Gearing

Currently my rears have 5.38 gears in them. What would be recommended for primarily on road driving and occasional beach driving. The engine/tranny is an F head and 3 spd.
Thanks

 

Low gears (high numeric) are good. People pay big money for ratios like that for newer vehicles.

Bill's spot on - get an overdrive. Easy bolt on accessory, worth almost as much used as new, adds greatly to the value of your jeep, and ... works ... great.

Herm: www.hermtheoverdriveguy.com

 

I have noticed that the warn overdrive is useless if you live in a hilly area where I am if you drive it on the road a lot. But on the trails, overdrive, 2nd, and low, with the 5.38s are perfect. (had some trail time in a friends Cj that had that set-up, now got an overdrive in one of my trucks)

 

I don't know how you can say that, that's the perfect environment for an OD.
You can split all the gears.
:?

 

i have the 5.38's and the overdrive and love it.

 

overdrive I only use on down hills, or when the road actually levels out. Might just be my rig, its 3100 lbs curb, with the flathead in it. It feels like I am burning up the engine in overdrive trying to make it up a slight hill in second gear at 40 MPH. just my personal preference I guess. I like the gear splitting when going 7 mph though.

 

So an overdrive changes the drive ratio, just as changing gears would albeit in a less permanent fashion. Going to a lower numeric ratio to get the overall speed desired for road travel would be roughly equivalent to shifting into overdrive with the 5:38's. If you don't have enough power to climb hills with the overdrive would you have enough power to climb with a different gear ratio that changed you to roughly the same drive ratio? I think that's what folks are getting at. The question being asked was should he change his gears, the answer, which is a good one, was spend your money on an overdrive instead, keep the great offroad ratio and have gearing for the streets. Neither option would add the power to climb hills at 60 mph (although as Jim notes, splitting gears gives you more useful options there).

 

I have been using the Warns since 1969 in every Jeep I have owned that has had an 18. They are very durable and will stand several times the 134 power without problems. In this case, flathead38 would be much better off with the od rather than a gear change and, if an engine transplant occurs down the road, it would be even more useful. Herm would be my first choice to locate one. I have 3 extras but don't really want to part with them.