Toyota gearing

fryedaddy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem
I have a couple of questions. I bought my Touota yesturday and drove it home. It has the stock gearing for an 1989 Toyota with the 22r motor and 5 speed. My brother put a three inch lift and a three inch body lift on it. I was wondering from some of your experience if you could tell me if this is normal or not. It's not to sluggish for 1-3 if I'm on the gas hard. If I'm going up a steep grade I will have to gear down to third. Not so steep and I can leav it in Fourth. Any grade at all and it will have to come out of fifth unless I have enough speed built up. It will pickup speed in fifth if I'm on level ground though. The truck has 200,000 on it but everything has been rebuilt or replaced by my Brother and Dad. My dad is an expert mechanic and me and my brother are very good as well. They rebuilt the Engine, Trans, and Transfer. I know 33's are big tires for the 22r has everyone else experienced the same thing with a like combo? I also have another question about the SAS as I plan to do this in the future. After looking at the front end and the install instructions on the web I wondered about travel. Unlike most solid axle frames(my experience) our Toyota's are straight in the front axle area doesn't that limit upward travel? I don't have much experience with IFS just wondered. :huggy:
 
Seems about right for any truck with stock gearing and 33's. For my Chevies and their 350's, it never seemed to be a problem, but I never did much more wheeling than Uwharrie and power line trails around Raleigh (yeah, yeah, I know). Am I correct in saying that with the removable 3rds of a Yota, a regear can be done quite cheaply to fix this issue for you?

Paul
 
4.88's are a great gear for a 33/35 IMO. You've got 4.10's right now. (5.29's are notably weaker anyway)

I drove one with 33's, a header, mild cam, and exhaust, and it drove very well.

Paul - it's just as much work for a removable third member. Still gotta drain it, pull the shafts, and pull the third, instead of drain, pull shafts, and pull the cover.
 
Thanks for the replies. Gearing is in my future I figured it would be about right but I remembers someone saying they got around fine with the exact same setup. I think they might have had a header and exhaust but thats still only 20 ponies at the most.
 
Yeah you will want to get gears. I have an 85' p/u with a 22re from an 88'. It has a header, 2 1/4 exhuast and msd ignition stuff. Before it was regeared I ran 33's with the stock 4.10 (with the above stuff) and it did ok on the road. Now, it has 4.88's and moves much better on the road and trail. Feels fast, even when I am going through the mountains I only downshift into 4th every once in a while. I just put in a cam 2 weeks ago and it feels very healthy, no problem going up hills or anything.
 
On my 93 I had the exact same thing with the stock 4.10's and 33's. I did all the mods before gears. That is to say headers, free flow exhuast, larger fly wheel and clutch, maf mods, and slightly hotter spark plugs. All those mods helped but it was still very under powered. Then I got 5.29's with the 33's...... Around town and on the trail it kicks ass!! But on the highway running over 3 grand to keep up with traffic sucks! My next tire size will be true 35's.

4.88's and 33's = perfect.

If I were you get the gears 1st, then do the other mods, the gears will make the biggest difference, and if you look around used thirds with gears already set up can be found.
 
I would almost lean more towards the 5.29s if you are planning on running 35s in the near future. You will turn a little more RPM on the highway....but as soon as you hit any kind of grade....you will be glade you have them

As far as being weak...i dont think they are. Its all personal opinion though. I run 38 TSL with 200+ crawl ratio, locked.....and havent had a problem. And I have been know to got on the skinny pedal once in a while. (i also have the 4cly thirds too..)

Seth
 
I ran stock gears and 33's for a long time with a header, free flow exhaust, and intake. It lacked on power in the high gears also. I switched to 4.88's and 35's and it did not gain much on the top end. If you want all your power back you will have to go to the 5.29.

I did my SAS, it was the best mod I've done. The front axle is too far away from the frame rail for it to be a problem. Your tires will get into the fenders well before the spring hits the frame. The frame actually is curved if you look between where you mount the shackles and front perches.
 
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