ericfx1984

AW4 - anyone run it in 3 instead of D with big tires and stock gears?
I have seen a few mentions of it... but would the torque converter still lockup?

I would imagine that it would help mileage on the highway as it would increase the RPMs a bit...

1st - 2.804
2nd - 1.531
3rd - 1.00
4th - .753

VTJeep

by gearing down out of OD you will keep the rpm's in a more functional range. the aw4 has a 3.55 vs. the ax15's 3.07 so there is the good news. but i think that your final drive ratio is still the same. some 4.10's would suffice for 33's but id probably want a 4.55ish for anything bigger. please correct me if im wrong about the final drive ratio thing...

Cherockee

I drove in 3rd for years and it was alway better power and mpg than if I drove in OD. I highly recommend it for tire sizes of 31" to 33", above that you really should be regearing.

BTW, I never had any trouble with the tranny and it's still being use that way today, with over 210K miles on it.

Bimmer_2002

That's something I didn't know...Stupid question, but how fast can you go in 3rd?? Not like I drive over 75-80 MPH anyways, but just wondering.

pickles

I always drive in 3 unless im going over 70mph

ericfx1984

well it works pretty nice... happy with the results so far... highway speeds are putting me right back in the target RPM (around 24-2800)

ct67_72

I dive in third on the highway only. It goes in lockup and has decent rpm.
I do not around town though, it forces it into lock up too early and will not come out under downshift only to second gear, in od you can force a third gear downshift without lockup and get higher rpm in third. Works much better, especially up hills

84zmyfavorite

And driving in 3rd will actually be easier on the torque converter. The converter wont be straining as much in 3rd because of the mechanical advantage of higher RPMs.

flyingstick

I drove in 3rd all the time before I regeared. It on't hurt a thing.

caged

i never use drive. just 3rd. that's with 36's.
i have used drive on the freeway, but am constantly going back into 3.