Checking the front stock differential (2002)I found that the ring has 37 tooth and the pinion 8 tooth. That means a ratio of 4,625.
Checking the rear stock LSD of another Sportage with 28 SPline I found the ring to have 40 tooth and the pinion 9 tooth. That means a ratio of 4,44!!!!!

Does anyone else know anything about that?

Is that normal?

Depending on year and country the ratio could be 4.44, 4.65, or 4.78.

All US Sportages 1996 - 2002 are 4.78.

And yes, the ratio has to be the same in the front and rear. So you can't install a rear 4.65 LSD in a Sportage that has a 4.44 front diff.

okay, axe, i have a stupid question. what's the ratio for the 95 sportage? and can both front and rear ring and pinion sets be changed? sorry, two stupid questions.

Axe,

Front and rear gear ratio doesn't have to match. Just be close or you get drive line bind when 4 wheel drive is engaged.

Transfer cases have a differential in them so if the ratio is off by a small amount it's still OK.

4.11 in the front and 4.10 in the rear is OK because it gives you better control. The front is turning slightly faster than the rear and acts like front wheel drive. Basically the front end is pulling the vehicle instead of the rear pushing it.

Logansportage <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Being "thoughtful", but there is NO differential in the tcase of the Sportage, and you WILL get bind up in 4WD on hard surfaces, and you will get hairy handling if there is > 3-5% difference in ratio even in the loose stuff.

FWIW you are better of having the numericaly lower ratio in the front (ie. 4.10 in your example) and the higher ratio in the back (4.11). (Your post was back to front, idea's right numbers weren't)

Do the math. For every 1% difference in ratios you will be scrubbing one axle one complete revolution every 100 wheel revs, or every 200-250 yards or so. Assuming one wheel grips and the other wheel on that axle slips then through the differential action that wheel would slip two revolutions in the same distance....and we haven't even gone around a corner yet. OK in the dirt, but not even worth contemplating in the dry on bitumen.

Gary,

No my post was correct, 4.11 in the front and 4.10 in the rear.

This makes the front spin slightly faster than the rear pulling the vehicle instead of pushing it.

The drive line does get extra tension when in a high traction situation where all 4 wheels have traction, but why would you be using 4wd in this situation any way? 4wd is for low traction situations like snow/ice or mud/dirt and not rain on the way to the mall or soccer (foot ball) practice.

To release, all you have to do is back up a few feet and kick the t-case out of 4wd. Just like in the old 4wd trucks.

All t-cases have a differential except for the ones that have lockers in them (Land Rover and Range Rover). This is why when you get off balance front to rear the axel with no traction will spin and the other will not. This is because torque is transferred to the place with the least resistance.

The t-case diff also allows you to shift into and out of 4 high while on the move. To shift into and out of 4 lo you have to stop because this is a direct drive by passing the t-case diff.

If you have a t-case locker, torque is split front to rear and if you get one axel up in the air you can still move.

Having an axel diff locker increases the possibility of not getting stuck because the odds of having both wheels on an axel with no traction are very low.

Logansportage <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

actually, you're both right, but only in small parts.

PART TIME 4WD T-CASES DO NOT HAVE DIFFERENTIALS IN THEM, ONLY FULL TIME 4WD T-CASES DO. this is for alleviating bind while driving on the street. the Kia Sportage transfer case does not have a differential in it. it will bind if driven on dry pavement with hubs locked and in 4WD, however, with open differentials it will bind much less.

now, gary is right about the 3% difference in gear ratios. if you run more than 2% difference in gear ratios front to rear, you WILL GET BIND. 4.11 to 4.10 is fine, but to be honest, i think they are the same ratios, just labelled differently, depending on manufacturer and retailer. take the Ford 3.50 axle gears in almost all v-8 Broncos. they are labeled as 3.50's, when, in fact, they are 3.54's. now, running a Toyota axle up front with 4.88's in it with your stock rear sportage axle with 4.78's in it is still pretty safe.

the stock gear ratios available in the US in 95 Sportages were either 4.78, in almost ALL of them, or, in a few SOHC's released here, 4.44. i don't think there were any SOHC's sold with 4.78's and i don't think there were any DOHC's sold with 4.44's, but there may have been a few of each.

**edit- one last thing, the front and rear ring and pinion sets ARE interchangable, BUT, you have to swap the whole carrier because the front and rear ring gears are slightly different in size and bolt pattern diameter. but they will fit. same bearings, etc. but the backlask may need to be reset with different shims behind the pinion head.

Dave,

I disagree with you on the Sportage t-case. Only way to find out is to get the t-case from pick and pull for your gear project and open it to find out.

I'm not disagreeing with Gary on the % difference required for binding to occur, but just stating that a slightly faster rotation from the front end vs the rear actually makes for better performing 4wd operation.

On the other subject,
Does your front end use shims to adjust the pinion depth? Mine looks like it uses a crush sleeve.

When I did the rear end it used a crush sleeve, and if you crushed it to much you had to pull it all a part, replace the crush sleeve and do it again.

Shims to set the pinion depth are the best way to go in my opinion.

Logansportage <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

oo, good question on shims vs. crush sleeve. i never took the pinions out of my sportage diffs, just the dana 44's when i swapped gears, so, i can't tell you. but i guess you told me. i don't even know quite exactly how a crush sleeve works other than the fact it crushes slightly when tightened down.

as for whether or not the t-case has a differential, just go look at kungpow's photos of his t-case that he had to take apart because the chain got tangled up in some loose bolts and chewed itself to death. they are posted in a thread or 2 here and they are also at his cardomain page.

Toyota 4.11 ratio 37:9
Nissan 4.1 ratio 41:10

This is a fairly common swap done out here on toyota fronts with no real dramas. Nissan fronts are basically D60 sized compared with the D44 sized Toyota fronts (general physical sizing only)

Logan, the numerically lower ratio will go further per driveshaft revolution if the driveshaft than the higher ratio.

Take it to extremes to illustrate the point. Assume front has a 1:1 ratio and the rear has a 100:1 ratio. Turn the driveshaft one revolution and the front wheels turn one revolution, while the rears turn 1/100th of a revolution, so the front "drags" the rears.