Gearing vs Tire Size vs Power
Ahh, gears! Many books could be written on this subject. The most often asked question is: ·Which gears are best for my rig?· And the answer is always the same: it depends.
The ·it depends· part
The deeper the gears, the more power and control you have off-road · but you trade off wheel speed. Variables include tire size, transmission and transfer case ratios, available horsepower, driving style, and whether the rig is off-road only or also highway driven.
- Tire size: bigger tires usually need deeper gears to feel ·normal· again
- Power: low-power rigs rely on gearing to make wheel torque
- Transmission / t-case: crawl ratio depends on the whole drivetrain, not just axle gears
- Use case: rock/snow crawling vs. higher-speed trails vs. mixed street use
My setup
My 22RE is no powerhouse, so I rely on gearing to generate power at the wheel. I currently run a stock G54 transmission and a doubler transfer case with 4.7 gears in one section. At the moment I run 5.29 axle gears, which is plenty low.
I can run in 2WD, but it·s pretty weak power wise. Drop it into 4 low/low and it·ll climb a tree, literally. I·ve got a maximum gear ratio of 273.6:1 in 4 low/low in first gear.
Setting up gears in the 3rd member
Setting up gears in the 3rd member is an art in itself and certainly takes a little practice. But with some patience and common sense, it can be done yourself.
- Avoid cheap gears. Cheap Chinese gears WILL break.
- Take your time. Pattern and backlash checks matter.
- Use good references. There are some great tutorials out there.
I recommend the tutorial from East Coast Gear Supply: East Coast Gear Supply · Toyota gear setup tutorial
Off-road only tip
If you are off-road only, I recommend setting the gears a little on the deep side since they will deflect under load. I learned this the hard way a few times.
Keep a spare 3rd member ready
I also recommend keeping an extra 3rd member on the shelf, ready to go. That way when you grenade a set of gears you can simply swap out the 3rd members and keep downtime to a minimum. One of the big benefits of Toyota axles is the removable 3rd member.
Photos
