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?

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.

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.

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.

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

does anybody make a 32" anymore ?

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

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.....

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.

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.

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.