Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

I drove a 4cyl YJ on 33's with 4.10 gearing (stock 4cyl gearing) and it was
fine. Hills were a bit of a problem, and forget about 5th gear but overall,
it was fine.

Carl


<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170345538.916990.59530@m58g2000cwm.googlegro ups.com...
> Currently my rig (if I can call it a rig) is a 97 TJ 4cyl. It is
> pretty much stock... no aftermarket gears, diff, axles, or anything.
> I have just recently put a 4" superlift suspension lift on it. I
> currently have BFG 31"x10.5s on it (they have been on there since i
> got it).
>
> I would like to put BFG 33"x10.5s on it. Now I don't do any serious
> offroading or mudding or rock climbing--at the most maybe a simple/
> easy trail ride 2-3 times a year. This is pretty much a daily
> driver. I would mainly be putting the tires on for looks, with ground
> clearance as a second reason.
>
> Anyone have any experience with a similar setup? I am curious as to
> how much this different tire size will affect my speed/power... I am
> willing to sacrifice a little for the looks, but being only a 4cyl, I
> would like some input before I go out and buy the tires.
>
> Thanks
>
> Jimmy
>

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

Matt, read the OP's opener.... he already has the 4" superlift. He has
already gone down the road, partially. And $300 per axle would be an
exceptional deal unless you're talking about installing them yourself.

My estimate each axle:
gears $150
install kit $60
labor $200-$250

Jim

"Matt Macchiarolo" wrote in message...
> Keep in mind in addition to the gear change, you will also need to lift it
> a bit to clear the 33's, and you only gain 1" of clearance under the axles
> with the 33's vs. the 31's.
>
> So figure $300+ per axle for the gear change, 500+ for a minimum 3 inch
> suspention lift (3 inch body lifts are way more trouble than they are
> worth, and look stupid to boot), plus the new wheels and tires (new wheels
> because 12.5" wide tires on the stock wheels will contact the upper spring
> perches).
>
> Or slap a set of 31's on and be done with it, use the money you saved from
> not lifting to get a winch, so when you do get stuck you can still get
> out.
>
> Which should you do? Hey man, it's your money! :-)
>
>
>

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

Matt, read the OP's opener.... he already has the 4" superlift. He has
already gone down the road, partially. And $300 per axle would be an
exceptional deal unless you're talking about installing them yourself.

My estimate each axle:
gears $150
install kit $60
labor $200-$250

Jim

"Matt Macchiarolo" wrote in message...
> Keep in mind in addition to the gear change, you will also need to lift it
> a bit to clear the 33's, and you only gain 1" of clearance under the axles
> with the 33's vs. the 31's.
>
> So figure $300+ per axle for the gear change, 500+ for a minimum 3 inch
> suspention lift (3 inch body lifts are way more trouble than they are
> worth, and look stupid to boot), plus the new wheels and tires (new wheels
> because 12.5" wide tires on the stock wheels will contact the upper spring
> perches).
>
> Or slap a set of 31's on and be done with it, use the money you saved from
> not lifting to get a winch, so when you do get stuck you can still get
> out.
>
> Which should you do? Hey man, it's your money! :-)
>
>
>

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

Matt, read the OP's opener.... he already has the 4" superlift. He has
already gone down the road, partially. And $300 per axle would be an
exceptional deal unless you're talking about installing them yourself.

My estimate each axle:
gears $150
install kit $60
labor $200-$250

Jim

"Matt Macchiarolo" wrote in message...
> Keep in mind in addition to the gear change, you will also need to lift it
> a bit to clear the 33's, and you only gain 1" of clearance under the axles
> with the 33's vs. the 31's.
>
> So figure $300+ per axle for the gear change, 500+ for a minimum 3 inch
> suspention lift (3 inch body lifts are way more trouble than they are
> worth, and look stupid to boot), plus the new wheels and tires (new wheels
> because 12.5" wide tires on the stock wheels will contact the upper spring
> perches).
>
> Or slap a set of 31's on and be done with it, use the money you saved from
> not lifting to get a winch, so when you do get stuck you can still get
> out.
>
> Which should you do? Hey man, it's your money! :-)
>
>
>

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

Matt, read the OP's opener.... he already has the 4" superlift. He has
already gone down the road, partially. And $300 per axle would be an
exceptional deal unless you're talking about installing them yourself.

My estimate each axle:
gears $150
install kit $60
labor $200-$250

Jim

"Matt Macchiarolo" wrote in message...
> Keep in mind in addition to the gear change, you will also need to lift it
> a bit to clear the 33's, and you only gain 1" of clearance under the axles
> with the 33's vs. the 31's.
>
> So figure $300+ per axle for the gear change, 500+ for a minimum 3 inch
> suspention lift (3 inch body lifts are way more trouble than they are
> worth, and look stupid to boot), plus the new wheels and tires (new wheels
> because 12.5" wide tires on the stock wheels will contact the upper spring
> perches).
>
> Or slap a set of 31's on and be done with it, use the money you saved from
> not lifting to get a winch, so when you do get stuck you can still get
> out.
>
> Which should you do? Hey man, it's your money! :-)
>
>
>

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170367446.267877.64460@k78g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> On Feb 1, 4:47 pm, "JimG" <J...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> I can speak from experience on your setup, but it depends on your stock
>> gearing. When I got my TJ (4.0L 5-speed) it had the 33's and the
>> original
>> gearing of 3.73. 5th gear was pretty much worthless for any incline.
>> Spent
>> allot of time in 4th gear on the highways. It wasn't long till I changed
>> to
>> the 4.56 gears and got the proper speedo gear. A few months ago my son
>> bought a YJ (4.0L 5-speed) with 33's and stock gears of 3.07. Not only
>> was
>> his 5th gear useless but his 4th was sorry also. On any incline he has
>> to
>> go all the way to 3rd to maintain speed. We are in the process of
>> switching
>> out his axles from a donor 4 cylinder YJ (4.11 gears).
>>
>> --
>> JimG
>> 80' CJ-7 258 CID, HEI
>> 4.56 Gears, Lock-Right F&R
>> 35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines
>> D44 Rear, D30 Front. SOA
>> Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
>> Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries
>>
>> 00' TJ Sport 4.0L, 5sp
>> 4.56 Gears, TrueTrac rear
>> 33" BFG AT on 15x8 Eagle Alloys
>> D35 Rear, D30 Front. 3" Suspension Lift
>> Warn X8000i
>>
>> <Thoth> wrote in message...
>> > Terrible.
>> > Not to take away from this thread, but I'm curious - I have a 4.0 6cyl
>> > and I'm running stock 30" and no lift. In all honesty how bad will it
>> > be when I lift 3.5 " and slap 33's on there?
>
> Ok... well... if I am hearing everyone correctly... 33"s with my setup
> would be bad, unless I get new gears? How much can I expect to pay to
> upgrade my jeep to new gears. Should I even go this route or just wait
> until I have a 4.0L jeep later on in life.
>

Well, since you have already invested in the lift... get the 33's and see
how it does. Stick with 10.50's for a bit less weight. Drive it as long as
you can stand it, then do the gears. I estimate $900 to have the gears
done. Add another $400 or so for a limited slip in the rear while your at
it.

Jim

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170367446.267877.64460@k78g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> On Feb 1, 4:47 pm, "JimG" <J...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> I can speak from experience on your setup, but it depends on your stock
>> gearing. When I got my TJ (4.0L 5-speed) it had the 33's and the
>> original
>> gearing of 3.73. 5th gear was pretty much worthless for any incline.
>> Spent
>> allot of time in 4th gear on the highways. It wasn't long till I changed
>> to
>> the 4.56 gears and got the proper speedo gear. A few months ago my son
>> bought a YJ (4.0L 5-speed) with 33's and stock gears of 3.07. Not only
>> was
>> his 5th gear useless but his 4th was sorry also. On any incline he has
>> to
>> go all the way to 3rd to maintain speed. We are in the process of
>> switching
>> out his axles from a donor 4 cylinder YJ (4.11 gears).
>>
>> --
>> JimG
>> 80' CJ-7 258 CID, HEI
>> 4.56 Gears, Lock-Right F&R
>> 35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines
>> D44 Rear, D30 Front. SOA
>> Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
>> Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries
>>
>> 00' TJ Sport 4.0L, 5sp
>> 4.56 Gears, TrueTrac rear
>> 33" BFG AT on 15x8 Eagle Alloys
>> D35 Rear, D30 Front. 3" Suspension Lift
>> Warn X8000i
>>
>> <Thoth> wrote in message...
>> > Terrible.
>> > Not to take away from this thread, but I'm curious - I have a 4.0 6cyl
>> > and I'm running stock 30" and no lift. In all honesty how bad will it
>> > be when I lift 3.5 " and slap 33's on there?
>
> Ok... well... if I am hearing everyone correctly... 33"s with my setup
> would be bad, unless I get new gears? How much can I expect to pay to
> upgrade my jeep to new gears. Should I even go this route or just wait
> until I have a 4.0L jeep later on in life.
>

Well, since you have already invested in the lift... get the 33's and see
how it does. Stick with 10.50's for a bit less weight. Drive it as long as
you can stand it, then do the gears. I estimate $900 to have the gears
done. Add another $400 or so for a limited slip in the rear while your at
it.

Jim

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170367446.267877.64460@k78g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> On Feb 1, 4:47 pm, "JimG" <J...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> I can speak from experience on your setup, but it depends on your stock
>> gearing. When I got my TJ (4.0L 5-speed) it had the 33's and the
>> original
>> gearing of 3.73. 5th gear was pretty much worthless for any incline.
>> Spent
>> allot of time in 4th gear on the highways. It wasn't long till I changed
>> to
>> the 4.56 gears and got the proper speedo gear. A few months ago my son
>> bought a YJ (4.0L 5-speed) with 33's and stock gears of 3.07. Not only
>> was
>> his 5th gear useless but his 4th was sorry also. On any incline he has
>> to
>> go all the way to 3rd to maintain speed. We are in the process of
>> switching
>> out his axles from a donor 4 cylinder YJ (4.11 gears).
>>
>> --
>> JimG
>> 80' CJ-7 258 CID, HEI
>> 4.56 Gears, Lock-Right F&R
>> 35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines
>> D44 Rear, D30 Front. SOA
>> Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
>> Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries
>>
>> 00' TJ Sport 4.0L, 5sp
>> 4.56 Gears, TrueTrac rear
>> 33" BFG AT on 15x8 Eagle Alloys
>> D35 Rear, D30 Front. 3" Suspension Lift
>> Warn X8000i
>>
>> <Thoth> wrote in message...
>> > Terrible.
>> > Not to take away from this thread, but I'm curious - I have a 4.0 6cyl
>> > and I'm running stock 30" and no lift. In all honesty how bad will it
>> > be when I lift 3.5 " and slap 33's on there?
>
> Ok... well... if I am hearing everyone correctly... 33"s with my setup
> would be bad, unless I get new gears? How much can I expect to pay to
> upgrade my jeep to new gears. Should I even go this route or just wait
> until I have a 4.0L jeep later on in life.
>

Well, since you have already invested in the lift... get the 33's and see
how it does. Stick with 10.50's for a bit less weight. Drive it as long as
you can stand it, then do the gears. I estimate $900 to have the gears
done. Add another $400 or so for a limited slip in the rear while your at
it.

Jim

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170367446.267877.64460@k78g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> On Feb 1, 4:47 pm, "JimG" <J...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> I can speak from experience on your setup, but it depends on your stock
>> gearing. When I got my TJ (4.0L 5-speed) it had the 33's and the
>> original
>> gearing of 3.73. 5th gear was pretty much worthless for any incline.
>> Spent
>> allot of time in 4th gear on the highways. It wasn't long till I changed
>> to
>> the 4.56 gears and got the proper speedo gear. A few months ago my son
>> bought a YJ (4.0L 5-speed) with 33's and stock gears of 3.07. Not only
>> was
>> his 5th gear useless but his 4th was sorry also. On any incline he has
>> to
>> go all the way to 3rd to maintain speed. We are in the process of
>> switching
>> out his axles from a donor 4 cylinder YJ (4.11 gears).
>>
>> --
>> JimG
>> 80' CJ-7 258 CID, HEI
>> 4.56 Gears, Lock-Right F&R
>> 35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines
>> D44 Rear, D30 Front. SOA
>> Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
>> Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries
>>
>> 00' TJ Sport 4.0L, 5sp
>> 4.56 Gears, TrueTrac rear
>> 33" BFG AT on 15x8 Eagle Alloys
>> D35 Rear, D30 Front. 3" Suspension Lift
>> Warn X8000i
>>
>> <Thoth> wrote in message...
>> > Terrible.
>> > Not to take away from this thread, but I'm curious - I have a 4.0 6cyl
>> > and I'm running stock 30" and no lift. In all honesty how bad will it
>> > be when I lift 3.5 " and slap 33's on there?
>
> Ok... well... if I am hearing everyone correctly... 33"s with my setup
> would be bad, unless I get new gears? How much can I expect to pay to
> upgrade my jeep to new gears. Should I even go this route or just wait
> until I have a 4.0L jeep later on in life.
>

Well, since you have already invested in the lift... get the 33's and see
how it does. Stick with 10.50's for a bit less weight. Drive it as long as
you can stand it, then do the gears. I estimate $900 to have the gears
done. Add another $400 or so for a limited slip in the rear while your at
it.

Jim

Re: Need help! 4cyl 97 TJ.... Tire Choice 31" or 33"
 

<jmastrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1170367446.267877.64460@k78g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
....
> Ok... well... if I am hearing everyone correctly... 33"s with my
> setup would be bad, unless I get new gears? How much can I
> expect to pay to upgrade my jeep to new gears. Should I even
> go this route or just wait until I have a 4.0L jeep later on in life.
>

You already have the "good" stock gear ratio (4.11/4.10) with that four
cylinder, so 33s won't be that bad, except for losing fifth gear. If you
really want the look from the 33s, then go for it.

Earle