them frequently w/ 35's. Usually, it's only when they have a locker or front spool, but still, it can happen.

Decide what you want to use the truck for and build it accordingly.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I have been running a D44/12B combo for years and have been through this exact same dilema.

 

[Grieby54]

Depends... on how much wheeling you do. I'm running 35's right now on 4.10's because I don't plan on doing wheeling but maybe once every other month (due to the money invested in my project and that it's 95% DD and 5% offroad vehicle (though it's well suited to be 50 50)). Anyways... if you're looking at more DD than 60%... I'd stick to 4.10's... if less... then def 4.56 or so. But like I said... all depends on what you want.