Posted on 11/28/2025
Bigger tires, heavier armor, and steeper trails make many Land Cruiser owners think about gearing. The goal is simple, get usable torque off-road without ruining highway manners. Because Cruisers use both a transfer case low range and axle ring-and-pinion gears, you have more than one path to the right crawl ratio. Here is a practical guide to choosing ratios that match your tire size and driving mix. Gearing Basics: Axle Ratios, Low Range, and Crawl Ratio Your final drive at the wheels is a stack of multipliers. In 4-Low first gear, engine torque passes through the transmission’s first gear, the transfer case low range, and the axle ratio before it reaches the tires. Multiply those together and you get the crawl ratio. Taller tires undo some of that multiplication because a larger rolling circumference reduces torque at the ground. That is why trucks with 35s or 37s often feel lazy on hills unless you add gear reduction. When Regearing Makes Sense ... read more