Gearing down

[jasonmcc]

Hi everyone

Ok I have a 1.3L 1990 model soft top sierra.

I have 31" mud terrains on it. I dont want to spend $1300 on a rockhopper series 3. Whats a cheaper way to lower the gearing.

Grimbo and anyone else, I allready tried searching through the mass of posts that come up when you search. But I couldnt find anything.

Thanks

Jason

[N*A*M]

just do it, you'll love it!

alternatively fit front 5.12:1 vitara ring and pinion to the diffs

[russell]

You could always try to shoehorn another transfer case in there.

[Damo]

Hi everyone

Ok I have a 1.3L 1990 model soft top sierra.

I have 31" mud terrains on it. I dont want to spend $1300 on a rockhopper series 3. Whats a cheaper way to lower the gearing.

Grimbo and anyone else, I allready tried searching through the mass of posts that come up when you search. But I couldnt find anything.

Thanks

Jason

Keep your eyes peeled for a 2nd hand model.

[christover1]

fit a one litre transfer case, only a 12% drop, but you will love it, and its cheap. just need to change your flanges and supports over. This is what I have, 1.3 into a 1.o litre gearing. I run 31" ok, even thinking 32's, also early nt 1.3's have a lower 3.9 diff (wt = 3.7) which bolts in fairly easily, and is stronger too. christover

[Beastmavster]

Diff ratios are stock 3.73... if a 1 litre transfer case ain't your thing there are:

(not 100% sure of each model)

3.9 and 4.1 (1 litre and utes?)
4.6 Vitara
4.8 Vitara
5.1 Vitara

A 4.1 would be about 10% reduction too.

the others are probably a little too extreme for 31"s.

A 1 litre transfer case will be less work... and probably a Series 1 rockhopper ain't much more $$$ than 2 Vitara 4.6 diff centres anyway.

[greg]

alternatively fit front 5.12:1 vitara ring and pinion to the diffs

Note that changing the ring and pinion is not the cheapest of mods either... mine set me back about 350 for the parts, and 300 for the labour to get them installed...

However, you could offset that cost a little if you installed them at the same time as air lockers or something - i.e. they wouldn't cost anything to install then. Maybe something worth thinking about.

However, changing from 3.7 to 5.12 would be approximately a 38% reduction - which is lower than any rockhopper will offer you, but note that you are only running a 31 (which is 19% larger than the stock 26" tyre)... Therefore, expect to be running your engine at higher revs on the highway to get the same road speed (or get some bigger tyres )

edit: corrected costs

[grimbo]

Go a Series 1 rockhopper. They are now starting to pop up as secondhand as peole go to the series3

[Guy]

alternatively fit front 5.12:1 vitara ring and pinion to the diffs

Note that changing the ring and pinion is not the cheapest of mods either... mine set me back about 350 for the parts, and 300 for the labour to get them installed...

However, you could offset that cost a little if you installed them at the same time as air lockers or something - i.e. they wouldn't cost anything to install then. Maybe something worth thinking about.


edit: corrected costs

Hmmm yes .. I can see how adding a couple of grand to the cost will save ya money .. makes me wish I had got my centres gold plated last time I had em out .... (I am just being difficult as usual)

I know what you mean though .. but getting a series one rockhopper secondhand would be a cheaper place to start and most likley be a bit more friendly to the wallet as well .. you seem to be able to pick up second hand 4.16's (Series one rockhopper) for about $500 to $600 ...

BTW .. was that $350 for both of the centres or $350 per end ??

[greg]

Hmmm yes .. I can see how adding a couple of grand to the cost will save ya money .. makes me wish I had got my centres gold plated last time I had em out .... (I am just being difficult as usual)

I know what you mean though .. but getting a series one rockhopper secondhand would be a cheaper place to start and most likley be a bit more friendly to the wallet as well .. you seem to be able to pick up second hand 4.16's (Series one rockhopper) for about $500 to $600 ...

BTW .. was that $350 for both of the centres or $350 per end ??

(1 ring + 1 pinion = 175) x 2 = 350 total

Correct about the airlocker spend to save theory, but that's what paul mc has done when he got the airlocker installed - he just got arb to swap over the ring and pinion at the same time since they had the diff out anyways and i'm pretty sure that it cost him nothing to get done.

[Guy]

Hmmm yes .. I can see how adding a couple of grand to the cost will save ya money .. makes me wish I had got my centres gold plated last time I had em out .... (I am just being difficult as usual)

I know what you mean though .. but getting a series one rockhopper secondhand would be a cheaper place to start and most likley be a bit more friendly to the wallet as well .. you seem to be able to pick up second hand 4.16's (Series one rockhopper) for about $500 to $600 ...

BTW .. was that $350 for both of the centres or $350 per end ??

(1 ring + 1 pinion = 175) x 2 = 350 total

Correct about the airlocker spend to save theory, but that's what paul mc has done when he got the airlocker installed - he just got arb to swap over the ring and pinion at the same time since they had the diff out anyways and i'm pretty sure that it cost him nothing to get done.

I knew exactly what you meant .. not point paying for labour twice ..

[OVERKILL ENG]

I would look for a series 1 transfer as they are slowling becoming available as people update to series 3. We scored a set of series one gears when we did a series three install the customer supplied us with a second hand transfer from the wreckers to fit the gears to and the series one were inside.
Changing the diff ratio's will slow down the road speed to much.
SAM

[.MYTLUX.]

I AM CONSIDERING BUYING A ZOOK

if were to i would looking to buy either a series 1 or 3 gear set,

offroad i would plan to run 33"s (34"max), im not sure what size tyres i would need to run on road to keep the revs close to standard, any ideas?
i dont want to do extreme comps or anything, just have a capable little rig suited to victorias rutty/muddy tracks, theres not a great deal of boulder type driving so would S1 suffice while maintaining on road drivability?

thanks

[Guy]

I AM CONSIDERING BUYING A ZOOK

if were to i would looking to buy either a series 1 or 3 gear set,

offroad i would plan to run 33"s (34"max), im not sure what size tyres i would need to run on road to keep the revs close to standard, any ideas?
i dont want to do extreme comps or anything, just have a capable little rig suited to victorias rutty/muddy tracks, theres not a great deal of boulder type driving so would S1 suffice while maintaining on road drivability?

thanks

I guess it depends a bit on your engine I pull 35's alright (would like lower diff gears to help with get revs up a bit on the hiways) with a warmed over 1.6 and 4.1 T/case gears .. will sit on 100 on most hiways in 5th gear ..

I have only ever run bigger rubber with the 1.6 motor so I am not sure how well a 1.3 woud fare ..

[SAWZALL]

With my old setup I ran standard gearing and 35's

Used to drive down the freeway in 3rd hehehe

I've just started driving mine again on 33's with series 3.... Just about perfect

L-O-V-E the low range and that is with 33's!!!!

[greg]

My old setups were:

s1 hopper on 34's - couldn't get into 5th on the freeway

then

s3 hopper on 34's - got fifth gear back and was happy with it

then

s3 hopper and 5.12's on 34's - all was good

then in went the new engine and all is still good...

the s1 limit appears to be around a 31 or 32... depending on engine of course..

[SAWZALL]

Yeah I'm thinking of GTi motor + S3 + 5.13 + 33MTR's =