All Jeep models allow you to upgrade different vehicle parts for maximum riding experience. One upgrade that you can do is change the tire into something bigger. But before changing your tire, it is a must for you to regear your Jeep to prepare the vehicle for any tire adjustment. But how to regear a Jeep? Let us find out in the information below.
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What Does Regearing Means?
If you want to change the tire of your Jeep Wrangler, it is a must for you to regear your vehicle first. Regearing is actually a process where the pinion gears and ring gears of your vehicle will be changed into a different ratio while changing the balance of torque and speed.
Regearing will purely depend on how you use your vehicle on the road. If you are one of those owners who are only using your vehicle on the highway using small or even mid-sized tires, then regearing your vehicle into a taller setup will help in increasing the speed and fuel usage.
On the other hand, if you are a Jeep owner who likes to drive off the road, regearing will also help you in a number of ways. You can probably replace your tire with a larger set but will need you to install a shorter gear setup.
In replacing your tire, regearing is essential because improper gearing can result in more stress that can have a negative impact on your axle. Always remember that the drivetrain and the gearing will be responsible for balancing the torque and the speed.
However, you will probably opt for more speed if you like to drive the highway. If you want to off-roading your vehicle, then you will need more torque for crawling. In this situation, regearing is essential to satisfy your driving needs.
Step-By-Step Guide on Regearing a Jeep
Regearing the Jeep Wrangler is not for everyone. Unless you are very familiar and have some mechanical experience. I am not advising you to regear your Jeep on your own. It is highly recommended when installing a new pinion and ring gears.
If you have not done regearing before, do not attempt to do it on your own Jeep. This job requires in-depth knowledge to do it successfully. It is not about underestimating your capability, but you will need a lot of experience just to hit the correct setup during the regearing process.
Although this job does not need complicated tools, the magnitude of this job is bigger than someone inexperienced at this particular repair needs to tackle. If you want to learn, you can probably gain experience by helping other experienced mechanics regearing other vehicles. If you are inexperienced, do not attempt to regear your own Jeep on the first attempt.
Nevertheless, the step-by-step guide below will show the overall process of regearing a Jeep Wrangler:
- The initial step is to drain the differential’s gear oil.
- Then, you will need to remove the axle shafts.
- You will need to mark the main caps if you are not replacing them. This action will allow you to know which side they came from.
- Then, start cleaning all the new parts. You can also start removing any metal shaving within the carrier.
- You can start coating all the new bearings while sealing them with fresh gear oil.
- The next step is the installation of the ring gear into the carrier. It is a must to check the proper shimming and backlash during this step.
- After installing the ring gear, the pinion gear is next to be installed. During this step, you will also need to press on the carrier bearing to check for the proper bearing loads.
- Once everything is installed, you can now proceed with reinstalling the whole assembly to the differential housing,
Another important reminder when regearing your Jeep in a shop is that it will be better if you let them supply everything needed during the regearing process. These materials include the bearing, shims, and seals apart from the pinion gear, ring gear, and carrier. This action will get you an excellent warranty on their work and prevent them from blaming your parts if a problem occurs in the future.
Other Things to Remember when Regearing your Jeep Wrangler
Regearing your Jeep will help in improving its speed, fuel efficiency, and overall performance. When you are using your Jeep for off-roading activities or changing your tires, it will change the tire’s rotation, roll resistance, and diameter. It also increases the weight of the vehicle.
The tire diameter also affects how the drivetrain works in the vehicle. If it is bigger, it needs to work more. The more complex the drivetrain will work, the more it affects the movement of the vehicle. These changes will also bring more stress to the axle once the vehicle moves.
Because of this situation, it is a must for your Jeep to undergo regearing as it brings a lot of benefits to your vehicle regardless of how you use it. The proper regearing using the proper ratio will allow the Jeep to move with less stress on the axle resulting in improved speed, fuel efficiency, and improved performance.
Also, if you want to know how much to regear a jeep, I can say that it is not cheap. But it will all depend on the type of Jeep models you own and the type of regearing aspect that needs to be done. But it should cost you from $1200 to $3000, including the parts and the labor cost.
Conclusion
When learning how to regear a Jeep, it is essential to know the reason why you are doing it. Regearing will bring a lot of substantial benefits to your Jeep, but you must not do it on your own if you are not familiar with it. This job requires experience, and it will be better if you trust this vehicle maintenance to professionals and experienced individuals.