Revolution Gear & Axle Dana 44 Thick Gear Rear Axle 4.88 Ratio Dual Drilled Ring & Pinion Set
If you just stepped up to 33 or 35 inch tires on a Dana 44 rig and the truck now feels lazy off the line, hunts between gears on the highway and lugs on every grade, a 4.88 regear is usually the fix. This Revolution Gear and Axle D44-488TD set is a 4.88 ring and pinion for the standard-rotation Dana 44, cut with a thick ring gear so it bolts to the carrier your axle already has if it came with 3.73 or numerically lower gears. That means you can usually keep your existing open carrier, limited slip or locker instead of buying a new one just to go deeper.
The pinion takes driveshaft speed and the 8.5 inch ring gear turns it 90 degrees into the axle shafts. The tooth count ratio between them is your axle ratio: at 4.88 the driveshaft turns 4.88 times for every turn of the tire. Bigger tires effectively raise your gearing, so deeper gears give back the torque multiplication the factory designed around. On a Dana 44, the carrier comes in two mounting heights split at the 3.73/3.92 ratio break. Deep ratios like 4.88 normally need the taller 3.92-and-up carrier because the pinion head is so small; the thick gear moves that extra material into the ring gear so it fits the lower 3.73-and-down carrier instead. Per Revolution, this set is standard rotation, 26-spline pinion, 8620 steel, made in Korea, and dual drilled for either 3/8 or 7/16 ring gear bolts, so it matches both early and later Dana 44 carriers.
First, find your current ratio from the axle tag or by counting driveshaft turns per tire turn; our guide on regearing after bigger tires walks through the math. As a rough check, at 65 mph with 35 inch tires a 4.88 ratio turns about 3,050 rpm at a 1:1 transmission gear (mph x ratio x 336 / tire height), roughly 2,100-2,150 rpm in a typical 0.69-0.70 overdrive. Second, confirm the carrier break. If your Dana 44 came with 3.54 or 3.73 gears, this thick set fits your carrier. If it came with 3.92 or deeper, the carrier is the taller type and you want the standard-thickness 4.88 instead. The carrier break explainer covers how to tell them apart. If you are chasing a noise rather than a tire change, rule out bearings and spider gears using our Dana 44 problems and rebuild cost guide.
Revolution's fitment chart for the D44 thick gear family lists standard-rotation Dana 44 applications including 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ, 1986-1993 Cherokee XJ, 1986-1992 Comanche, 1960-1983 CJ5, 1986 CJ7, 1981-1985 Scrambler, 1974-1988 J10, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, 1971-1977 Ford Bronco, 1975-1978 F-150, 1959-1977 F-250, 1975-1980 K5 Blazer, 1974-1993 Ramcharger and 1994-2002 Ram 1500/2500. Not every one of those vehicles left the factory with a Dana 44 in that position, and options varied by year, so pull the axle tag or count the ring gear bolts and check your current ratio before ordering. It will not fit high-pinion (reverse-rotation) front Dana 44s or the JK and JL Dana 44 variants. Send us your year and VIN if you want a second check, or browse the rest of our ring and pinion and hard parts.
Gear setup is precision work. Revolution's published Dana 44 numbers are a 0.042 inch starting pinion shim, 14-19 in-lb pinion bearing preload with new bearings, 0.006-0.010 inch backlash, ring gear bolts at 55 or 75 ft-lb depending on bolt size, and 60 ft-lb on the bearing caps. Paint the teeth and read the contact pattern (our backlash and pinion depth guide shows what good looks like) on both drive and coast before final assembly. Always fit new pinion and carrier bearings, a new crush sleeve and pinion seal; a Dana 44 overhaul kit such as the Yukon master overhaul kit covers that. If you are running 35s hard, it is also a good time to look at chromoly 30-spline axle shafts. Regear both axles to the same ratio on a 4x4. Break the gears in with non-synthetic 80W-90 or 85W-140 GL-5, short cool-down drives for the first 100 miles, and a fluid change at 500 miles; see our Dana 35 vs Dana 44 comparison if you are deciding whether to keep the axle at all. Going bigger than 35s? Compare the 5.38 thick-gear set or step down to the 4.10 thick-gear set for milder tire sizes.
| Brand | Revolution Gear & Axle |
| Part number | D44-488TD |
| Fits | Revolution Gear & Axle Dana 44 Thick Gear Rear Axle 4.88 Ratio Dual Drilled Ring & Pinion Set |
| Type | Ring & Pinions |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yes, that is the point of the thick gear. Revolution states the thick ring gear fits 3.73 and numerically lower carriers, so a Dana 44 that came with 3.54 or 3.73 gears can keep its carrier, limited slip or locker.
No. An axle with 3.92 or deeper factory gears has the taller carrier, and a thick 4.88 ring gear will not set up correctly on it. Order a standard-thickness 4.88 set for that carrier.
It is a common choice for 33-35 inch tires, depending on transmission, engine and how the rig is used. Use mph x ratio x 336 divided by tire height to check cruise rpm in your top gear before ordering.
The ring gear has holes for both 3/8 and 7/16 ring gear bolts, so it matches either size Dana 44 carrier. Use bolts of the size your carrier is threaded for and torque them to the matching spec.
New pinion and carrier bearings, races, crush sleeve, pinion seal and ring gear bolts. A master overhaul kit for your Dana 44 covers all of it, and you will need the shims to set pinion depth and backlash.
Revolution recommends non-synthetic 80W-90 or 85W-140 GL-5 for break-in, then change it at 500 miles. Add friction modifier if you have a clutch-type limited slip.
