3.50 gears, 33's and 3 speed manual...bad idea or o.k.?

[Flatheadpopup]

I'm sure that this combo will work o.k. around town and on flat highway but does anyone have experience with 3.50 gears 33" tires and a 3 speed manual going up and down Ute pass (I have a stock 289)? I want to be able to take my Bronco up the pass to go fishing and don't want to be rowing the transmission the whole time. Its an uncut/luber build with no plans to ever wheel it hard. Regearing and or transmission swaps are out of the equation at the moment but I would be willing to go with a 31 tire if the 33's gonna suck for my combo. So, what do you guys think?

[Gunnibronco]

I don't know Ute pass, or your 289, but I'm running a 302, 33s 3.50s w/a NP435 (similar 2nd/3rd/4th gears to the 3 spd 1st/2nd/3rd). I'm guessing your only hope for anything off road is in 4 low. 3.50s are considered under geared for a 302/33" combo, most choose 4.11s. I'd consider a smaller tire. I use my 6.69:1 1st gear and 4 low a lot, I wouldn't consider my combo with a 3 spd.

Most of my suggestion is based on my guess at how a 289 runs, if you had a 302 I'd say you'd be ok w/33's & 3.50s, for what you want/need.

[sbolt19]

I made that trip an awful lot with that setup but substitute the 289 with a 302. It was a little tough to keep the RPMs up high enough & I was always shifting. Mine ran up Ute really well with 31s, a whole helluva lot better than it did with 33s. If you want to go with 33s you really need to look at a gear swap with the original 3 speed. Not saying that it can't be done, because I did to it, but it just isn't real fun shifting all the time.

[Flatheadpopup]

Exactly what I needed to hear. If you were shifting all the time I would be too. 31's are an easier fit with my uncut fenders too but I do like the way 33's fill out the front fenders a little better. I'm just going to go with the 31's and be done with it...not many 33x10.5 selections available anyways. Thanks for the input guys.

[Rox Crusher]

31 wouldn't be bad..............

does anybody make a 32" anymore ?

[Flatheadpopup]

Yeah, 32's aren't too hard to find-but with the 11.5 sidewall I wonder if they would create an issue with my uncut rear fenders? Everything else I have been looking at had a 10.5 or lower width...I may have to look into this further. Thanks

[Kinder]

Yeah, 32's aren't too hard to find-but with the 11.5 sidewall I wonder if they would create an issue with my uncut rear fenders? Everything else I have been looking at had a 10.5 or lower width...I may have to look into this further. Thanks

I'm no LUBR driver, but from those who do drive them the 10.5 width seems to work really well, especially at 33" tall they have very minimal rub. I guess it depends on your rims, original? I'd go with what I know works, i.e. 10.5 width.

[Flatheadpopup]

Yeah, 32's aren't too hard to find-but with the 11.5 sidewall I wonder if they would create an issue with my uncut rear fenders? Everything else I have been looking at had a 10.5 or lower width...I may have to look into this further. Thanks

I'm no LUBR driver, but from those who do drive them the 10.5 width seems to work really well, especially at 33" tall they have very minimal rub. I guess it depends on your rims, original? I'd go with what I know works, i.e. 10.5 width.

I have a set of the Jeep Renegade slots waiting to go on it...I think they are 15x7 or something along those lines. All I know is that they are popular with the luber crowd and I scored mine off craigslist for cheap

[Brianut]

As a luber guy I can tell you with 3.5" lift and the BFG 33x10.5 and 4.11's and 3 spd it does pretty good.
you will rub when you start getting flexy off road.
I have late model F150/Bronco stock alum wheels and they are 7.5"s wide.

Do you have your33" tires already? from the pic it looks like you might.
I have considered cutting and going 35" or at least 12.5" wide 33's, in that case I would need 4.56 gears and would have a set of 4.11's available.....

[Flatheadpopup]

As a luber guy I can tell you with 3.5" lift and the BFG 33x10.5 and 4.11's and 3 spd it does pretty good.
you will rub when you start getting flexy off road.
I have late model F150/Bronco stock alum wheels and they are 7.5"s wide.

Do you have your33" tires already? from the pic it looks like you might.
I have considered cutting and going 35" or at least 12.5" wide 33's, in that case I would need 4.56 gears and would have a set of 4.11's available.....

That is the way it looks now at stock height with 30x9.5's. I have a 3.5" lift that I am getting ready to install. Right now I'm just trying to decide which way I want to go with it as far as tire size but I'll probably just go with 31's to keep costs down--gotta keep some money in the Mustang fund too.

[sbolt19]

The other thing you can do to get clearance in the wheel wells so the tire doesn't bite the rear fenders is to cut & bend the inner fender lip flat against the inside of the fender. Most of the time, when you get hung up and eat metal, it's that inner lip that gets snagged. That lip is what, 1/2" wide?? It also gives you clearance to go with a slightly wider tire (i.e. 10.5) than having to search and find the 9.5 width.

[Flatheadpopup]

sbolt19 I couldn't agree more about the fender lips...I had already given mine the hammer/dolly treatment for added clearance on my small tires.

[airbur]

....I have a set of the Jeep Renegade slots waiting to go on it...I think they are 15x7 or something along those lines. All I know is that they are popular with the luber crowd and I scored mine off craigslist for cheap

What bolt pattern? Bronco is 5x5.5.

[cracker]

FYI.. BFG A/T come in a 33/9.50/15 size, as I have a set sitting in my garage. That would help alot with the unsprung weight. There is alot of difference in weight between the 9.50 and the 10.50 width.

[Flatheadpopup]

....I have a set of the Jeep Renegade slots waiting to go on it...I think they are 15x7 or something along those lines. All I know is that they are popular with the luber crowd and I scored mine off craigslist for cheap

What bolt pattern? Bronco is 5x5.5.

Yep, they are off an old cj5 which has the same 5x5.5 pattern and a good offset for the luber Broncos. A big plus is that they are forged instead of being cast like most slots are.

[Flatheadpopup]

FYI.. BFG A/T come in a 33/9.50/15 size, as I have a set sitting in my garage. That would help alot with the unsprung weight. There is alot of difference in weight between the 9.50 and the 10.50 width.

I love those tires but they are on national backorder from BFG. My original plan was to run the 33x9.5s but they are next to impossible to find new. I wouldn't mind a used set if they were in good shape...wanna get rid of yours?