So you are saying 4.88 is not not deep enough and that he go with 5.13 's ? I thought that after 4.88's the gears got weaker? increased changes of breaking teeth

 

Primarily a concern with D30s and hard wheeling. OP does not have a rubi, so guessing we are talking about a front D30. Lots of X factors in use. I can't recall what tires OP was running or wanted to run.

 

Looking to go the 37s at some point. Will run some type off mud tire and a wheel that weighs right at 30lbs.
Won’t be doing any hard wheeling.

 

Stolen from another forum, I have one for the 3.8 that I'm using as a general reference when I go with 35in.

 

Resharp , makes sense what you are saying due to the smaller ring and pinion diameter of the Dana 30.

 

So would it be better to save and get a front Dana 44 before regearing? I don’t want out game money to just throw at this. I may just stay on 35s. After looking up the build sheet it appears I have 3:21 gears even though it has a tow package. The Jeep came with 35x12.50x20s. I definitely am going to 17s.
i am surprised it has 3:21s cause it has no issues going up and down the road with the cruise control set at 75. Haven’t had any issues so far off road.

 

37s/D30/gearing.....it's a big rabbit hole to go down with some many offshoots. There are people that run 37s with D30s so I'm not going to say you can't do it....there are just a lot of variables, the biggest one being use. IMO, it's just not the wisest thing cuz you're always chasing something or shifting the weak link, and can spend a lot of money along the way and at the end of the day regardless of what you do you are still running 37s on a D30. IMO, you're better off sticking with 35s and keeping life easier. You're not going to be THAT MUCH MORE capable with 37s vs. 35s, so it really comes down to looks. If you're going to go out and do more aggressive wheeling, then a D44 front should be in your future. We all have opinions.....that is just mine, which really means nothing cuz at the end of the day it's all up to you.

 

@resharp001 so if I stay with 35s would 4:56 be a better choice in your opinion?

 

I'll jump in.. I checked you have a 3.6L with automatic '17.. What off roading are you planning.. How much DD? Noting you're in SC good bit of flat sandy / mud trails too, not the Smokey's and Rocks IMO 35s (resharp has mucho experience great source of info experience & knowledge.) 4.56 will be more suited for DD use and perform well off road. As others said, what the installer/shop recommends that fits your budget (BTW I run Yukon 4.10s on 35s in the JKU 6 spd). I see much feedback, Good Luck with your Build.

 

Y, nothing is as straightforward as everyone would like. Most of your decision will depend on use. For a 3.6L auto, 4.56 and 35s will get back to a very nice factory feel IMO. Of course, you have 35s that run on the smaller side, and some that are a little closer to true, so there is another piece of the puzzle. There are folks like myself or BLK HOLE that would prefer to run a touch more on the aggressive side. If you planned on towing anything or were going to get into bigger rocks, 4.88 might be a better choice with 35s. Might be aggressive for some, might be perfect for others. Some might depend on how much higher-speed driving you do. If you lean a bit more aggressive then at interstate speeds you could be humming along at 3k rpm. That is not a big deal to me at all and appreciate the higher end responsiveness rather than having to downshift to find any guts to pass or fight a headwind. I've had 35s with 3.73 and 4.10 gears, and I've had 37s with 4.10, 5.13, and now 4.88 due to last axle swap. I miss my 5.13 gears a lot of the time, but now I'm in that hole of all the labor and $$ to move one gear set just isn't worth it. btw, 37s and 5.13s is about the same as 35s and 4.88s in these autos. If you stuck with 35s, going 4.56 or 4.88 would be fine IMO.....just depends on if you want to lean a bit more aggressive and if you mind the higher rpm's when traveling faster.