Diffs: re-gearing & lockers
 

While away in America I’m thinking of doing some shopping for the old girl -some souvenirs!

I've been contemplating upgrading the gears, chucking in a locker and a slapping on a good diff cover.

What I have now:
• 2007 JKU Automatic
• 3.8 Petrol engine
• 33” BFG KM2 tyres on Pro Comp steel rims 5” offset
• 4.11 Gears
• D30 front
• D44 rear
• Averaging 14L/100km

What I Want it for:
• Currently do decent rock crawling, mud, dunes etc.
• My daily driver but will be thinking of doing Cape next year
• 75% DD, 25% off-road (unfortunate but time doesn’t allow more)
• Better economy and off-road performance (not a total dog on the road)
• It’s unlikely I will go to 35”s and above due to cost to engineer and maintain. But option if things go well next year.

Scenario 1 (air locker overhaul: gears, lockers, diff covers)
• Nitro 5.13 full gear kit (front / rear)
• ARB D30 27 spline air locker
• Riddler front and rear diff covers
• ARB air compressor

Scenario 2 (electronic locker overhaul: gears, lockers, diff covers)
• Nitro 5.13 full gear kit (front / rear)
• Eaton Dana 30 E-locker 27spline
• Riddler front and rear diff covers

Scenario 3 (el budget: lockers, diff covers)
• Eaton Dana 30 E-locker 27spline
• Riddler front and rear diff covers

This will be my first rodeo with gears and lockers so please give your 2c and about your experiences!

• What gear ratio should I get?
• Do I even need upgrade on ratios?
• What locker type is best? (e vs air)
• Is this everything I will need to hand over to the mechanic

Dude 5.13's on 33's will have you revving the tits off the 3.8 at highway speeds so economy will be rubbish but it will have awesome pick up and be a weapon offroad on the technical stuff. If you go to deep low range sand will be hard work as well. I like the ease of an E locker but air lockers are popular.

Diffs: re-gearing & lockers
 

Yeah wasn't quite sure with the ratio number. Looked at charts and what people have said on forums and seems like magic numbers are 4.56, 4.88 or 5.13.

I'd need something great now, but could handle 35's if the time came.

4.88?


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4.56 is all you need for 33's 4.88 will be snappy and perfect when you upgrade to 35's but the Dana 30 will need other stuff to handle 35's it gets spend real quick

4.88 will probably be fine for 35s. 5.13 are popular in the U.S. where they do lots of rock crawling, or go to 37s & bigger.

Diffs: re-gearing & lockers
 

I'm running 4:88 with 35's, If I did it again I would go 5:13's to give better performance around town & off road, not real happy with the 4:88's

Yetiboy is yours auto or manual? Sport or Rubicon?