So I have an 01 Sport that I have gotten fixed up with a RC lift, 32x11.50's, bumpers, winch, ect. It's a really nice ride and I use it as my dd and to ride around at the deer lease. It still has the stock 3.55's with LP 30 up front and the 35 in the rear.

Obviously there is a noticeable difference in torque to the ground since I didn't re-gear. My deer lease is about 300miles from the house and I drive this jeep on the interstate to get there. I don't off road it hard but it does get slick up there after a rain.

I noticed this last trip with 4 men in it and a 65qt Yeti on the roof that she really didn't like running over 60 mph. Didn't want to stay in 4th gear due to the load and the drag on the roof.

The question I have is what would be the easiest/cheapest way to get a little taller gears under this thing? Should I search the wrecking yards for some 3.73's? Again, I don't crawl with thing or use it like some of you hard core guys do. It's still too nice for that. I will be putting a lunchbox in the rear when I re-gear just due to sand and slimy mud we have.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that 4 cylinder xj's and some towing package xj's came with 4.10's. That's not a huge jump but it would make a difference.
I think that 4.56's would put you back at about stock final gearing ratio with 32's.

XJ's all have a Dana 30 axle in the front.

In the rear, the following are options:

Dana 35C without C-clips (1984-1989/1990)
Dana 35C with C-clips (1990/1991-2001)
Chrysler 8.25 (27 spline - 1991-1996, or 29 spline - 1997-2001)
Dana 44 (most common on '87s, also found in some '88's and '89's)

3.07 - used with 4.0L engine / manual transmission
3.31 - only available on older (pre87?) 2 door XJs with "Fuel Economy" package
3.55 - used with 4.0L engine / automatic transmission
3.73 - found in some older XJs with the towing package
4.10 - used with 2.5L engine usually, and older XJs with the "Off-Highway Vehicle" package. (normally found in 4 banger manuals.)
4.56 - rare but can be found on some older (~ 89 ~) models with 2.5L engine and auto transmission (normally found in 4banger autos.)

I have a 2000 XJ with 33's and I run the 4:10 gears. I've found it's giving me that gas mileage I want and need (Gas is $5.50 a gallon up here so no Prius cracks Mkay?). I got lucky and found a 8.25 4:10 Eaton Detroit LSD for cheap, so I jumped on it. I also found a HP D30 4:10 front axle for $100. So I have maybe $500 in axles and gears. To regear to 4:56 to attain this magic "Stock" gearing I'm looking at around $12-1500 after labour. Got a shop near here who would install for about $300 an axle (He used to do my dragster) then tack on the $800+ for gears carriers and bearings I can buy a lot of gas for that.
In a perfect world where we are all Rockefellers' like some of the guys on ALL the forums I read I'd have no problem laying down the coin.
But I'm not and I don't so I'll just keep wheeling the 4:10s. I can get into overdrive on the highway and get about 20 miles to the gallon. RPM is about 2100 which the charts say I should be at, at 65-70 miles an hour

TO the OP I'd just find some 4:10 axles. I've found them in your wrecking yards from $200 to $500 ea. Try this site. http://car-part.com/index.htm

My math works out to a 4.10-4.11 to get me back to stock. I've never done the JY thing so should I just call around and ask for 4.10 gears for a LP Dana 30 and a D35?

You want neither of those axles. You're going through all this work to get deeper gears, when it's simpler and cheaper to replace the axles entirely. Save yourself some frustration, and find a HP d30, and a Chrysler 8.25 (or a D44 if you're lucky) with 4:10's and call it a day.

I don't think he's as hard core as some of the guys here. For what he's doing the D30/D35 combo will serve him. Plus he doesn't have to futz with his ABS. They produced an awful lot of ZJ and TJ Wranglers with those axles and for what 90% of them are used for they still do the job without bankrupting the owners.

Yeah, I just want to get back to factory ratio to the ground. No hard core wheeling, just nasty deer lease roads and 75 mph interstate getting there. I don't even like getting scratches on her.

You'd be better off finding 4.10's in a JY Jeep.


You won't notice a difference from 3.55 to 3.73's.

If you don't wheel it hard like you say, your 35 will be fine.