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Gear Ratios

30K views 49 replies 11 participants last post by  2011Sukrmz 
#1 ·
Search was not my friend.

I'm running 32's (might be 33's, can't remember right now), and I'm sick of the hit I took in performance.


What all is involved in changing out the final drive gears, and where can I buy the parts? What kind of money would I be talking?

What ratio would most closely mirror the stock performance?
How about if I was willing to sacrifice some top speed to improve even further? I don't really have a need to go over 90 MPH...


If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks
 
#4 ·
Should have also asked you how much money are you willing to spend?

You currently have 3.36 gears. You can attempt to find 3.69 gears to swap in out of a manual nismo (I believe). Might be easier to just purchase the entire front diff and swap it out than do the gears.

If you are looking for anything other than a 3.69....you are S.O.L.

You would have to buy a Titan M205 front diff, swap that in...along with either V8 Pathfinder axle shafts (big $$$), or install a full Titan front suspension which extends the front end, but provides more travel. Once you have the M205, you would have to hop on the waiting wagon with the rest of us.

Or, just swap in the currently available gears for the M226 and lose 4wd until gears are released for the Titan diff.
 
#7 ·
There isn't a simpler solution, like changing out a single component of diff(front and rear)?
I swear I've heard of something like that. Losing 4WD is not an option.

As for the size, I'm fairly certain they are 285/75/16. I'm not near the truck now, and wont be anytime soon. Trying to order parts for when I get home.
 
#8 ·
There isn't a simpler solution, like changing out a single component of diff(front and rear)?
I swear I've heard of something like that. Losing 4WD is not an option.
.
if they made ring and pinion sets for the front diff yeah it would be a simpler solution but currently they only make gears for the rear axle and "soon" for the titan front differential which is why they said you would need swap differentials

you can however buy a new front diff with the 3.69 gear ratio and then either buy a used set of 3.69's or see if www.ruggedrocks.com offers the new set of 3.73 gear ratio
 
#9 ·
I know this thread is old but I have a legit question about Gearing Ratios

Now I am running 33 's or 32.8 inch tires Manual Transmission Gear ratio of 3.69

According to the chart at 1.1 Ratio cruising speed it gives the over all performance but where my speed and RPM's land is in the area of a 4.11 Ratio


Roughly at 65mph My Rpms hit 2700-2800 5th Gear 1.0 Ratio so would this actually be correct am I actually producing power and not losing it ?

I pointed arrows at my ratio and what my RPMS look like when at cruising
 

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#10 · (Edited)
At 1:1 ratio with 3:69 (3;73) , 33 tall tires your rpm is 2469.
At 1;1 ratio with 4:11, with same size tire your rpm is 2720.
251 rpm difference.
You are not losing power per se.
Power is made at a lower speed with 4:11’s.
With 265/75/16’s ( what I run),rpm difference is close to 500 rpm.
 
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#13 ·
The “sweet spot” will be different for different uses .
 
#15 ·
Are you planning on going to the test session?
 
#17 ·
Great, see you there. Will update if anything changes.
 
#21 ·
Yes, front and rear gear change.
Close to three grand in parts and labor.
 
#22 ·
See even though you showed what my RPMS are at 1:1 Ratio they are not at that speed

I installed a Cold Air Intake and New Muffler My RPMS at 65mph 5th Gear is 2725 on point

Now with this being said I think I actually created power to mirror a lower gear ratio am I right or wrong which means I made power

Which is why my MPG suffers by 2-3 Mpg

I have a Monitor and I will take a screen shot I am under the impression the cold air intake is actually working and no matter how heavy I am on the Gas right now in the city I am at 13.1 Mpg
 
#23 · (Edited)
Horsepower has nothing to do with changing rpm’s. Your final drive is what determines that. Whatever speed you are at , the rpm’s will remain the same whether you have 150hp or a 1000!.

Are you running stock tires?
 
#25 ·
Well, if you are running 33’s your speedometer is off. You are actually going faster than you think.
 
#27 · (Edited)
https://tiresize.com/speedometer-calibration/

I can’t tell you what to trust. Just understand that rpm’s at a given speed will not decrease or increase with horsepower changes. That is determined by gearing in the tranny and your gears in the differential.
 
#28 ·
Bigger tires is similar to changing your gear ratio. Lower rpm at a given speed.
Taller tires is like going to a higher gear ratio.
Taller tires do not have to slow you down if you correct with the proper gearing.
 
#29 · (Edited)
So this is what I got from the link

Basically I speeded myself up and the Gearing is effective because it isn't slower

Slower meaning you would have to change gears ratio to speed it up am I understanding this correctly

Not by any means I am a car Guru since I bought my Truck I have taken more interest not a bad thing but learning is learning

Also Acceleration is very responsive like seriously it gets up
 

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#30 · (Edited)
“Basically I speeded myself up “.
What you did was just lowered the rpm at the same speed with stock size tires.
“Acceleration is very responsive”.
The stock tires will be more responsive than with 33’s.
The reason you go with a lower gear ratio when you go to taller tires. The lower gear ratios helps with maintaining the same performance with the smaller tires.
I kept the stock size tires and went to 4:11 to
try and improve acceleration.
Yes, nothing wrong with learning.
I had a head start. I learned about gear ratios when I was 10-12 years old. Built slot cars.
Later with motorcycles.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Excellent test session it’s definitely going in and out of 4wd ��. I dropped the tire pressure to 30psi all around truck handling improved 100 % I actually prefer 2wd high almost all the time the *** end doesn’t want to pass you soo much because the front is being driven as well. I just gained a **** load of confidence in the truck!!!!

First report.
 
#35 ·
Shorter gearing is higher numerically (going from 3.69 to 4.11) where as taller gearing is lower numerically (going from 3.69 to 3.13).
 
#36 ·
A little info, for those that may not know, if you want to know what final drive ratio you have, you can jack up the rear end, mark the tire, mark the drive shaft, put the transmission in neutral, rotate the tire one full round, while counting the drive shaft rotations, be as precise as you can. If you have 3.69 ratio, the drive shaft will have rotated 3.69 revolutions. Back in the old days, 60's and 70's, I would do this on hot rods that I bought, and if I wanted a different ratio, I would get the ring and pinion that I wanted and install it myself.
 
#38 ·
You cannot use the R180 to go above 4:11’s.
You will have to go to a 205 differential.
 
#40 ·
The front differential is a R180. That is where the problem lies..
 
#41 ·
Hey thanks for the Heads up I actually went to a shop and had a conversation with a Differential specialist

I was told right now I wouldn't need something like that unless I am going about 35 inch tires which I plan on in the future

Anyway long story short I am in the sweet spot I have no slow acceleration at all and the Truck does pick up quickly if I change the gears now with the tires I have it might be too much for it till I get the tires

(He 's saying on the Freeway RPMS might be too much )a inch difference is not significate he says for tire size he said I could run 34 inch tires and still not need the diff changed

So with me mentioning changing the Muffler and CAI he said that alone should actually help to open the Truck up more which I felt it has

(Whistler) you seen it first hand so you know what my Truck is like I think I got the Sickness lol (The Get more sh... on my Truck Sickness )hahahahaa
 
#42 · (Edited)
I have the differential specialist. Besides him being a specialist, he happens to be a good friend.
If you want to go lower than 4:11’s I would start looking for a 205.
There is putting s—-t on the truck and there is putting correct s—t on the truck.
I don’t think much of your specialist to be honest.
 
#44 ·
If he thinks that a CAI and exhaust will allow for 34” tires, he is clueless about Frontiers.
Go with your specialist and I will go with mine.
 
#45 ·
That's not what I meant he was saying I could get away with it but I would need to if I went bigger in tires he said from what I am running right now don't worry about it

When I get bigger tires then what I have then come back and talk to him about gear changing that's pretty much the gist of it

I am not going out to buy a new set or sell what I have so with that being said I need to let those tires get worn their not even a year old yet I am just I too much of a hurry to make it bigger and badder lol

Anyway he was just generalizing not to worry about that stuff yet
 
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