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Impressions from a 5.13 gears install on a JL Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (JLUR)

wibornz

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So just got my JLUR back from the shop after a 5.13 gear swap from 4.10s. It was a 35 mile drive back home with a mix of county back roads and some hwy driving. Wow what a change. I did some 0-60 time pulls before and after the gear swap. My JLUR is lifted, has steel bumpers, winch, steel step rock sliders, a heavy duty tire carrier, 37s with beadlock wheels. And I am a big dude at 375 pounds. Not a rocketship, but way better after the re=gear.

Pic is so you know what is pulling the times.

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9.38 seconds 0-60 with 4.10 gears This is with the throttle controller set to High Performance mode



8.16 seconds 0-60 with 5.13 gears This is with the throttle controller set to Economy mode. Why Economy mode? Because in High Performance mode it was spinning the tires out of the hole.

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crbrenny

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So do wish you had geared 4.56 or 4.88?
 
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wibornz

wibornz

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So do wish you had geared 4.56 or 4.88?
No, I had thought of going with 4.88 gears, but after talking to someone that specializes in doing gear swaps, and looking at the playing with the re gear program I found on this site, I am glad I went with the 5.13s
 

Stormin’ Moorman

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Do you mind saying approximately how much it cost for the gear swap?
 

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Sean L

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Makes a remarkable difference!
 

wv18jl

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WranglerAdvs

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I also went with 5.13s. Running MC GC 3.5” lift, 37” KM3s and 17” KMC Machetes.

Zero regrets.

A friend has the 4.88s, he gets a little better gas mileage but not significant enough for me. His Jeep goes in and out of 8th more than mine does and it even drops to 6th gear in spots where my Jeep drops to 7th.

The way I look at it is I lost a couple of MPGs to have better low end torque, better crawl ratio and have my transmission hunt less for gears.
 

Stormin’ Moorman

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I also went with 5.13s. Running MC GC 3.5” lift, 37” KM3s and 17” KMC Machetes.

Zero regrets.

A friend has the 4.88s, he gets a little better gas mileage but not significant enough for me. His Jeep goes in and out of 8th more than mine does and it even drops to 6th gear in spots where my Jeep drops to 7th.

The way I look at it is I lost a couple of MPGs to have better low end torque, better crawl ratio and have my transmission hunt less for gears.
What brand did you go with?
 

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Carlton

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I think it should be made clear, regearing this low isn't for everyone. If you are a rock crawler it will be beneficial. For a daily driver, especially for a driver that spends much of their time on the highway, you will not want to do this.

Coming from someone who has owned many regeared jeeps, constantly running at the higher RPMs doesn't result in a relaxing ride, and can be almost exhausting.

The best way that I can explain it for people who haven't regeared before is the following. Imagine driving a manual transmission vehicle in a gear too low for an extended period of time. This is what gearing super low feels like. It may be peppy but not relaxing or smooth.

Does this mean that I think nobody should regear? No. However, for the average joe, choosing gearing to stay near the stock power band is more beneficial.
 

Stormin’ Moorman

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I think it should be made clear, regearing this low isn't for everyone. If you are a rock crawler it will be beneficial. For a daily driver, especially for a driver that spends much of their time on the highway, you will not want to do this.

Coming from someone who has owned many regeared jeeps, constantly running at the higher RPMs doesn't result in a relaxing ride, and can be almost exhausting.

The best way that I can explain it for people who haven't regeared before is the following. Imagine driving a manual transmission vehicle in a gear too low for an extended period of time. This is what gearing super low feels like. It may be peppy but not relaxing or smooth.

Does this mean that I think nobody should regear? No. However, for the average joe, choosing gearing to stay near the stock power band is more beneficial.
Thanks for the insight. I just got 37s and I'm looking at regearing but i drive about 35,000 miles a year, on and off road. I may end up with 38s but nothing bigger. What size gears would you recommend?
 

WranglerAdvs

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I think it should be made clear, regearing this low isn't for everyone. If you are a rock crawler it will be beneficial. For a daily driver, especially for a driver that spends much of their time on the highway, you will not want to do this.

Coming from someone who has owned many regeared jeeps, constantly running at the higher RPMs doesn't result in a relaxing ride, and can be almost exhausting.

The best way that I can explain it for people who haven't regeared before is the following. Imagine driving a manual transmission vehicle in a gear too low for an extended period of time. This is what gearing super low feels like. It may be peppy but not relaxing or smooth.

Does this mean that I think nobody should regear? No. However, for the average joe, choosing gearing to stay near the stock power band is more beneficial.
I agree with your post for the most part. I still think you should plan ahead with parts like gears. If you currently have 35s and want to regear to 4.56, but plan on running 37s in the near future, I would just regear to 4.88 or 5.13 depending on your build and plans.

I daily drive my JL with 37s and 5.13s. The rpms going 70-75mph on the Hwy are not what I consider high or over-revved.

There are countless posts in this forum about this topic and many different opinions. My advice is to plan ahead, take your build into consideration for added weight, towing, activities etc. and look for people with similar builds to ask questions and get your concerns figured out.

To your point. If someone is just looking to stay in the city, will not be turning their Jeep into a heavy overland build, will not be towing, rock crawling or running tires over 35 with a small lift, I would just stay closer to 4.10 - 4.56. Anything over that would be overkill.
 

WranglerAdvs

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Thanks for the insight. I just got 37s and I'm looking at regearing but i drive about 35,000 miles a year, on and off road. I may end up with 38s but nothing bigger. What size gears would you recommend?
If I would drive 35k miles a year (mostly highway) on 37s, I would stick to 4.88. This recommendation is assuming you have an 8 speed auto. Also assuming you don’t live in a mountainous area.

If you are going to run 38s-40s in the future, add A LOT of weight to your Jeep and live in a mountainous area, 5.13s.

Look for gear ratio charts for the JL as a point of reference. Then think about your build and future plans.
 
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wibornz

wibornz

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