33's 4.88 or 5.29
 

OK so Im about to lift my 88 22RE 5 speed 4Runner 2-3" and step up to some 33's. Ive looked at gears and 4.88's will put me right about at stock. Tho with the added weight, rolling resistance, and added height should I look into 5.29's? This will add a bit of revs, will it be too much? This is my DD, trail, camping, 2+ people mover. Now my commute to work only involves about 8 miles of cruising at about 60 MPH. But if I want to make a trip can I cruise at 65 MPH for extended periods of time? Anyone here have that combo? :think:

I think you will be happy with 4.88's over 5.29's if all you plan on running is 33's.
I had 5.29's in my 82 and I could top out at 80 mph with 35's but it was pretty out of steam beyond that.

4.88s would probably be just right

i have 4.56s in my 4runner (22RE/5spd) with 32s now, perfect for me right now and i DD it, had 34" Nittos on with 4.56s and it was decent...4.88s would have made it just right

5.29s might be to low for a DD on 33s (tho i have no experience with 5.29s), cruising at 65mph for an extended period of time...diffs would be screaming

488s seem to work the best with 33s

go with 4.88s with 33s if your planning a bigger set up a little later then go with 5.29s you say your only 8 miles from work anyways. aww screw it 5.72s roast all 4 on concrete then top out at 30mph!! good luck!

4:88's will put you back to almost exactly stock with 33's and they will still allow you to pull 35's in the future.

While indeed 4.88's are stock, I would consider 5.29's. It will "only" add about 200 RPM at highway speed - it's not like you're gonna be tached out at 55!

What that 200 RPM will do, however, is keep you in the powerband so you're not downshifting on every little roll.

I have had 31/4.56, 33/4.56, and 33/4.88. The 33" with 4.88 is the best ratio by far, but up here at altitude and with my heavy (>5000 lb) second gen, I wish I had lower. YMMV with a lighter rig.

I have 33's with 5.29's. I didn't choose the setup; I bought it this way. I only have to downshift to 4th on the largest of hills. Otherwise I don't even think about it. At 65mph I'm running 3k+ rpms.

Rob

you'll be fine with 4.88s for 33s or 35s.

I've run both gears with 33s. I found I did get better MPG w/ 5.29s. However, your speedometer and odometer will be off, I had mine corrected with a calibration gear box at a cost of about $100. With 4.88s, I find the truck is much more comfortable to drive long distances, especially at speeds of 70 and above. I found with 5.29s and driving 70+ for long stretches, it was tiring with the engine wound out to 3300-3500 RPM and the added noise and vibration. With 4.88s I do down shift a little more but it is much quieter and smoother running.

Well according to Northwest Off-Road It says "The engine was designed to cruise efficiently at 2900-3100 RPM for extended periods..." According to gear/tire calculator a 33" tire with 5.29 gears at 65 MPH is turning 2975 RPM. And I'm good to go if I go 35's!! :bigok:

I agree with trailblazer81 and 4crawler. A little higher rpm will not hurt you at all. If anything, you might get better mileage at higher rpm. Fuel economy is the biggest expense of owning a rig. I went from 4.10 to 4.88 gears in an '82, with 33's, and went from 17 to 24 mpg, now reving 3200rpm at 65mph(got a 4spd). Wish I had a 5spd, then I would have gone with 5.71's. At 65 mph, same rpm(3200) with 33's, but lots of low end plus geared enough to go to 35 or even 37 in the future (run as a 4pd trans). If you want to go faster, lower gearing (4.88) will go faster with lower rpms, but rpm doesn't determine fuel economy. Throttle position does. You will likely need less throttle at the higher rpm with the 5.29's than the 4.88's at lower rpms. My experience anyway. I try for max economy whenever I can. Gas is expensive.

I didn't see the question asked... Do you plan on going to 35's ever? If so, gear once with the 5.29.

I think you will be ok with 4.88, but you might find yourself wanting more.

I've been contemplating the same thing and I will be going with 5.29's. You will have the squirrels where you need them on the hills and you can crawl a little bit better with the 33's. If you ever decide that you need to go with 35's you are already geared for them.

Are you putting in a locker while you are at it? If you have the dough you might as well (it'll save you some in the long run).