Ok i need everyones help on this guestion about gears and tires

[XJAR]

ok i have a 91' x 4 door 4x4 5-speed 4.0 with 3.55. i have a 3" body lift rear shackles and spacers in the front. i swaped out my old 235's r15 and bought a really nice and cheep set of 255/70r16 and 16x7 wheels out of a 2000 x. mods under the hood are flomaster and k & N open filter. i really want to go with bigger tires 33's or 285r16 ( they are about the same) but with 5 speed and 3.55 i know it will be really under powered and i worried about burning up the clutch. now i dont live in an area were i do a lot of extream wheeling but do go out im the mud when possable. i just really like lifted trucks. i call a junk yard and found front and rear entire differental ( gears,axles,brakes, everthing all i have to do is bolt them up.) i know that the back shouldnt be hard, the front might but im sure i can hadle it. he only want $650 total for the front and the back. now to me that seems really good, to have gears put in my differentals it would coats to much. so do u guys think that it is worth it i really want to runn big tire , so please tell me your thought i need ideas. my dad is pissed hed doesnt think there is anypoint in it he said it was a wast of mony. but i want bigger tires , one of my friends has a lifter s-10 and i was allway bigger the he put 35's on it with a 2.8 auto , and i know i could not runn that size but i would love to .

 

[Gary Steeber]

What is the gear ratio of the replacement diffs they want to sell you from the junk yard? They are probably only 3.73 which wouldn't be adequate for the 33's. If your going to change gears you want to go to minimum of 4.10 and if you want run 35's you'll need 4.56's.
I would say don't waste the money and save up for new gears and lockers. If you do most the work yourself and just have a shop set the gears up you can save some money.

 

[XJAR]

oh i cant beleave that i didn't put the new gear ratio, they are 3.73, u really dont think that they will be ok i dont really car if it is a little under powered . and i dont really go off roading a lot , how bad will it be, rightnow i have 3.55 and im running 255's whick is like a big 31 and it is ok just a litttle under power os if i move to 285's a small 33 and 3.73 will i bo ok.,

 

[yob_yeknom]

Moving up to just 3.73's and 33's will put you right where you are now, if not a little less powered. Like you said, what you have now is underpowered. (I know, mine's the same) If you're gonna spend the money, do it right and go with 4.10's. That way you won't be disappointed and have just wasted your money.
FYI: I'll also be going to 33's and 4.10 gears. This leaves you with just slightly less power than stock tires and 3.55's.

 

[KEbert]

Get at least 4.10's. If you go any bigger than 33's, then get 4.56's.

 

[XJAR]

ok, i know that 4.10s would be the best but to do that i will have to sped a lot more money, i will have to by the gears, pay someone to put them in, with the 3.73's i go to the junk yard give the man $650.00 come home and bolt up the rear than add the pumkin in to the front , it is eather 3.73 from the junk yard or noting. so im more interesting in people oppinions about what to do with the 3.73's, not about 4.10 , 4.56 or 35" 33 are the biggest i want to go but if i cant i want to go as big as ican. like if the 33 really too big for them, than what size would be good like 32 ( 265/75r16 ) or 31 ( 255/7016 ) remember i have 16inch wheels, right now i went from 235/75r15 to 255/70r16 and my truck dosent really run that bad.

 

[Gary Steeber]

XJAR

Try this url, it will help you decide which gears you need:
Dead Link Removed

You might want to get the 265/75r16 tires then make your decision to change gears later. I still think your money would be better spent by waiting until you can afford the 4.10's.
Keep an eye on the for sale board, sometimes gearsets come up at reasonable prices.
I'm running 3.73 gears with 33 inch mud tires. Highway accelaration is not as good as I would like and I do pull a tent trailer. When I'm in 4x4 low range the power ratio is perfect for most off-roading.

 

[Dannyboy]

The Answer is this.
For the same money you could find a pumpkin out of a Ranger when they came with the 4 bangers or 2.9s and had 4.10 gear ratios in the Dana 35s(I hope and not Dana 28s) as well as buy a rear 8.8 axle out of a newer explorer with disc brakes and 4.10 gears. If you can only find the rear, then you are still sitting good. Only about $200 for gears and install kit and probably only an hour in labor to set up your new gears if you take him a pumpkin. I have in my yard a 3.73LS rear axle and a front diff on my porch that has a hole in the top that needs a lil JB weld and I would feel like a king getting $650 for it.

 

[XJAR]

hey dannyboy that sounds like a good idea. i will try to look for dana 35 4.10 pumkin out of a 2.9 4-cyl. ranger they are 7.5 ring gears right. now i was told that all i need to by is the pumkin they unbolt my diff. case remover the drive shaft and the axles and pull out my old punkin and slid in the new one, is all that true. now on the back could i just by the pimkin remove the cover and the drive shaft and the axles and just slid the pimkin in too, or will that not work, please if any of the doesnt make sence or i just have no clue what im talkin about please correst me and tell the right info

thanks guys.