NJ-xj

so i just bought a c 8.25 for $50 ans its has the 3.07's from a manual cherokee. those are no good so i am re-gearing. i wanted to do 33's or 35's with a locker. what gearing should i do. i dont do much hevy wheeling. a little more water holes and not too thick mud and a ittle hill climb. any ideas or opinions?

xjoffroad

first what year is the 8.25 out of? some come with 27spline and some 29spline. make sure you have the 29spline before you regear. no point of regearing a crappy rear axle like the d35

NJ-xj

yea forgot to tell ya it was the 29 spline. its out of a 2000 just like mine.

xjoffroad

good to hear! if you are running 33 or 35's I would run 4.88's. if you regeared to 4.56 you will want a deeper gear eventually. I always hear, "i wish i went with a deeper gear". I never hear, " man i need to step down to a different gear". do it right the first time!

NJ-xj

now am i going to be able to do highway speeds with these gears? it not exactly a dd but i do drive it to the places i wheel.

xjoffroad

yep. there are many in my club that run 33's with 4.88 and drive hours to the trail on the highway and freeway

NJ-xj

alright im gonna look up to see it i can get my arb locker with that combo.

rockhound23

I have a 99 with same setup you want (an 8.25 running 4.56's with an ARB locker and 33's) Use this chart to help you with your decision. I think I'm setup "perfect" for my driving style...true determinant of what you need to gear down to IMO. Not a real noticable RPM @ 65mph difference as you'll see...but the tranny will shift alot quicker and less harsh.
http://4lo.com/calc/geartable.htm

some things to remember about the re-gear...they need about a 500 mile break in period. Drive for about 45min -1 hr and stop for 10-15 min allowing them to cool. Allow them to expand and contract and set in. Resist the temptation to thrash them as soon as you get them until you've broken them in...or break you new $$$$$$$$ purchase.


don't forget to do the same ratio to the front axle( I'm just overstating the obvious...I know)

You'll need to also get a new speedo gear to put in the transfer case for speedo to be accurate...if that really bothers you

Hope this helps