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5.38 options?

451 views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  propped1 
#1 ·
2008 JK "x", 47rle. Hpd30 front axle. Are there no vendors selling 5.38's any more? If I really want 5.38, am I going to have to swap housings?
 
#2 ·
No longer available for a D30 that I am aware of. Only one manufacturer made them for a short period. 5.13 is the best you'll find. 5.38 is available for the D44.
 
#3 ·
5.38 is too deep of a gear for a D30. Numerically higher ratios are weaker. On a small diameter ring gear, the teeth end up having to be small with 5.38. If you need 5.38 gears, chances are you need something beefier than a D30 anyway.

I ran 5.13 gears on my 2007 Sahara when I had it. I had 315/70-17 tires and the craptastic automatic transmission.

Yukon gear is a very good brand.
 
#4 ·
Yea - right when I got addicted to 6.8 in my GM12 setups for half mile circles - Richmond stopped production. material being too thin makes for an easy failure - the slightest bit off on install setup, doesn't just shorten life it kill it.

I was able to order em special cut (and I think they produce them again but very limited warranty - pretty much "warranty void as soon as you look at them." At least Yukon and others tried before pulling the plug. Could be worse. Takata files bankruptcy because they had to replace 85% of the product they delivered at 30 margin. duh margin just went to negative 40! Who is surprised?
 
#5 ·
jwmbishop said:
Yea - right when I got addicted to 6.8 in my GM12 setups for half mile circles - Richmond stopped production. material being too thin makes for an easy failure - the slightest bit off on install setup, doesn't just shorten life it kill it. I was able to order em special cut (and I think they produce them again but very limited warranty - pretty much "warranty void as soon as you look at them." At least Yukon and others tried before pulling the plug. Could be worse. Takata files bankruptcy because they had to replace 85% of the product they delivered at 30 margin. duh margin just went to negative 40! Who is surprised?
What?
 
#6 ·
I used to run 6.80:1 with transmission in 4, while the favored (because it was easier) setup was 4.10 with transmission in 2 (stock housing rules - no quick change or pass through pinions). I did this because I could run a less expensive engine and keep up with deeper pockets. Richmond gear made em and they were off the shelf sets. BUT while .005 off on a 4.10 lash would work, same error a 6.80 would have too much heel and chip the gears. Put that into warranty dollars for the folks who go "close enough" rather than bullseye. No longer profitable. So Richmond made anything above 6.1ish special order limited warranty.

The takata analogy is to show how once fail rate hits a certain point, the reparation cost eats all profit and then some. If you make a 30% profit on what you sell and have to replace 70% of em, your done and then some!

The d30 base diameters are just too close to impossible for RELIABLE 5.38 set.
 
#9 ·
Dont put higher than a 4.88 in a 30. Taller you go, the smaller the pinion material gets. Probably stopped making 5.38 because they kept replacing them. If you want 5.38, a 60 ring gear is what you want. 5.13 in a 44 and 4.88 in a 30. Is this hard and fast? No. Just experience from my wheeling buddies. A 5.38 on the street would be miserable as well.
 
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