Cargun

I'm regearing my 85 Runner 22RE 5-speed with 31's and haven't decided on the ratio yet. It'll be a lunchbox locker in the front, and a true-trac out back. With my current parts situation, going with 4.88 will require me to buy one set of gears (so ~$200). Well worth it if that's what I want though.

Vehicle is mainly a bad weather DD, hunting vehicle, and gives me something to go wheeling in when my wheeling truck is broke down. My main reason for regearing is on-road manners. 31's and 4.10's don't work, especially at elevation. But an added benefit is the crawl ratio off road, which is making me lean towards 4.88's.

4.56 and 31's are like factory 4.10 with the stylish 225/75/15's. 4.88 would be lower than factory, approximately like 4.37 or 4.30 gears with factory 28's. I'd like to hear comments from people that are geared like that and what they think. Thanks.

amgraham

I run 4.56s with 31s (found a deal on a wrecked truck that I could snatch both diffs out of). If you run highway speeds for any amount of time (70 ish) go with the 4.56s. If you rarely go that fast go with the 4.88s and then you have the option to go to 33s if you want. I will be going to 4.88s when I get 33s.

Stomis

I run 33's with 4.56's. Personally I thought that 4.56's and 31's were too low for a daily driver even if it is the "proper" ratio. I see stuff around about 4.88's for 33's but personally I think thats over geared. Hell I knew a friend with 4.10's and 37's but to each his own. If you ever plan on going up a tire size go to 4.88's though.

tc

2nd gen 4Runners that came with 31's from the factory had 4.56 for manual and 4.88 for automatic. The manuals are a bit overgeared in my opinion (first is about worthless - by the time you get moving, you're tached out), and the 4.88's are WAY undergeared (won't hold the overdrive up anything).

I have run 31/4.56, 33/4.56, and 33/4.88 and the last is my favorite by far. First gear has some "legs", and it will still pull 5th well.

Sooooo to (finally) answer your question (with another question), it depends on if you think you'll go to 33's or not (33x10.50 will fit with no lift).
31's are it - go 4.56
33's are in my future - go 4.88

Cargun

I doubt 33x10.5 will fit w/o a lift.... I rub with 31x10.5 now. I don't plan on going any larger than 31 either, I save that for the dedicated wheeling vehicles.

tc, your Runner has the V6 engine, right? V6's are a lot torquier than the 22RE's down low. And 31/4.56 should be the same gearing as 33/4.88, but if you went from worn 31's to new 33's then that'd make a difference, especially on deep knobbies.

I can't envision a road trip longer than ~3 hours with this vehicle. If I'm headed out west for wheeling I'm loading up on the Cummins. I can pull my 4Runner faster than it can drive itself.

The big question is.... how well do 4.88's and 31's pull from idle in 2nd gear? I need to look up the difference in 2nd gear rations between W56's and G52's, but I love the way 28" tires, 4.10 gears, and a G52 tranny drives in the city, I only use 1st if I have to stop at a stop light or creep in traffic. As long as I keep 0.5mph ground speed, it pulls 2nd awesome.

nmtoy

Sounds like you would like the 4.88's with the 31"s. I have 4.88's with 32's on my 4runner and it is nice to drive in town.

My truck has a 3.0, 31's and 4.56's and is way faster than the runner off the line. The 4runner will still cruise at 80-85 on the freeway but it doesn't like it very well.

Robb

UKMyers

Just don't do what I did and go with 4.88's because "I'll never go bigger than 33's" I paid $1000 for my gears installed. This week I am paying another huge pile of money for 5.29's because I'm going to 37's!! Coulda saved myself some time and money by going to 5.29's the first time around.

tc

Yes, I have the V6. 31's with 4.56 I could start from a dead stop pretty much no problem on level ground.

customcruiser

i have a new set in box of 4.88 gears from 4wheelparts for a 4cyl rear 3rd.
$100 plus shipping and your half way there.
Matt
704-807-7267

Cargun

Keep the comments coming.

Anyone have offroad experience with stock 2.28:1 t-case gears? Is there a huge difference between 4.56 and 4.88's in low? (the numbers say yes, 9% improvement, but I'm looking for some seat of the pants feedback). My wheeling truck has 4.7 t-case, 4.10 diffs, and 36" tires. I love being able to crawl, keeps damage to a minimum, very important on a vehicle I street drive as well.

I have no plans for larger tires or regearing/adding t-cases to this truck. It is one of 4 Yota's I have... the others are for playing.

G52 2nd gear is 10% lower than the W56, so 4.88 and 31's still won't be as low in 2nd as the G52 with 28's and 4.10's. But pretty close, so it's all good.

mastacox

I realize there has been a lot of controversy about what kind of lockers to get in your front/rear lately, but based on the description of what your truck will be used for, I REALLY think you've chosen the opposite of what you should do. IMO you should probably get a lunchbox in back, and a Truetrac up front (or maybe don't even bother with the Truetrac).

My .02

Cargun

Don't worry... my choice of lockers is very well thought out and based on lots of experience. I will not run a lunchbox in the back of this truck, been there, done that. Lunchboxes are great in some apps, not in this one. I want something in the back, cause open just sucks. I don't want to lock the hubs just to hop across the stream at my place to go shooting. And with good traction out back, I won't have a need for 4wd on the street, so having the locker up there is a non-issue.

I'm hoping the rear truetrac will make the truck easier to turn on the trail. If not I can just switch to 2hi between obstacles (another reason I'm leaning towards 4.88's). If that becomes a pain, I can twinstick it, but I doubt I'll have an issue there. I twinsticked my off road truck because of the amount of time it spends offroad and with 4.10 gears and 36" tires high range isn't useful for maneuvering off pavement.

tc

I would agree for the described use, the Trutrac rear is a better solution, but it pales in comparison to the performance of ARB's off road (and on road in a lot of situations too). Every locker setup has its compromise. With selectables, the compromise is not in either on-road or off-road performance, it's in cost, and the high price is soon forgotten, where the pleasure of use is experienced constantly.

My tcase is a 2.56 chain drive, so I can't relate crawling speed for ya.

Cargun

I actually prefer a limited slip to an ARB for street use. It's kind of like AWD versus 4wd for street use. The limited slip is always there, never have to worry about throwing the switch, never have to think "Should I leave it locked or can I unlock it now?". And when locked it's like a spool, so slightly worse than an auto locker, so I would tend not to "lock it and leave it". The four main vehicles I've put street miles on are a full size Chevy with Detroit EZ, this 4Runner with a rear EZ, Impala SS with rear clutch type limited slip, and my Dodge Cummins with a gear type limited slip. The Chevy was open when my dad first got it, and my 4Runner is open now (swapped the locked 3rd into my offroad truck to save money a year ago), and my 3 other 4runners were/are all open rear. So I got a good feel for what I like on the street and in crappy conditions.

Off road, I'd want an ARB, no question. I'm waiting for someone to introduce a limited slip/locker for the Toyota diffs, like Dodge does in the rear of the Power Wagon. Limited slip when open, press the button to lock it up. As soon as one of those are available I'll swap the TrueTrac for it.

Adawg_08

I've got 4.10 22re 31's and 4wd high is useless in the forest. To much slipping. When you get going in the open in 4wd high its alright, but I think with 4.88 high will be nice. First will be low enough to somewhat crawl.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

31's with 4.56 and 33's with 4.88 have a speed difference of 0.5%. They are effectively the same vehicle speed per driveshaft rotation.

Cargun

I've decided on 4.88 gears for my 31's. Now all that's left is to sell some junk to raise the cash.

As a side note, my long term plan for my wheeling truck will be to get 4.88's in it so allow emergency swapping of 3rds between vehicles.

jmcbmx

I got a 93 with 31's and 4.10's and that dude has plenty of $h!t, and it runs 95 mph on the highway if i open it up!! not that i would drive Wrecklessly or anything.

91TPU

i have a 91 with 31's and 4.10, and it boggs like a champ going up big hills on the highway...ill go from doing 80 to 60 going up the hill...its horrible...so your motor must be on crack...or something

20005spd

4:10 with 31" tires are fine, its a stock setup. its what my 4runner came with and now i have 32" and its still fine imo. thing crawls like a bastard with no gas applied. only way i would recommend going to lower gears with 31" is if you tow that rig to the trails and never drive it on the street, and need it to crawl very very slowly.