Spicer 3.73 ring and pinion set (41-11 teeth, 26-spline pinion, 8-bolt ring) for Dana 35 rear axles, OEM number D35-373, stock or mild regear.
A Dana 35 that howls on the highway, or a Cherokee XJ, Wrangler YJ or TJ, or Grand Cherokee ZJ that went to 30 or 31 inch tires and now feels flat pulling up an on-ramp, is usually a job for a 3.73 gear set. The Spicer 2020481, catalogued as D35-373, is a new 3.73 ring and pinion for the original Dana 35 rear axle. Many of these Jeeps left the factory with 3.55 or 3.73 gears, so this set can either restore a tired factory 3.73 axle or take a 3.07 or 3.55 axle one step deeper without the high cruising rpm of a 4.10 or 4.56.
The rear driveshaft spins the pinion, and the pinion drives the ring gear bolted to the differential carrier. With 41 teeth on the ring and 11 on the pinion, the driveshaft turns 3.73 times for every turn of the rear tires. This set is standard rotation, with an 8-bolt ring gear and a 26-spline pinion for the yoke. In the Dana 35 the gear mesh is also what carries the load into a fairly small ring gear and C-clip axle shafts, so worn or poorly set up gears are one of the first things to start whining once tires and weight go up.
Noise can also come from the pinion bearings or the carrier bearings, which is the most common Dana 35 complaint covered in our Dana 35 problems and upgrade guide. A bearing growl usually stays the same whether you are on or off the throttle, while gear whine changes with load.
First make sure the rear axle really is a Dana 35. XJ, TJ and ZJ models were also built with a Dana 44 or a Chrysler 8.25 in the rear, and none of those share gears. Read the current ratio off the axle tag, or follow our guide to finding your axle ratio and code. Then decide on ratio honestly: 3.73 suits stock to 31 inch tires on a daily driver. If you are running 33s or bigger, the Spicer Dana 35 4.88 set is the better match. Summit Racing catalogs this gear as a 3-series carrier set, so if your Jeep came with a much lower numerical ratio, check that your carrier takes this pinion before you order.
This set fits the standard-rotation Dana 35 rear used under the 1990-2006 Jeep Cherokee XJ, Wrangler YJ and non-Rubicon TJ, and the 1993-1998 Grand Cherokee ZJ when equipped with the Dana 35. It does not fit the 2018-up Wrangler JL Dana 35 M200, which has its own gears such as the JL Dana 35 gear package. Year breaks and carrier ranges vary inside these models, so compare tooth count, the 8-bolt ring gear pattern and the 26-spline pinion with your old parts, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. More differential parts are on our hard parts page.
On a 4WD Jeep the front axle has to match. If you are changing the rear ratio, order a 3.73 set for the front Dana 30 at the same time or the transfer case will bind in four-wheel drive. Because the Dana 35 is a C-clip axle, pull the cross pin and clips before the shafts and carrier come out, and mark the bearing caps side to side. These gears come without bearings, so pair them with the Dana 35 master bearing kit or the Timken Dana 35 master kit for new pinion and carrier bearings, races, crush sleeve, shims and seal. Revolution Gear's setup chart lists a 0.045 in starting pinion depth, 12-15 in-lb pinion bearing preload, 0.006-0.010 in backlash, and 55 ft-lb on the ring gear bolts and the caps. Read the drive and coast pattern with marking compound before closing the cover, fill with 75W-90 gear oil (add friction modifier for a limited slip), and follow our ring and pinion break-in procedure before any towing.
| Part number | |
| OEM number | |
| Axle | |
| Ratio | |
| Pinion spline | |
| Ring gear bolts | |
| Ring gear diameter | |
| Pinion shaft | |
| Weight |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
For a 4.0L XJ on 30 to 31 inch tires driven mostly on the street, 3.73 is a common choice and keeps highway rpm reasonable. If you plan to go to 33s or tow regularly, a deeper ratio like 4.10 or 4.56 makes more sense.
No. The JL rear is the Dana 35 M200 with a larger ring gear and different pinion. This Spicer set is for the earlier Dana 35 used under XJ, YJ, TJ and ZJ models.
Worn or pitted factory gears whine and eventually fail. Replacing them with a new 3.73 set keeps the speedometer, shift points and front axle ratio unchanged, so only the rear needs work.
A Dana 35 master bearing kit with pinion and carrier bearings, races, crush sleeve, shims and pinion seal, new ring gear bolts with thread locker, marking compound and 75W-90 gear oil. Do not reuse the old pinion bearings.
Usually not if your axle is already in the 3.54 and up range. If your Jeep came with a lower ratio such as 3.07, check your carrier against this gear before ordering, because Dana 35 carriers are split by ratio range.
