Rich, I think you should get the atlas. If it's what you need to get out and wheel, then do it.
i was out wheeling today....... :eeek:
JUST WATCH, i'm gonna prove everyone wrong this time. i'm keeping this fawking jeep and doing my best to upgrade it - :;
Gearing is not whats keeping you from getting up the hill- you need lockers! Some taller gears would help, but the 4:1 would be a waste of $1000+ for what you're doing. For a guy looking to spend thousands on custom axles and Atlas t-case it should come as a releif to hear that a couple lock rights ($300 ea) is all you need. Regear with 4.88's, if you go 4.10 or 4.56 you will probably regret it when you wanna run 35's or do more technical stuff.
YES!
x2 stick with 4:10s to keep your hyw manners with 33s
You say you have an auto trans but don't say if you have the OD version. Do you have OD?
Tony's response was nearly dead on. My only question would be the need for a 4-1 kit once you've changed your gearing. With a stick a 4-1 is REQUIRED but with an auto....not so much. A torque convertor allows crawling without the need for a really low t-case.
With non-overdrive auto 4.10 axle gears are about as low as you can go and still have decent freeway speeds. 33's are a bit small and with the a torque converter allowing a little more RPM than a stick, 4.10's are the right choice. If you have an OD auto, 4.56 or 4.88's will work but 4.88's are prone to failure in a LP Dana 30 front. A HP unit is better if you can get it really cheap but if you can't do it cheaply, do a real 44.
As other have chimed in, lockers will help you dramatically. However, with 4.10's and your stock t-case, you should be really be able to use 1st AND 2nd on hills like you've mentioned. Wheelspeed is crucial and having 4.10's will be like having a new, lower 1st. When you run out of steam in 2nd, it will now have a lower 1st. It should be enough.
JThompson-
Your comments would be valid if your buddy had an automatic trans.