Trying to choose between 4.88 and 5.29 gears

As the title suggests, I am trying to make the best choice for my specific situation. I have a Magnuson supercharged 2020 4x4 Crewmax with 285/75R18 (34.8”diameter) Falken Wild Peak all-terrain tires mounted on it. Has anyone with similar sized tires installed aftermarket gears on their Tundra, and if so, what recommendations could you offer? After asking around so far, it’s been about a 50/50 split between the two gear ratios. Additionally, are all gears created equal? I have heard most people recommend Nitro Gears and also a couple suggestions for Sierra Gear.
I also plan on having a LSD installed at the same time as the new gears. Any recommendations for an upgraded LSD? From what I have gathered so far, Auburn should be avoided. Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions!

 

I vote 5.29's. Not a big difference in engine RPM's, but maximum fun factor and superior towing advantages.

 

The 285/75R18 is my favorite tire on our trucks. Extremely capable with the Pro suspension.

Is there a reason you’re choosing the LSD rather than a rear locker?

 

I was on the fence of 5.29 or 4.88 with 37s. I went with 5.29s and it was awesome. If I had 35's (plans on the next build) I would do 5.29 again. If you're in there, might as well get top performance and never regret not going more aggressive. The difference in rpm isn't that much and your truck even supercharged is meant to go quick not fast.

 

My setup is (nearly) identical to you. 2008 with 285/75R18s and Magnuson supercharged. I went 5.29s, and it's absolutely awesome. 4.88s are a minimal improvement imo, 5.29s are the real party and you're not sacrificing that much rpm for them. At 80mph indicated I'm at 2600rpm, and I can hit 100+ mph in 5th gear while cruising up the steepest hills in 6th gear without making boost. Plus the stop light acceleration is in the low 4s range, she fucks. 4.88s are a half assed gear, go with the 5.29s. I got Revolution Gears because of a group buy, but I have zero complaints with them and they are as quiet as the stock gears. I got a Powertrax LSD at the same time, and it's perfect for onroad use. Punch the gas and it'll lock up the rear and let you drift through an intersection like there's nothing to it, yet it doesn't make any noise or bind up at full crank in parking lots. Never had an auburn but I read horror stories of them wearing out after a one wheel burn out, which is why I went with the powertrax which claims to be (more) mechanically driven so can't "burn up" and so far it has held up absolutely great (and that's running synthetic fluid in it which they don't recommend). Can't tell it's there until you need it. It's a far cry from a locker for offroading, you really need to put some torque through it to make it start to engage so it's not great for crawling, but if you're not rock crawling and hanging a tire in the air then it's perfect for onroad and dirt roads.

5.29s + blower + LSD is the tits

 

I hate to admit it, but my truck is driven on paved roads 99% of the time. I don’t feel like I can really justify getting a true locker.

 

had me sold when I read this

 

I ordered 5.29 from sdhq begining of the month...8-10 weeks wait time they said

 

This reply is more than I could have asked for! Did you install new gears before or after the supercharger?

 

I have heard stories recently of guys ordering and paying in-full for gears last October… and they still haven’t received them yet.

 

After, literally identical to your current position had the blower for like 2 years before, then got the gears and LSD about a year ago.

 

I have gotten three quotes that were all similar…
$1800-$1900 for labor (front and rear)
$1400-$1900 for gears (depending on brand)
$750 for the PowerTrax LSD
I’m looking at $4500+ for gears… would you say it’s a significant difference? Is it worth the cost?

 

Just do 5.29 and be done.
You’ll never regret it.

 

If you want stock drivability get 5.29 for 37s or 4.88 for 35s. If you actually use your truck get e-lockers front and rear while you are at it.

 

Where does one order this from? Do they give gear oil specs? Also, is the install adventurous DIY friendly?

 

Can be ordered easily from several vendors with a simple google search.

Gear oil is relevant to differential type, not gear size.

No this is not a DIY job. It's one of the most precise things that needs to be CORRECT on a vehicle, very easy to F up, and you need a lot of speciality tools to do it right, as well as a lot of know-how. I have been wrenching for decades and still take my diffs in to be done at the shop.

You can, however, pull your diffs and save half the install cost by dropping it off vs. the whole truck.

 

Thank you. Of course, as soon as I post "where can I buy" I find the diffs at DirtyDeeds

 

any reason you feel the need for a gear upgrade? What type of driving are you planning for? Towing?

 

I ordered from them in October, don’t let them fool you with that 8-10 weeks bs I called them last week with no estimated eta still. I ended up paying a little more for sierra gears from Keith at dirty deeds and they were in my doorstep in three days

 

What does the 4.88/5.29 do in respect to actual hand calculated mpg?

I've read guys with 5.29s saying they get 8mpg and others saying they are getting 15mpg on 37s.

I'd think higher rpm= less mpg but less load= more... So maybe it's just dependent on each vehicle.

Just looking to see generally if these help or hurt

 

I’m in that boat, nitro is a joke at this point. They got bought out by day star and the customer service has gone into the toilet…

 

That's about what mine cost. It is definitely a significant difference, almost on par with the supercharger in my opinion. Whether that's worth it to you is your call. I did it so I'd have the LSD and better towing performance, but at the end of the day it made everything more enjoyable and the truck feels a lot lighter and more nimble you could say since it puts so much torque to the ground.

I maybe saw a small drop in mileage. I wouldn't say it helped, at most it was a 0.5mpg loss but there's so many variables hard to say it was from the higher rpm. What I can say is you're not spinning 25% faster and getting 25% worse mileage, if I got worse it's so small it's a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the gears.

 

Going from stock gears/33s to 4.88/35s I didn't lose any MPGs... but I'm also not a degenerate flooring it from light to light around town in a full size truck on skateboard wheels. I wanted trail clearance that 35s provide and I did the gears because I was going into the diffs for lockers anyway.

 

I was able to get gears and front/rear e-lockers for 5k installed. I’d keep shopping or wait for a deal if you’re not in a rush.

OP, like others have said, go 5.29s. All the upside and zero downside.

 

When did you order your gears from Dirty Deeds? I gave them a call and Keith recommended the Sierra Gears, but they seemed significantly more expensive than the Nitro Gears. The Sierra Gears are $1900 and the Nitro Gears are about $1400.

 

A mere drop in the bucket...buy once, cry once...smile more!

 

Keith from dirty deeds knows more about tundras than anyone. I'll make his life and yours easy.

33.5 and below, 4.88
34+, 5.29

 

The sierras are about 500 more but after speaking with Keith I felt good about the purchase as he stated the quality of gears was superior with sierra’s. I ordered Friday of last week and received them yesterday. I live in texas so very very quick turnaround

 

If you do a little searching on this forum you’ll find out that the 5.29 Nitro gears whine at certain speeds - I know mine do. I believe your tires are pretty quiet on the road so the whining will definitely bug the shit out of you. If I could I’d go with something other than Nitro.

 

Dang it