What Gears Should I Buy?

Bigger Tires Need Steeper Gears

If you want to put on bigger tires for off-road adventuring or aggressive good looks, you may want to consider a set of more aggressive gears in a steeper ratio to go with your new treads.

You might ask why you'd want to change an important part of your drivetrain. But when you upsize your tires, you might lose some of your off-the-line acceleration and find your truck is more frequently out of its power band - causing you to use more fuel and in extreme cases, keep you from getting up to full highway-safe speeds.

The solution to this problem is to change your gear ratio.

How Do I Figure Out My Current Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio is the number of times the driveshaft turns to rotate the axle 1 full revolution. The higher the number, the lower the gear ratio is.

However, the easiest and most accurate way to identify your ratio is pretty simple. First you need to identify which differential/axle your truck already has.

Once you've done that, look for the code, which should be one of the following:

Once you've identified your differential size and type and current ratio, you're ready to take the next step - which is deciding on a more aggressive ratio (if you need it).

How Do I Decide On A Different Ratio?

Now before you jump in and say, "Hook me up with the steepest gears you have," you also need to understand the potential weaknesses of a steeper gearset. Steeper gears can negatively affect fuel economy and keep you from reaching full speed in the same way keeping your stock gears can, unless you pick the right ratio.

You need to balance the size of the tires you’re running with the correct gear ratio in your differentials in order to achieve maximum driveability and efficiency out of your truck. While there are many different options, there are some general guidelines that will help you achieve good fuel economy with good low-end power.

Here is a general guideline of the best tire/gear range combinations for daily drivers that see occasional off-road use:

This chart is designed as a guideline only, and may differ significantly based on what you are using your vehicle for most of the time.

For example, drivers who use their truck mainly for off-roading will want to use lower gears than those displayed in our chart to get the most low end power to the ground on the trail. Drivers that do a lot of highway driving will want to use higher gears for maximum fuel economy.

So now you know what you have and what you want. Your next step is to start browsing our gear selection to find the right fit for you and your truck.

Remember, if you need to talk about your choice with a truck expert, call our customer service line for assistance.