TheDirtman

If you have 3.21 gears you are going to need a new carrier or locker, sounds like you have the funds and I would recommend adding lockers as this will give you a huge performance gain if you can find somewhere to wheel in Wisconsin. I prefer a selectable locker like the ARB or Eaton.

You will have 3.21 or 3.73 in your axles. With a 4 door sahara I would think you have 3.73 but you can have the dealer do a vin check or if you have the original window sticker it should be listed there. There are also vin websites that can give you the info but I don't know what they are.

You have a dana 30 front and a dana 44 rear. I don't generally recommend spending money on a dana 30 but the upgrade choices out there are limited. There is just no demand for a dana 30 and wheeling with 35's locked may be an issue as the dana 30 was not designed for that large of a tire. Fusion 4x4 out of Michigan has the best bang for the buck as far as from 44 upgrade.

Trail Jeeps

If you have 3.21 gears (rarely Saharas do come with 3.73s, you can check by running your VIN number), I would say absolutely do gears, especially with the 6 speed, otherwise you've sort of killed your Jeeps mojo. The difference between will be night and day. Since you have a 3.6, you can get away with a 4.56 if you do a lot of freeway, but I would do a 4.88 or even a 5.13, although with 5.13s and the 6 speed, you'll be wound up on the freeway. If you're planning on doing any major off-road, stick with a 4.88 with the Dana 30 front, it's stronger and more reliable.

JeepRyan

Thanks!
It already has the lift/larger tires etc. with no issues.

I meant is there any further modifications needed to either axle/housing or if it's as simple as putting in new gears.

Dynatrac

nd that with the larger wheels and tires, what is in the box as a 4.56 ring and pinion set will not be that ratio at the wheels because of the increased diameter of the whole assembly. There are final ratio calculators available ont he internet you can use to figure out the final ratio when tire/wheel size is considered.

Re-gearing your rear Dana 44 and beefing it up isn't hard, and we have a kit to upgrade everything inside your stock housing: https://www.dynatrac.com/axleshaft-k...ndle-kits.html

For the front diff, especially if you're thinking 37s are in the near future, trying to "beef up" your Dana 30 will be a futile effort. Yes, some experienced wheelers can throw the parts book at one and drive them just right so they live off-road with 35s or 37s, but the margin for error is slim, and if it breaks, all the money you spent on parts is flushed down the toilet. Adding to that, when you go to a lower gear in a Dana 30, the already small pinion gear gets even smaller, reducing the amount of surface area the pinion teeth have to engage the ring gear, and accentuating an already weak spot in the D30 design. You should definitely look at getting a D44 based front axle of some sort that will give you a lot more strength, like our ProRock 44 unit https://www.dynatrac.com/axle-assemb...rorock-44.html

Something else you should look at with your bigger tires and other mods is a brake upgrade, which will improve drivability on both the street and trail https://www.dynatrac.com/axle-assemb...rorock-44.html

JeepRyan

I don't have the original window sticker, I know this Jeep was imported from Canada. I can send it to my dealer, unless you have a website in mind where I can check my VIN. I don't see myself doing anything serious enough here in WI where the potential for breaking would occur, run the Jeep in 2WD(rear) most of the time anyways(highway).

Thanks for the input. As stated above, it's in 2WD most of the time and don't think I'll find any off-roading serious enough to do any real damage. You say the dana 30 fton is stronger and more reliable? I'd be leaning towards keeping the current 30/44 and just upgrading the gears,

Thank you for the links, if I decide to go that route I will keep this in mind. I was wondering the same thing, with the larger wheel(20") effectively the gears will be less at the wheels, ex. 4.88 would be closer to a 4.56?

Dynatrac

Something like that, you can use one of the calculators to find the exact final ratio once all your tire/wheel data is inputted along with the actual gear ratio.

Trail Jeeps

The Dana 44 front is the stronger axle, but the Dana 30 is a fine axle for what it is. If I were you I would just throw some 4.88s in there and be done with it. It's the best compromise between performance and street that'll still move the Jeep around. Grab a tuner while you're at it to fix your speedo, you can also buy one that'll give you a little 15 hp bump, which does help a wee bit with the seat of the pants feel. Install your gears and enjoy, stop worry about it. It'll be a huge improvement.

TheDirtman

I think 4.88 would be a bit too much for a 3.6 in the flatlands unless you are going to be doing a lot of towing.

BoraBora

Yeah it is. 4.56 on my 6 speed 3.6 is good with 35's, bumping up to 37's soon and I think they'll still be just fine. Right around 2500 rpm going 70 on the highway. Rubi t-case still allows it to crawl slooowwwww offroad too.

JeepRyan

I appreciate the input and advise! I am deff going to be putting gears in, just looking to find the right ones and make sure the Dana 30 in the front can handle new gears without needing other mods.

Won't be doing much towing. As before, mainly DD status, and will get off road when I can, not very much, will be in 2WD most of the time. I was paying attention to the speed/RPM's last night, and with current set up I was cruising at 60mph at around 2k rpms.

I looked at some charts as well, I don't think I'll be going to 37's and will most likley be staying with the 35's so thinking the 4.56 might be the best option. If i decide to upgrade down the road I think the 4.56 should take the 37's ok, still better than what I have now.