butcher_shawn

i have a 96 jeep cherokee and my rear axel gears are going. i narrowed the axel down to a chrystler 8 1/4. but i cant find out the gear ratio to get a whole new assembly. the keep is stock straight 6 automatic with a tow package and is also my daily driver. someone told me it might be a 3.73 but i am notsure. any help would be nice thanks.

Brad M.

Most likely 3:73 with the tow package, but could also be 3:55. Get the rear tires off the ground with a jack. Spin one of your rear tires a full rotation while you watch and count how many rotations the rear driveline makes. If the rear driveline rotates 3 1/2 times to one full rotation of the tire, you have 3:55's. If it rotates 3 3/4 times, 3:73's. Easiest way to tell without opening the diff and counting teeth.

ITSAJEEPXJTHING

Check the front and rear axles for an ID tag bolted to the diff covers. They should have a gear ratio or tooth count. Or you can pull off a diff cover and count the teeth of the pinion and ring gears to find out your ratio.

Are you shure its your diff whining and not a wheel bearing? if when you turn left and right it gets better and worse with different dirrections its probably a axle/wheel bearing.

Donnie_K

some of them had a tag on the diff cover that said what ratio was in them as well.

BuckB91XJ

Block your front wheels. Jack your rear wheels off the ground. Put your tranny in nuetral. You'll need a piece of chalk or similar marking device. Make a chalk mark on one of the 4 needle bearing caps on your rear driveshaft, rear U-joint. Then, mark a chalk line from the rim outward somewhere on the inside of one of your rear tires. Start turning that tire and watch the DS too. Count how many turns of the tire it takes to make one full turn of the rear DS. 3 and 1/2 turns equals 3.55:1 gears, 3 and 3/4 turns equals 3.73:1 gears, 4 turns equals 4.10:1 gears, etc.

butcher_shawn

thats where my driveshaft connects to my axel right. anyone with a picture would help sorry

butcher_shawn

haha never mind didnt see the last post

BuckB91XJ

I just realized I told you to do that A$$ backwards. Spin the DS by hand and see how many turns of the DS it takes to turn the tire a full rotation. Turn ratios still mean the same.

butcher_shawn

mine doesnt have it on there anymore

Brad M.

Ha, you beat me to it. I just read what you wrote and was thinking .