Newbie Questions

Are you sure it's a D44, I also thought they only came with 3.73's.

About $1,000US for parts and should be done by an experienced mechanic with the proper tools. Labor (and any parts markup) would be extra.

You could probably go as far as 31's but you will loose power. Much more and you will need re-geared and some kind of lift. Those BFG's won't ware out till about 40K miles.

Both my axles have vent tubes (D30 & D44) but none on the tranny.

No worries, mate!

First, you want a lower ratio, which is a higher numeric value.

You will be stuck at 30" tires for the most part. You need to change some suspensiion stuff to get bigger than 30s under there anyway. Actually, you can fit 31s but the gears will not work out very well.

The diff vents should be pretty close to the level of the intake system. If the intake sucks up some water, the diffs getting wet will be the least of your problems.

The trans has a vent that closes if it goes under water, the tcase has a vent hose that is attached to the firewall, and the rear diff has a vent hose that goes up inside the fender.

Your tcase has a vent tube too.

You would think I would remember that since I was the one that put the 4 to

Thanks for the memory jog :-) JimG

Now see, I wondered about that and left it alone...

Mathematically speaking, wouldn't a higher "ratio" be correct, which correspond to a "lower" gear? For example: If you use a higher (50:1 vs.

Naturally we all know that the higher the number (ratio), the lower the gear and visa versa. Maybe we should only use "higher" and "lower" when referring to gears.

Just pickin' :-)

JimG

Yes, I have confirmed it by sight and matching to shapes on the internet. Also, build order from the dealer listed it as Dana 44. Additionally, the mechanic at the dealers said that TJ Renegades in NZ only come with Dana 44 (he wasn't sure about the gearing options though).

Great, another addition to my wish list. I thought those things were expensive (USD 1.00 = about NZD 1.80).

I will just have to drive around a lot to get them worn out! I have got about 35k kilometers on them now, which is just about half way.

Looks like I will have to go under the TJ again, but this time with a torch and some coffee.

Thanks.

TW

I am still thinking about that one... Its a bit confusing, but yes I do want a higher numeric value. BTW, I am still learning all the Jeep and 4x4 vocabulary

Looks like I will just have to save up while trying to use all the tread on my current tyres. Once that is done, I can change both tyres and gears at the same time. I know that is going to cost me some pretty penny, but would be fun. Also by that stage, I should develop enough experience off-roading to need bigger tyres, higher suspension and higher numeric value gears.

Thanks for that. So what you are saying is that I don't need to worry about the tranny went as it closes under water. I already have a high level on my front axle. That leaves me with transfer case and rear axle. I need to spend some more time under the TJ to find out where they are. Do you happen to know the approximate location and sizes? Also whats the best way of putting a downward bend on the a/c went as highway winds tend to push water back in under certain conditions (like about 80kmph speeds).

TW

When you say torch, some will think you are going to burn a new vent hole yourself (with an acetylene torch), or keep your coffee hot. Having traveled "down under" a bit, I recon you're talking about a flashlight.

JimG

This is really a basic mechanics principle, not a Jeep thing. Look at it from the perspective of the input shaft (engine et al), if the input turns

The trans has selectable gear ratios. 1st gear is about 4.2 to 1 (expressed as 4.2:1), but 5th has a much higher ratio of .073:1, or there about. In 1st gear, you have loads of power (relatively speaking), but in 5th you have very little power reserve. The lower gears have a higher numerical value than the high gears. The diff is pretty much the samd thing, but you can't change the selection anywhere near as often.

Oops, I did it again -0 I hit the Send button way too soon ...

Correct, you don't need to worry about the trans. The tcase and the rear diff vent tubes look exactly like the front diff vent tube that you already found. The tcase tube is attached to the firewall near the battery - maybe closer to the engine than the battery, but on that side. The rear diff vent tube goes up inside the fender, it comes off of the axle itself very similar to the front.

At those speeds, there is positive pressure on the end of the vent tubes, water mist from highway travel is not going to get in. The problem water is that which can keep a fish happy.

Your fuel analogy is flawed. 25:1 is a richer mixture than 50:1, but 50:1 gears are easier to turn than 25:1. (not that this would be a very useful gear ratio for an automobile).

In the fuel ratio, you are using 25 parts of gas for each part of oil, or 50 parts of gas for each part of oil. If you have a 25:1 fuel ratio, then you have twice as much gas as compared to the 50:1 ratio that you suggested.

But, an engine with a differential of 25:1 must work harder than one with a

"CRWLR" wrote

Bzzzzt ... wrong answer. 50:1 is a richer mixture. Think of what burns in the combustion chamber ... fuel and air. The oil is for lubrication and cooling and doesn't burn. 50 parts fuel to 1 part oil results in more fuel being delivered when compared to 25:1. You will have to lean out your jetting to accommodate running at 50:1.

richer in oil? yes

Using the following formula: X oz gas. / ratio = Y oz. oil Based on:

Total = 128 oz. or 1 gal.

Which mixture has a higher ratio of gas?

JimG

Yes. 25 parts of gas per each part of oil as opposed to 50 parts of gas per each part of oil.

Actually, the number is 125, not 125.5

This is 62.5 ounces of gas to the same 2.5 ounces of oil, or 123 to 5 would be the same.

The 50:1 has more gas by double.

You can make this easier ...

Add 25 quarts of gas to 1 quart of oil to have a 25:1 ratio, or add 50 quarts of gas to 1 quart of oil to have a 50:1 ratio.

A 50:1 mixture is 50 parts of gas for each part of oil. A 25:1 mixture is 25 parts of gas for each part of oil. Given the same amount of oil, there is twice as much gas in the 50:1 mixture. Or, given the same amount of gas, there is less oil in the 50:1 mixture.

The discussion is about gear ratios, and the gas mixture was thrown in to illustrate gearing questions. I only pointed out that the fuel mixture analogy is flawed when used to illustrate gearing issues.

Gears are a lower when the numbers used to express them are numerically higher, gas is "thinner" when the oil/fuel mixture numbers go up.

"CRWLR" wrote

And I only pointed out your misstatement. Regardless of the earlier discussion, 50:1 is richer than 25:1.

I think we all know how to mix fuel for our chain saw now. I probably used a bad analogy. Back to the original point...

The higher the ratio (between ring gear and pinion teeth), the lower the gear.

Or:

JimG

my numbers were adding up to equal mixtures of ~128 oz

my numbers were adding up to equal mixtures of ~128 oz

my numbers were adding up to equal mixtures of ~128 oz