Woody208

I'm going to regear this winter so I started doing some research. I've read various threads on lockers, regearing, etc (there are A LOT of them) and all I've successfully done is confuse myself on what i want. So i'm starting this post to get opinions from the experts and have it all in one thread. I'm hoping to get some real first hand opinions and suggestions on what others would do different based on their experience.

My Jeep: 2012 JKU sport, automatic transmission, stock D44/D30 with 3.21 gears.

Upgrade I'm leaning toward: Regear to 4.88 gears and Eaton Elocker in rear.

Typical use: it is currently my daily driver going 45 highway miles to work each day (70-75 mph when not in traffic). I will be getting a commuter car shortly so it will see more offroad use. Nothing extreme just mild to moderate trails locally but eventually want to make a trip out west.

So, is this a decent upgrade for the $$$ (rough material cost is $1600 from the "Q" jeep store)? What are the pros & cons to this set up or is there something else i should consider?

Hope the above makes sense...Look forward to hearing

EDIT: forgot to note that i have 12.50 x 35 Cooper ST Maxx tires.

TheDirtman

Gears and lockers, after tires, are your best investment in terms of performance on an off road vehicle. You have several options to choose from with different price points. I prefer a selectable locker and would lock the front and rear since you are going to have to buy a new carrier for the front differential. I am not a fan of throwing money at a dana 30 but if you only do mild trails then it may be good money spent for you. You might find a deal on a used built up dana 30 with locker and gears you want for less money then doing a gear swap. You see built 30's for sale quite a bit.

Woody208

Thanks Dirtman. I was hoping to here from you on this topic. I've read many of your post replies and they always are helpful to a newbie like me. I hadn't really thought about doing a locker on the front...or looking for an already built D30 for that matter. Thats a great suggestion i will definitely check out but is it bad to not have a locker on both?...i know i'd have to buy a new carrier up front but aren't those fairly inexpensive compared to a locker? I figured i'd leave it open in front and possibly swap to D44 up there too but that would be waaaay down the line if it ever happened at all (at some point i may need to consider just trading it in on a rubicon and start over from there).

TheDirtman

Lockers do cost a lot more then a carrier and you can simply lock the rear. You just don't max your traction out with only a rear and when climbing it is nice to have the front pulling you up over obstacles where a rear locker is just going to push your front tires against it.

jordy

Same question as always, what's your end game? Are you going to get crazy and really build it, or just beef it up a bit?

At the end of the day, the honest answer to either question is, you're not going to gain much from the Rubicon if you're going to play with axles, suspension, brakes, etc. The only benefit is the transfer case, which you could swap easily with a 4:1, throw some Dynatracs with ARB"s n it and live happily ever after, money ahead. All the skids can be added, and the factory ones aren't that great. Other than that, you've got the same rig if you throw a quality suspension on it. Peel the stickers off and run it.

Spud Racer

I just purchased a 2013 JK Unlimited Sport RHD (auto)from a dealership up in Indiana. I've already got Yukon 5.13 gears and Eaton E-Lockers on order for the Dana 30 and Dana 44 from Northridge as well as a ProCal tuner. I'll soon be ordering some 35" BFG Mud-Terrain T/A tires on 17' wheels.

I've never replaced gears before, but I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so to save money for a MetalCloak 3.5" Game-Changer suspension with Fox shocks, I've made the command decision to do my own gears. I'll have enough time, but I'm scrambling to accumulate all the necessary tools. I don't want to rent tools, because if I need them in the US, then I want them with me in PNG in case I need them. I've only got few weeks to prep this JK (starting 1st week of November) to bring it back for duty in Papua New Guinea, so I don't want things to grind to a halt because I'm missing a crucial tool or I broke and have to reorder something.

I'm getting a dial indicator with a magnetic base and a beam-type 1/4" inch/pound torque wrench, and I think I've got all the necessary hand tools (all mine are here in PNG) from friends in Sylva, North Carolina.

Things I'm not sure on:
1. A Housing Spreader
2. A pinion clamshell bearing puller.

I'm 54yo and have never done gears. It's unlikely I'll ever do them again, so I'm understandably reluctant to buy expensive tools (which will prevent me from getting more stuff for the JK) that will only get used once. It seems the housing spreader is very useful to have, especially for people who do gears regularly, but is not absolutely essential to do the job.

Does a clamshell puller such as the one linked below require a hydraulic press to use?

http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-131...ller-tool.html

I want to try and get the old pinion bearing off intact and use a flapper grinding wheel to turn it into a set-up bearing. I saw on a different site that someone bought a puller from Harbor Freight and managed to use it twice before it was too bent to use again. If I went that route, and got two uses out of it, that's all I'd need, and I'd save $300.

I'm not looking for criticism on my selection of gears or lockers or tires or suspension ( seems there's always one in the crowd), I'm just looking for advise and help on what tools I NEED to get this done without breaking something and having to reorder more parts, or wasting needless money.

One more thing, I have an air impact wrench here, but can't afford the weight to bring it with me, so I'm looking at getting a Dewalt 20V 1/2" cordless Impact wrench to use for all the work I'll be doing, because I can REALLY USE IT when I come back to PNG. This is the one I chose which seems to be the strongest.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-V...ench/999947862

It can put out 700ft-lbs and up to 1200ft/lbs of breakaway torque. Will that be enough to crush the crush washer? I hear that's one of the hardest parts of the job. I've also read I need a pinion wrench. Is one necessary if I"m using an impact wrench to crush the washer? I know, I know, be careful and go slow!!

Thanks so much guys!!

Tom in Papua New Guinea

resharp001

Tom, you know the obvious risks and your ability, so I'm only going to say that you should be ok without a housing spreader.

I did a lot of the grunt work with my regear, but had a couple guys with experience actually help get the gears set and another buddy pressing bearings on/off while I was doing other things. This might seem like an obvious tip, but when bolting the ring gear to the carrier or locker, bolt that sucker on good with 4 bolts, then apply loctite to the other bolts when putting them in, removing the original 4 bolts at the end and adding loctite to them. Might seem obvious, but originally was putting loctite on from the get-go, getting the carrier reinstalled only to find different measurements when rotating the gears. Turns out, kept getting little fleck of loctite smooshed between the ring gear and locker which was throwing things off. Also, use your discretion, but seems like a lot of places around here re-use factory crush sleeve if possible. I can tell you that my re-geared axles have the factory crush sleeves in them and I've had no issues. Others may disagree, so don't do it just based on my comment if you are uneasy about that.

If you have access to a lift, boy that makes the job a bit easier rather than laying on the floor.

Spud Racer

Well, I won't have access to a lift, but will be doing this on a cold garage floor. And thanks for the tip on the lock-tight. I appreciate you allowing me to learn from your mistakes!

I think I'll give it a go without a housing spreader, but I'm looking around now for a carrier/pinion bearing clamshell puller. I just watched a video on how to use it, and it REALLY eased some stress over how to get the bearings off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkPPwfzD8Vg Pardon the bad language, this is a good video how to get the bearings off.

Now, to find a discounted puller...

Tom

jsukey

Not sure how many times it’s been said already, but here’s another one for “what’s your ultimate plan/end game”? Coming from someone where it’s never enough, I would forgo putting any money into the Dana 30. Assuming you’re not in a huge hurry, you could find a pair of built axles and save yourself a heap of money in the long run. If you want to do it for the experience, then go for it! You would be surprised at the amount of people that build up a really nice set of 44’s, then decide it’s not enough before they make the jump up to 1 tons. I’m a firm believer in built it right, the first time! Best of luck and happy Jeeping!

urmyboyblue

So personal real-world experience in 3...2...1.... (note...I'm by no means an expert)

Picked up my 14 in Aug 14. I live in south Florida so it's flat as you can imagine and my initial end game was to "have a cool Jeep". Factory 3.73's stayed in as I got a 3.5" lift and 35" tires. It was fun for a while. Met a good group of Jeepers and started going off roading. Traveling to off-road parks and such and then worrying about if I can make an obstacle. "Oh I want 37's like everyone else!" I decided that I would regear to 4.56's on my auto and add ARB's front and rear. The initial price of a new front axle scared me so I ONLY wanted to truss and gusset the 30.

November 2016, I go with my offroad friends camping and run into an issue where i needed to be winched. Tried assisting by locking the axles and BOOM! Axle shaft splits and grenades the front locker in the process. February this year I got my Tera44 put in with the ARB up front and chromo shafts. Now I feel like I am at a good point with my Jeep. Just came back from a weekend of wheeling and didn't stop a bit. I have more confidence in the Jeep now.

My end game is that...go out on the weekends and have fun. I'd love to go out west and play but at the end of the day, it's also my DD and I'd hate to roll it or something so I don't know if I'd get too extreme. I went the route to beef up a D30 and experienced what I always read. That in itself was maybe most of the cost of a Tera44 for the welding, locker, gear install.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd have saved for the right stuff the first time and probably have been better off.