Hi Everyone, First time poster here.   So Last week I bought a '88 Samurai lifted with Rocky Road spoa and lifted YJ springs 7" lift.  Its sitting on stock tiires right now and looks pretty funny.  I am trying to get some advice on what type of gearing i should do.  I have found a pretty good deal on a set of 5.38 R&P gears.  I will most likely be using the sami off road/ crawling, but would still like to have it go on the highway.  As of right now i am looking at those 5.38's and 33" MT tires.  any thought on this set up with everything else stock untill i get the money to do more mods.
Thanks

T-case gears reduce high range as well, so it kind of depends on how good of a deal you've found on the 5.38's

I'm a big fan of T-Case gears, having done both.  But it is hard to turn down a good deal on some 5.38 gears.  Make sure they are not gears from a Tracker, or you will need to swap in a hybrid rear end.

If your into crawling you will hate life if you dont have T-case gears, the clutch will get nice and hot!
T-case gears will gear your low range down as well as your high range.

6.5 gears are perfect for 33's+ and there under 500 bucks too.


Amilla

T-case gears all the way.  They make it so you can crawl easily up things that would smoke your clutch without them.

As someone who went with the diff gears first DO YOUR T-CASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
doesn't matter how low you go if it's still only 2.1:1 in t-case.
unless you are getting the 5.38's for less than 200 dollars it will cost less to just get the t-case gears.


MY .02
Bash

thanks everyone, looks like its the T-case gears and then later on down the road i'll do the axles as well.

if I go with 6.5 t-case and leave the rest stock for a bit will i be fine running on 33's or will i be breaking shit left and right.

It depends on your driving style.  33's are generally considered the breaking point for the Sammy axles.  Some people wheel fine, other people break things left and right.  But at least now you have some options instead of just upgrading to Toyota.  Calmini has the heavy duty rear axles and there are the Chromoly front axles similar to the ones Trail Tough has on sale right now.

On a side note, they have sold out of axles at Trail Tough, but if you call you can still get the sale price when the next shipment comes in June. 

less skinny pedal makes stuff last a lot longer.
 
Amilla

less skinny pedal makes stuff last a lot longer.

so true....

if (when) I build another zuk Ill be doing the T-case first

With the 6.5:1 case gears ya might want to think about upgrading the transfer case mounts. Tis alot of stress from torque created there and have seen many a mount get torn from the gear sets.
Just a thought... Trail Gear Bomb Proof mounts look tough.
Kelly

Ok something totaly diferent, my buddy is redoing his jeep and has this stuff for sale.  He would probably give me a better deal than the prices listed. Any thought on if the Axles would work.

Dunlop Mud Rovers very good tread, set of 4, 33x12.50x15 mounted on aluminum wheels (one has inner tube) $200
Dana 30 front axle, 1973 CJ-5, complete with 2.5" Superlift springs, Detroit Truetrac, 4.56 gears $200
Dana 30 front axle, 1975 CJ-5, open diff, 3.73 gears $50
Dana 44 rear axle, 1973 CJ-5, needs locker, 2.5" Superlift springs, 4.56 gears $50
ATs, one mounted, two tires only, 33" good tread, good for spare tires or inexpenxive way to get wheelin'! $75 for all 3.

If your going to all the trouble of swapping axles, don't do a dana 30. they just aren't worth the work.

As for the previous ? I would go with 5.12 R&P gears out of the front of a sidekick (96-98 for the rear and 89-95 for the front). Take the hole third member and bolt it right in. This is what I did with my budget sami and never had the problems people claim with this set up. Paid about $100. for a set at the self serve junk yard, which left money for gas to go wheel'n.