Regearing and doing 37s right

[kodiakisland]

The up side of a 5.13 over a 5.38 is tooth thickness.... The 5.13 has a stronger tooth profile... And when you are getting over 5.0... Personally I think that really should be considered... I think there are times to go to the 5.38... Just be aware of the compromise. Your ring and pinion WILL be weaker.

yes, the pinion does get weaker as you go lower, but I don't see that being an issue in the MT 2.3L Bronco. Also have not seen any reports of one being grenaded yet, so I'll still stick to the 5.38 as all upside.
Personally I'd rather have lower gears in the MT to make 4.88s ideal, but i work with what I've got.

Wonder how much work it would be to regear the transmission? Seems most are being taken apart anyway for the rock tumbler affect. maybe throw some custom gears on in the rebuild.

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[Tricky Mike]

Old school vehicles this is true. Front and rear can be mismatched as long as it's not in 4WD. I do wonder if all the sensors and traction control devices on the Bronco would allow it to operate mismatched.

Back when I was much younger and poorer, I did a regear over several months. I could only afford to do the rear, so I just put a sticky note on the transfer case selector that said NO. Probably should have just pulled the front driveshaft to be safe, but everything was good 3 months later when i got around to doing the front. Had another old 4wd that only had the front driveshaft installed, so it didn't matter what the rear ratio was.

About 30 years ago I read in one of the old 4x4 rags, in the reader's rides section, someone had an old Ford truck with mismatched gears...to compensate for the mismatched tires. Tractor tires, something like 60" in back and 50" in front.

 

[Tricky Mike]

(I still drive with a heavy foot, and probably will till the day I die considering how my great Uncle drove well into his 90s/with a very heavy foot. Opposite of most old people)

I've given this some thought before and I've decided that logically a person should drive faster as they age to save time, because time becomes more valuable the less you have left.

 

[5GENIDN]

I've given this some thought before and I've decided that logically a person should drive faster as they age to save time, because time becomes more valuable the less you have left.

I always drive very fast to the gas station because I want to get there before I run out of gas. At least that is what I tell the police....

 

[kodiakisland]

You are right about the Gas tank being way too small... That is why I had to modify a spare delete to carry two 3 gallon rotopax. I am getting right around 13... (I still drive with a heavy foot, and probably will till the day I die considering how my great Uncle drove well into his 90s/with a very heavy foot. Opposite of most old people) which really sucks with a 16 gal tank. Off road I do like just slowly tooling along though.

I've given this some thought before and I've decided that logically a person should drive faster as they age to save time, because time becomes more valuable the less you have left.

My great uncle stopped driving when he was 101. He had a very heavy foot. When he was a young 96 or 97, he was on his way to be honored at some banquet. He was running late as usual so he had to pass a state trooper on a 2 lane that was already going a bit over the speed limit. ( I might pass a cop on the interstate, but who does it on a 2 lane?)The trooper of course pulled him over and was amazed at his age and wanted to talk, but my uncle cut him off and said son, if your going to write me a ticket get on with it cause I've got places to be. He got pulled over all the time in his 90s and never got a single ticket.

He also dated a few widow women in his 90s, but dumped one when she lost her license. He said at his age the last thing he had time for was running someone else around town.

 

[5GENIDN]

My great uncle stopped driving when he was 101. He had a very heavy foot. When he was a young 96 or 97, he was on his way to be honored at some banquet. He was running late as usual so he had to pass a state trooper on a 2 lane that was already going a bit over the speed limit. ( I might pass a cop on the interstate, but who does it on a 2 lane?)The trooper of course pulled him over and was amazed at his age and wanted to talk, but my uncle cut him off and said son, if your going to write me a ticket get on with it cause I've got places to be. He got pulled over all the time in his 90s and never got a single ticket.

That is what I am talking about!!!!n I got a ways to go but that is going to be me!

 

[5GENIDN]

When my Dad passed, he was still diving a 450 hp 4 wheel drive 2 door hatchback... It is in my blood.

 

[kodiakisland]

That is what I am talking about!!!!n I got a ways to go but that is going to be me!

As a kid I was never allowed to ride with my great uncle. He was fast, but also dangerous.
He lived on a dirt road that had a 4 way stop within a mile of his house. He never stopped and always drove through it at 50mph. He said he drives that way every day and everyone should know he was coming through there.

He bought a new Dodge truck every year. By the end of the year all 4 corners were dented and scratched. Whenever there was a family get together, everyone kept up with where he parked because he was going to back into whoever was near him.

98 years old and he stopped to open a gate but didn't put the truck in gear. He somehow ran over himself. Not a scratch on him. My Mom had said my whole life he had an angel watching over him.

He was honored at 99 by Dodge when he bought his 45th new truck and used in some advertisement campaign.

My grandfather (his brother) was a bit more practical. He did however blow up the 460 with dual quads in his 73 T-bird when he was in his 80s.

 

[5GENIDN]

As a kid I was never allowed to ride with my great uncle. He was fast, but also dangerous.
He lived on a dirt road that had a 4 way stop within a mile of his house. He never stopped and always drove through it at 50mph. He said he drives that way every day and everyone should know he was coming through there.

He bought a new Dodge truck every year. By the end of the year all 4 corners were dented and scratched. Whenever there was a family get together, everyone kept up with where he parked because he was going to back into whoever was near him.

98 years old and he stopped to open a gate but didn't put the truck in gear. He somehow ran over himself. Not a scratch on him. My Mom had said my whole life he had an angel watching over him.

He was honored at 99 by Dodge when he bought his 45th new truck and used in some advertisement campaign.

My grandfather (his brother) was a bit more practical. He did however blow up the 460 with dual quads in his 73 T-bird when he was in his 80s.

I am probably going to be somewhere in between the two...

 

[kodiakisland]

I am probably going to be somewhere in between the two...

Yeah, me too. I bought my first car from my uncle, a 71 Mach 1, and haven't looked back. Between fast cars, 4wds, motorcycles, and airplanes, I'm bound to be done in by something with a motor.

 

[kodiakisland]

A downside of 5.38 is you can end up with too short a first gear for regular pavement use. Since putting 35s on my stock manual base the 1st gear is much nicer to use. If I were to go to 5.38 I'd be back with that short first gear even worse.

It's all personal preference, but I'd rather have too short a first gear than too tall 6th gear. I want first gear short enough to start me on a hill easily every time. If that means I can start in second gear on a flat, great. It's easy to work around too short a gear, but a pain in the ass to work with too tall a first gear.

Many of us grew up with transmissions that had granny low first, so you started in first or second depending on your needs. I'll take that any day over a first gear I can drive 20mph in.

At least in stock form, you can do a C-1 or C-2 shift easy enough when you have to, but I'd still rather have my 1st gear low, especially on a 6 speed.

 

[kodiakisland]

I couldn't start the Bronco in second gear though, it was too tall. Bronco crawler gear is like the old SM420 1st gear, so you start in first not second with Bronco.

It's no exaggeration to say switching to 35s with stock gearing transformed the driving experience. My family likes driving it better as well. I miss 6th gear usefulness, but I use 1st gear much more than 6th, so the benefit of losing that short first gear outways 6th for me.

I think forum member Dusty who started with a stock base manual found similar experience with first gear, and it's a reason he's ok with the 5.13 and 37s.

As long as it works for you and you're happy with it. I drive in a lot of steep stuff and prefer lower than higher. Stock gearing with 35s was not ideal for me at all.

Besides, 37s today might mean 38s tomorrow and then who knows where you end up.

 

[Oldhippie]

I do not recommend having different gear ratios front and rear but when I first got my ‘47 CJ2a I was in a hurry to go on a rubicon trip and threw in a front end I had laying around…found out when I put it in 4wd at the trail head it was 4.88 instead of 5.38 like the rear…ran the whole trail in 4wd squealing rubber without breaking…skinny tires at 50psi and stock 4cyl helped…party on!

 

[5GENIDN]

I couldn't start the Bronco in second gear though, it was too tall. Bronco crawler gear is like the old SM420 1st gear, so you start in first not second with Bronco.

It's no exaggeration to say switching to 35s with stock gearing transformed the driving experience. My family likes driving it better as well. I miss 6th gear usefulness, but I use 1st gear much more than 6th, so the benefit of losing that short first gear outways 6th for me.

I think forum member Dusty who started with a stock base manual found similar experience with first gear, and it's a reason he's ok with the 5.13 and 37s.

That SM420 had a 7.1:1 first gear.... NOTHING was more granny than that! What is the Bronco 1st? about a 6:1??? a little less gear than that isn't it?

 

[Bmadda]

About 30 years ago I read in one of the old 4x4 rags, in the reader's rides section, someone had an old Ford truck with mismatched gears...to compensate for the mismatched tires. Tractor tires, something like 60" in back and 50" in front.

They used to build 4x4 tractors that way. Tire size F to R had to be exactly what they came from the factory with, and they were weird sizes that are obsolete now. There's a guy local to me who restores old tractors, and he comes around looking for oddball takeoffs (which being an automotive shop I NEVER have)

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