Thanks guys for the good words <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />....
....but bayrunner, gear strength is close to identical on 488/529 and even 571. Yes, it takes more strain to turn 40" tires than it does 35"....33"...etc. The real question is what ratio will keep my drivetrain the "happiest" and how low on the gearing can I tolerate. 488 on 33" and 529 on 35" are both good all around choices to fool the tranny/transfer case/driveshaft into thinking they're turning factory tires:)
One of the biggest fairy tales is the size of the smaller pinions of say a 529 verses a 488 or 410. The 410 pinion is a monster compared to a 529....but so what? Gear strength is very close to the same and is a function of the actual design parameters. What does count is the pinion is ALWAYS designed stronger than the ring gear.....think about it....the poor little pinion is spinning over 5 times faster than a 529 ring gear. That thing is screaming. So they give the pinion a helix angle of about 60 degrees and the ring is only around 30 degrees. Everybody knows that helix gears(gears with teeth at an angle) are stronger than straight cuts.
And the tooth on the pinion is about an inch LONGER than the ring. You get the idea. Don't worry about the small pinion....think professional install with solid collars and quality gears <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />