5.29 gears with 35s?

Sorry , Late to the conversation but was wondering if there were any cons to 5.29 since more revolutions per minute? Is it harder on the engine, or would it not make much of a difference?

 

It doesn’t hurt the engine. The extra rpm makes for less load. In return the ecu adds more toning and pills fuel. This makes more power and better mpg. Plus it reduced ‘ping’ which is better for the motor.

 

Would you feel a differnce going from 32" to 33" but im reducing unsprung weight by 7lb per wheel because the tire will be 41lb

 

need to save up for these!

 

Im in the same boat

 

Yes. The ecu will notice slower wheel speed in relation to the rear of the engine sensors. This decreased wheel speed is perceived as more load. With more load the ecu pulls timing and adds fuel. Both things reduces horsepower.

 

Is there any concern for the pinion being too small on the 5.29's?

I am running 35" tires and have an AT Overland Summit on order, probably going to change front bumper out and add a winch so I will be running a pretty heavy overland build. Been reading everything you write and am sold on 5.29 gears, just wondering about the pinion.

 

@pvmike Are you still happy with the setup? I am also supercharged and want to go to 5.29 with 34" tires, I just cant pull the trigger as I cant imagine what it will feel like. Is it TOO jumpy off the line and in low gears?

Can you post more about your experience with the 5.29's?

Thanks!

 

Ive got 5.29s with 35s. Speedo reads 5% slower than gps speed. Highway cruising at 70 mph is 2000 rpm with no gear hunting. The truck drives like it has stock wheels again.

 

Thanks @baddoggy Do you think the 5.29 would too much with 34's? I do a mixture of city and fast highwat driving. Dont want it to be TOO jumpy.

 

No jumpiness, it just has that stock peppiness without having to bury the throttle.

 

Thanks

 

It doesn't feel the same as using tow/haul mode is it? I have a pedal commander now for throttle response since I didn't like the shift point of tow/haul.
The commander makes it "feel" more peppy at least

 

First off, congrats on the beautiful truck and build. I see you're running a Harrop supercharger with a Pedal Commander - awesome! That sounds like a great combo.

To answer your question, it is not too jumpy off the line. In fact, it's the opposite; I still turn off all traction control if I want to accelerate quickly from a stop. The Auburn Pro helps lessen the amount of interference from the traction control, but it still cuts in at the worst time. Changing to 5.29's didn't change the throttle sensitivity (tip-in still sucks), so I have wondered if a Pedal Commander would help. Tow/haul mode is too sensitive and makes smooth driving impossible.

Overall, I would say I'm satisfied with the 5.29s. But an unintended consequence to installing them with 33's is that the top speed is just over 100. The gas just cuts off when you hit the speed limiter, now at only 102 or so. Feels like you're hitting an imaginary wall. I have a Bullydog and would have installed it if it removed the speed limiter, but having the CA emissions compliant TRD tune with the TRD supercharger makes things easier for me. So I've been thinking about going with a lightweight wheel and a 34-35 inch tire.

 

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you would love the pedal commander. I only have to set it on City mode (lowest mode other than Eco) in order to get the throttle response that I want.

It sounds like 5.29s will be good for me. Now just have to decide on the Auburn LSD... I actually like the open diff and its it's been working fine, but with the SC it seems like the biggest benefit I'd get from the Auburn is increased strength. My driving conditions are probably different here, but the Would get it again if you had the choice?

Other than top speed, have you found any other negatives to installing the 5.29s or Auburn LSD?

 

Actually the lowered top speed was only an issue for me during the post apocalyptic, early quarantine days when roads were clear and driving was fun. Now LA traffic is back to normal, i.e. it's a shit show again, so it doesn't matter.

Otherwise, there are no negatives to installing the 5.29 gears and Auburn LSD except for the cost. I distinctly recall thinking that the gearing felt about right (maybe slightly over geared for 33's) and the LSD helped with wheel hop and traction, but it wasn't cheap and I didn't feel an overwhelming difference. But then again I haven't driven a stock Tundra in a long time, so I've probably just gotten used to the power and capability. The supercharger does most of the heavy lifting, so gears and LSD were incremental improvements vs. a night and day difference. Mods like sway bars and even the TRD Pro shift knob are things that greatly improve the driving experience at little cost in comparison. It sounds like the Pedal Commander would be a similar cheap mod with a great benefit.

Would I install them again? Yup.

 

Well... you talked me into it!

What weight/type gear oil did you use after the break in? Did you do first change around 1,000 miles?

Probably be a couple months, but I'll post an update once it gets done. While it's in the shop I'll probably have them do:
- Nitro 5.29 gears
- Auburn LSD
- Body Mount Chop (just to be safe with clearance when off road with 34"s)
- SPC UCA'S (current alignment is in spec, but I'm hoping these will help slightly with ride quality)
- front bumper spacer (for extra clearance once tires are pushed forward with additional caster adjustment)

I can't think of any other useful mods that are urgent to do after all that (already have sway bars and TRD shift knob)

 

Good choice!

Honestly I don't remember what weight oil was used after the break in.

I haven't yet done a BMC or bumper spacer but plan to do so in the future. I am running SPC UCAs. I don't think they made a difference in ride quality but they obviously helped with increasing caster. What did make a difference for me in ride quality was suspension (TRD Pro Bilstein) and Coachbuilder shackles. I have a +1 shackle that I feel has helped with bed bounce and makes the rear feel more planted. What kind of suspension are you running?

 

Stock suspension with in coil spacer for 2.5" lift front and 1.25" block in the back. My TRD Sport came with the Bilstein 4600s.

I know I could do better, but since the truck is new (still only 6K miles) I was going to wait until about 50K and do front coilovers. Maybe I should be doing the suspension before the gears? Right now I am probably 70% city driving, 25% highway, 5% light off road driving.

I could probably do the CB rear shackle with the gears and still be within a reasonable budget. Looks like I would need the +2 to get the same 1.25" I have now.

What came with the TRD Pro Bilstein suspension?

 

The TRD Pro suspension used to be made by Bilstein but is now made by Fox. It provides for a 2 inch front lift, no lift in back, and is a much more compliant ride.

Upgrading from your spacer lift should help your ride more than any other modification. Retail on the Pro suspension is too high vs alternatives from King/Fox/ADS/Icon, but if you can find a set of take offs for around $1500 then it's a worthwhile upgrade. Another popular and reasonably priced alternative is the Bilstein 6112/5160 combo. That will get you the same 2.5 inch lift in front that you have now and a better ride.

 

I may have to do that before the gears. I thought the rough ride was just due to my first set of tires that would not balance, but I just got the AT3s and it is still pretty rough.

Shoot! Now I better start searching the lift and suspension forums again.
I may just do the 6112/5160 and keep the blocks in the back.

But.. if I'm going to spend the money, the stage 1 kings, icon etc. all seem pretty close in price.

The Toytec BOSS kit also has a lot of good reviews and has a 2.0 or 2.5 version.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

Tagging along.

 

@pvmike I know this is the wrong thread, but I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Toytec BOSS 2.0 coilover and rear shocks kit as well as SPC UCA's.

Didnt want to replace the new shocks and springs so soon, but the ride quality is important to me. Once this is done, I will probably do the gears in a month or so

 

I have no experience with that setup, but I don't think I've ever heard them described as soft or plush. If there is one thing I've learned from modding my vehicles, it's this: buy once, cry once.

 

Ive heard a lot of people call it smooth, which I think is what I am looking for...

 

Hey I got a question for you. Did you end up going 5.29, with 35s? Where did you get it done and where did you get the Harrop SC installed at?

 

I did go with the 5.29 and am on 34" tires. I am glad I did, if I would have paid all the money and gone with 4.88's it would not have felt worth it.

Keith @dirtydeeds helped me decide and I ordered the gears through him. I also installed a PowerTrax GripPRO. I don't really do burnouts, but the GripPRO seems to be working good. I had them installed at a place called Altitude Off-road in Castle Rock. The usually work on Tacoma's, but the gears seem to be working good.

For the Harrop install I drove all the way to Gunnison Tire and Auto, as they have done about 5 other installs. The instructions look easy enough, but I wanted a shop that had done the exact install before.

 

Nice thanks for the info. It might be a bit ago but how much did the install for the Harrop cost you?

 

Hey man, you are the same user on vf forum that dyno 570whp right?

 

Nitro themselves recommended 4.88 on 35s. I called and asked. But I think it all depends on how you drive the truck. I do a lot of highway driving so I’m going with 4.88 on 35s. If you do a lot of off-roading you’re better off with 5.29 gears on 35s I think.