back to my question, how are they on snow/ice? I really don't ever drive 80 or 75 for that matter- 70 is about my cruising speed. hate to spend all that money for 4.56 and realize I want 4.88

 

What do you mean? They are not going to change anything in the snow and ice. You will have more wheel torque but your driving style is what will determine how they handle on snow and ice.

 

Its called crawling.

Hell i'd run 5.29's with 33's right now. I have friends with 33's 3.4 4.88's and a 5speed and it does great.

A few little rpms isn't really going to hurt an engine when its not working as hard to get you moving.

 

so as long as I keep my foot out of it, and allow stopping distance. accelerate slow, i should be cool.? its just the roads here get Jacked up with wind, and 1 in. of snow that turns to ice and they close our roads. just didn't want my back end side ways every time I touch the gas, with kids in the car etc.

 

RPMS kill a motor--

He can do whatever but highway speeds are going to stink

Here is the math for Crawl Ratio:

4:10=40.2
4:56=44.7
4:88=47.84
5:29=51.86

Peronally, i dont think you are crawling until you atleast break a 100:1.

Alright, well which ever way you go good luck.

 

It comes down to, do you want to run higher rpms but get a more sporty torque drive and more power? Or run lower rpms and have the wind push you around or higher altitudes affect you more.

You got more to worry about if you wheel your rig then engine rpm cruising the road.

Exactly

 

Hi, I have a '99 4Runner 4WD 5-speed. I previously ran 285/75-16's with my stock 4.10 gears and my rig felt very underpowered. I switched to 4.88's and problem was solved. I have since switched tires to a 255/85-16 size (same height as the 285 but narrower) and everything is just right. I strongly recommend you take a look at this tire size - in my experience they perform better than the 285's in every area.

My rig is my daily driver and I have a 25 mile commute each way. I usually set my cruise control to 69, which makes my RPM's run at a hair under 3000, and gets me where I need to be just fine. Those numbers are from my Scanguage II, not my speedometer, so they are accurate. I have a fairly heavy 4Runner, with Shrockworks bumper, M8000 winch, BudBuilt skidplates, receiver hitch, and more tools & crap than I need.

Clark

 

awesome info that is pretty much the setup i want and it sounds like it is a good setup. i am fine with the higher stress of rpms and stuff, so ive decided im gonna go with the 4.88 and see how things go. i guess i can change it back if it is horrible.

does it crawl much better cglickman? or noticeably different when in 4 lo?

 

I regeared about 2 years ago to the 4.88 and I'm running 285/75/16 bfg at. I daily drive mine and it does fine. If I had to do it again I would do 4.56. With the tire size and the regear my speedo is off by about 5 mph at 75-80 mph according to my Nav. When you first drive it you will notice the engine revs higher on the freeway but after awhile you will get use to it.

 

Bump ; how much "slower" does your rigs with 4.88's crawl. is it worth it for the 4wheeling gains?

 

Definitely! Night and day difference off-road. It crawls a little slower than it did with the stock tires & gears, which is just right for my purposes. I am very satisfied with the results, and I would do it again.

Clark

 

I was told by 4 wheel parts that 4.56's would be fine in a dd with 33's

 

I agree with that statement. I don't think you can go wrong either way. I imagine the 4.56 gears feel like the 4.10's did with the SR5 OEM tires. I carry a lot of gear and have a heavy duty winch bumper and winch, and the factory ratio wasn't quite up to the task of pulling that much weight around in my opinion. As far as my needs are concerned, 4.88 is the sweet spot.

I also encourage you to at least look into running 255/85-16 tires. I much prefer them over the 285/75-16 size.

 

I've run 4.88 in 3 different 1st gen's with the first 2 having 33's and this last one on 32's (not enough lift yet for 33's). Toyotas love to rev. Its also nice to be able to climb mild freeway grades in 5th gear. RPM's ane not even an issue. An automatic locker would be an issue in the ice and snow but I like your E-locker idea.

 

why do you like the 255's beter?

 

I daily mine with 5.29s and 315s. No problems. Even drove it from TX to Colorado this past holiday...does fine. Downshifts a bit on the hills, but no more than my wife's stock 4Runner.

 

nice, the tires i want are the super swamper ssr's and the 285 75 16 is a 34 inch tire so i think i will be ok with 4.88's

 

narrower, so less drag. More efficient off the line, easier to steer. Also more pressure on the tread in slippery conditions, with the narrower contact area. And less rubbing. That's the tire I'm getting as soon as I get my lift on (next week!) and am leaning towards the Super Swamper TrxUs's, had those on my 80 in a 33x12.50 and they wheeled awesome, but didn't balance so well, hoping the smaller tire will be a little easier to balance.

I am going to wait and see on gears though, will run stock for at least a year... kinda spending all my $$ on a lift & tires.

 

How would 255s outperfom 285s in deep snow or anywhere you need extra flotation???? I'll certainly disagree with you that 255s are better in every aspect.

 

I have 4.88s and 305s (same as 285s but 1" wider). I noticed that most of the people that posted on this thread who are opposed to going to 4.88s have not regeared themselves. On the other hand, most of the people who are in support of regearing to 4.88s are actually running them. That should tell you something.
"Son, why do you hate pickles? - "Because I've never tried them."

My gears made a world of difference (going from 4.10s to 4.88s). Also, lower gears don't necessarily mean higher RPMS all the time. Especially peak RPMs. For example:

I have to drive a 20 mile, 5000ft. incline 4 days a week. Before I regeared, my truck would go around a corner in 3rd and then in order to accelerate out of the corner and keep up with normal traffic, I would have to hit the gas, shift into 2nd and rev the engine well into the 4000s, around every corner for miles and miles. Anyone who drives mountain passes knows how annoying this is bouncing between gears. - After regearing, my 3rd gear now has enough power to go all the way up without ever having to shift into 2nd. My RPMs stay at 2500-3500 the whole way up. Now, what's harder on an engine, going back and forth from 2000 - 4500 RPMs 2 or 3 dozen times in 20 minutes, or staying at a consistent 3000 the whole time. Whats easier on the tranny, shifting a bunch of times or not having to shift at all?

Everyone has a different use for their vehicle and this is just my experience. If you drive more than 70% freeway, you will probably not be thrilled with 4.88s. Since I drive about 40% freeway, they are perfect for my purposes.

My truck will do 80 on the freeway in O/D @ about 2900 RPM, 70 @ 2500, 60 @ 2100 or so. This should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Another thing to consider, I have a 2 buddies that chose 4.56s w/ 33s instead of 4.88s and they both told me they wish they would have gone w/ 4.88s after riding in my rig. It's a lot of $$ to spend and 4.56s will only be a marginal difference.