Clunk. The transfer case lever drops into 4 Low, the tach settles at idle, and the truck in front of you walks down a granite step so slowly you could hand the driver a coffee through the window.
Now picture two trucks on that same step. One is a 2026 Wrangler Rubicon automatic. By our math, at 1,000 engine rpm in low-range first gear on its factory BFGoodrich KO2s, it rolls about 1.2 mph. The other is a 2026 4Runner TRD Pro. At the same 1,000 rpm on its factory 265/70R18s, it rolls about 2.4 mph. Same driver, same rock. One idles down it. The other needs the brake pedal and a light touch.
Crawl ratio is the number behind that difference. It is the total gear reduction between the engine and the tires in the lowest gear the truck has: transmission first gear, times the transfer case low range, times the axle ratio. At 77.2:1, the engine spins 77.2 times to roll the tire around once. Higher means slower and calmer at the same throttle.
Here is the math, truck by truck, from the automakers' own 2026 spec sheets.
Why a Crawl Ratio Chart Matters This Fall
The 2026 and 2027 model years overlap on the calendar right now. Ram has already posted its 2027 heavy-duty spec sheet, and it opened orders for the 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon with the 6.7-liter Cummins H.O. on August 10, 2026, at $89,560 including destination, and said in that Power Wagon diesel release that it would reach dealers in the third quarter of 2026.
That diesel is a good example of why gearing deserves a table. Ram's 2027 heavy-duty spec sheet lists one axle ratio with the Cummins, 3.42, while the 2026 Hemi Power Wagon runs 4.10s. Our math from Ram's figures: 4.71 x 2.64 x 3.42 is 42.5:1 for the diesel against 51.0:1 for the Hemi, about 17 percent less reduction. Inference: this assumes the Power Wagon diesel uses the only diesel axle ratio Ram lists. Ram's release talks about payload, towing and lockers. It doesn't mention gearing.
How We Built This Crawl Ratio Chart
Every number in the table comes from a 2026 document published by the automaker:
- Jeep and Ram: the 2026 Wrangler, Gladiator, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500 specification sheets and towing charts on Stellantis Media, which list first gear, low range and the axle ratio for each trim and engine.
- Toyota: toyota.com's 2026 Tacoma and 4Runner spec pages, which list first gear, the 4WD transfer case ratio and the final drive for each trim, automatic and manual.
- Nissan: the 2026 Frontier press kit, which prints the gears and Nissan's own crawl ratio, 54.42:1.
We multiplied the three numbers and rounded to one decimal, using each ratio exactly as the automaker prints it. Ratings are for factory tires and factory axles only.
The 2026 Crawl Ratio Chart
Sorted from lowest crawl ratio to highest. All figures are our math from the automaker figures in each row, except where noted.
| 2026 truck (trims we confirmed) | Transmission | 1st gear | Low range | Axle | Crawl ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 4x4, 3.6L V6 | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.64 | 3.21 or 3.55 | 39.9:1 or 44.1:1 |
| Tacoma 4x4 automatic (SR5, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro) | 8-speed auto | 4.41 | 2.57 | 3.58 | 40.6:1 |
| 4Runner 4WD (SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited i-FORCE MAX, TRD Pro, Trailhunter) | 8-speed auto | 4.41 | 2.57 | 3.58 | 40.6:1 |
| Ram 2500/3500 4x4, 6.7L Cummins H.O. | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.64 | 3.42 | 42.5:1 |
| Wrangler Sport and Sahara | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.72 | 3.45 | 44.2:1 |
| Ram 1500 4x4, 3.0L I6 or 5.7L V8 (RHO uses 3.92) | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.64 | 3.55 or 3.92 | 44.1:1 or 48.7:1 |
| Ram 2500/3500 4x4, 6.4L Hemi | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.64 | 3.73 or 4.10 | 46.4:1 or 51.0:1 |
| Gladiator Sport and Willys | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.72 | 3.73 | 47.8:1 |
| Wrangler Sport, 3.6L manual | 6-speed manual | 5.13 | 2.72 | 3.45 | 48.1:1 |
| Ram 2500 Power Wagon, 6.4L Hemi | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.64 | 4.10 | 51.0:1 |
| Gladiator Mojave and Sport with Max Tow | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.72 | 4.10 | 52.5:1 |
| Tacoma 4x4 manual (SR, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road) | 6-speed manual | 4.79 | 2.57 | 4.3 | 52.9:1 |
| Frontier 4x4 (S, SV, PRO-4X) | 9-speed auto | 5.425 | 2.717 | 3.692 | 54.4:1 (Nissan: 54.42:1) |
| Wrangler Moab 392 | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 2.72 | 4.56 | 58.4:1 |
| Wrangler Rubicon and Gladiator Rubicon | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 4.0 | 4.10 | 77.2:1 |
| Wrangler Rubicon manual | 6-speed manual | 5.13 | 4.0 | 4.10 | 84.1:1 |
| Wrangler Rubicon with 4.56 axles (Xtreme 35 package) | 8-speed auto | 4.71 | 4.0 | 4.56 | 85.9:1 |
| Wrangler Rubicon 3.6L manual with optional 4.88 axles | 6-speed manual | 5.13 | 4.0 | 4.88 | 100.1:1 |
Two things jump out. The table splits into two groups with no row in between: every truck with a 2.57 to 2.72 low range lands between 39.9:1 and 58.4:1, and every Rubicon in the chart, all with Jeep's 4.0 low range, lands at 77.2:1 or higher. And the trims sold hardest on off-road credibility are not always the ones geared for it.
The Honest Truth: Toyota's Off-Road Flagships Crawl Like a Base Wrangler
The 2026 4Runner TRD Pro lists at $68,600 base MSRP on toyota.com (checked October 20, 2026). It gets Toyo Open Country A/T III tires, an electronically controlled locking rear differential and Crawl Control as standard, per Toyota's spec page. Its crawl ratio is 40.6:1.
That is lower than the 44.2:1 of a 2026 Wrangler Sport automatic with open differentials. It is about 53 percent of a Rubicon automatic's 77.2:1 (our math). The 4Runner Trailhunter and the Tacoma TRD Pro automatic share the same 4.41, 2.57 and 3.58 numbers, so they share the same 40.6:1. A 2026 Frontier S 4x4, the cheapest 4x4 Frontier in Nissan's 2026 price list, is geared about 34 percent lower at 54.4:1 (our math: 54.4 divided by 40.6).
This is not a secret Toyota is hiding. The ratios are printed on toyota.com's 4Runner spec page. Toyota's answer to the gap is software: Crawl Control, which the spec pages list as standard on the 4Runner TRD Pro and on the Tacoma TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro, holds a set low speed by working the brakes. That works. It is also a different tool from gearing, and you hear it doing its job.
Jeep's own lineup has the same kind of surprise. The 2026 Wrangler Moab 392, Jeep's V8 Wrangler, uses the Selec-Trac transfer case with a 2.72 low range, so its 4.56 axles get it to 58.4:1, per Jeep's spec sheet. A four-cylinder Rubicon automatic out-crawls it by about 32 percent (our math: 77.2 divided by 58.4).
What Is a Good Crawl Ratio?
There is no industry standard, and anyone quoting one is giving you an opinion. Ours comes from the chart and from what the numbers mean at the tire.
The cleanest way to compare is speed at a fixed engine speed. Here is each truck's speed at 1,000 rpm in low-range first gear on factory tires, ignoring torque converter slip and tire squish (our math from the crawl ratio and the tire's revolutions per mile):
| Truck and factory tire | Crawl ratio | Speed at 1,000 rpm |
|---|---|---|
| 4Runner TRD Pro, 265/70R18 | 40.6:1 | 2.4 mph |
| Wrangler Sport automatic, P245/75R17 | 44.2:1 | 2.0 mph |
| Wrangler Rubicon automatic, LT285/70R17 | 77.2:1 | 1.2 mph |
| Wrangler Rubicon manual, LT285/70R17 | 84.1:1 | 1.1 mph |
| Wrangler Rubicon Xtreme 35, LT315/70R17 | 85.9:1 | 1.2 mph |
Jeep's spec sheet gives revolutions per mile for its tires (666 for the Sport's Nexen, 637 for the Rubicon's 285 KO2, 604 for the 315 KO2). Toyota doesn't, so the 4Runner figure uses the tire's calculated 32.6-inch diameter, our math from the size.
Our take, labeled as opinion: forest roads, sand, snow and washboard rarely need more than the first group in the chart. Steep ledges, rock steps and long technical descents are where the second group earns its keep, because you can stay off the brakes. If you want a number, pick the speed you want at idle and work back from it with our gear ratio calculator.
Jeep Rubicon Crawl Ratio: Four Numbers, Not One
Search for the Rubicon's crawl ratio and you'll see more than one answer. They can all be right, because the 2026 Rubicon comes four ways. Jeep's spec sheet lists the Rock-Trac transfer case with a 4.0 low range on every Rubicon, then splits the rest:
- Automatic with 4.10 axles: 4.71 x 4.0 x 4.10 = 77.2:1. This is also the 2026 Gladiator Rubicon.
- 6-speed manual with 4.10 axles: 5.13 x 4.0 x 4.10 = 84.1:1. The manual's taller first gear is the whole difference.
- Automatic with 4.56 axles: 85.9:1. Jeep lists 4.56s with the Xtreme 35 package and its LT315/70R17 tires.
- 3.6L manual with optional 4.88 axles: 100.1:1, the deepest factory gearing in this chart.
The 4.56s exist because tires change the math. A taller tire covers more ground per turn, which lowers the effective crawl ratio, the ratio adjusted for the tire you actually run. By Jeep's revolutions per mile, putting the 315s on a 4.10 Rubicon would drop it from 77.2:1 to an effective 73.2:1 (77.2 x 604 / 637). The 4.56 axles bring it back to an effective 81.5:1 on the same scale, more than the stock 285s gave. If you're planning tires bigger than stock, run the swap through the calculator before you buy them, and see our regearing guide for the cost side.
What Crawl Ratio Doesn't Tell You
It ignores the torque converter. Every automatic in the chart multiplies torque through its converter at low speed, and a manual doesn't. That is one reason manual crawl ratios look so much better on paper than automatics feel on the trail.
It says nothing about traction. Lockers, articulation and tires decide whether that reduction turns into forward motion. The Wrangler Sport's 44.2:1 comes with open differentials, per Jeep's spec sheet.
It's not the only way to go slow. Toyota's Crawl Control and similar systems manage speed with the brakes. They're real tools, but they work by fighting the drivetrain, not by gearing it down.
Low range has a speed limit. Read your owner's manual for the speed range it allows in 4 Low. Deep gearing doesn't make a truck any better on the highway, and our 4 High vs 4 Low guide covers when to use which.
This crawl ratio chart has holes. We list a truck only when the automaker's own 2026 document gives all three numbers. Ford's 2026 Bronco technical specifications do, and they print Ford's own crawl ratios: up to 94.75:1 with the 7-speed manual and 67.80:1 with the 10-speed automatic. The Bronco isn't in our table yet. We couldn't find a public 2026 Ranger, F-150, Super Duty, Chevrolet or GMC spec page or sheet that lists all three, and toyota.com's 2026 Tundra and Sequoia pages list first gear and axle ratio but no low range. So those trucks aren't here. We'd rather leave a row empty than fill it with a forum number.
Crawl Ratio Chart Verdict: Which Trucks Land Where
| If you want | The 2026 trucks in our chart that deliver it | Crawl ratio |
|---|---|---|
| The deepest factory gearing | Wrangler Rubicon 3.6L manual with 4.88 axles | 100.1:1 |
| Deep gearing with an automatic | Wrangler Rubicon with 4.56 axles; Wrangler or Gladiator Rubicon with 4.10s | 85.9:1; 77.2:1 |
| The most crawl in a full-size truck | Ram 2500 Power Wagon, or any Ram 2500 4x4 6.4L Hemi with 4.10 axles | 51.0:1 |
| The most crawl in a midsize pickup | Gladiator Rubicon; without Jeep's 4.0 low range, the Frontier 4x4 | 77.2:1; 54.4:1 |
| The most crawl from Toyota | Tacoma 4x4 manual | 52.9:1 |
| The least crawl in the chart | Ram 1500 4x4, 3.6L V6 with 3.21 axles | 39.9:1 |
Who Should Care About Crawl Ratio, and Who Shouldn't
Care a lot if you wheel rock, ledges or steep, loose climbs and descents, or if you plan to go up two tire sizes. The difference between 40:1 and 77:1 is the difference between riding the brakes and idling.
Care a little if your trips are forest roads, sand, snow and long gravel routes with a loaded rig. Every truck in the chart has a real low range, and that matters more here than the exact number.
Don't shop on it alone if you also tow, haul or commute. Axle ratios that help crawl also change highway rpm and towing ratings, which is why Jeep's sheet lists different tow ratings by axle.
Bottom Line
This crawl ratio chart runs from 39.9:1 to 100.1:1 across the 2026 Wrangler, Gladiator, Ram, Tacoma, 4Runner and Frontier 4x4s we charted, and the split is the transfer case: Jeep's 4.0 low range puts every Rubicon in the chart at 77.2:1 or more, and nothing else in the chart passes 58.4:1. The 4Runner TRD Pro and Trailhunter sit at 40.6:1, below a Wrangler Sport. If you crawl rock, buy the gearing. If you don't, buy the truck that fits the rest of your life.
Internal Links
Sources
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Jeep Wrangler Specifications (850RE and 8HP75 first gear 4.71; D478 manual first gear 5.13; Command-Trac and Selec-Trac low range 2.72:1, Moab 392 Selec-Trac; Rock-Trac low range 4.0:1 on Rubicon; axle ratios 3.45, 4.10, 4.56 with Moab 392 and Xtreme 35 package, 4.88 optional on Rubicon 3.6L; tire revolutions per mile 666, 637 and 604; towing tables by axle and transmission), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27221
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Jeep Gladiator Specifications (8-speed automatic standard, first gear 4.71; Command-Trac 2.72:1 on Sport, Willys, Mojave; Selec-Trac optional on Mojave; Rock-Trac 4.0:1 on Rubicon; axle 3.73, 4.10 on Sport Max Trailer Tow Group, Mojave, Rubicon), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27251
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Ram 1500 Specifications (first gear 4.71; BW 48-11, 48-12 and 48-13 low range 2.64; axle 3.21, 3.55, 3.92), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27013
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Ram 1500 Trailer Towing Charts (4x4 3.6L V6 with 3.21 or 3.55; 3.0L I6 and 5.7L V8 with 3.55 or 3.92; RHO 3.92), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27906
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty Specifications (8HP75 and 8AP1075 first gear 4.71; Hemi axle 3.73 or 4.10; Cummins axle 3.42; BW 44-46/47 and BW 44-48 low range 2.64), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27014
- Stellantis Media, 2026 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Towing Charts (Power Wagon 6.4L Hemi, 4.10 axle), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27019
- Stellantis Media, 2027 Ram Heavy Duty Specifications (Cummins axle 3.42; BW 44-48 low range 2.64), checked October 20, 2026: https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/view-spec.do?id=27336
- Ram, "Ram Opens Orders for 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon With Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel," August 10, 2026 ($89,560 including destination; dealer arrival third quarter of 2026): https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/newsrelease.do?id=27964
- Toyota.com, 2026 4Runner specifications, mechanical (first gear 4.41, transfer case 1.00:1/2.57:1, final drive 3.58 for 4WD SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited i-FORCE MAX, TRD Pro and Trailhunter; no low range listed for the Limited i-FORCE 4WD or Platinum; Crawl Control and locking rear differential standard on TRD Pro), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/4runner/2026/features/mechanical_performance/8630/8632/8634
- Toyota.com, 2026 4Runner full specifications (TRD Pro base MSRP $68,600), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/4runner/2026/features/
- Toyota.com, 2026 4Runner specifications, tires (265/70R18 Toyo Open Country A/T III on TRD Pro and Trailhunter), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/4runner/2026/features/tires/8630/8634/8636
- Toyota.com, 2026 Tacoma specifications, mechanical (first gear 4.41, differential ratio 3.58 automatic, transfer case 1.00:1/2.57:1 for SR5, TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro; Crawl Control on TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/2026/features/mechanical_performance/7558/7544/7598
- Toyota.com, 2026 Tacoma specifications, mechanical, manual models (6-speed iMT on SR, TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road; first gear 4.79; manual differential ratio 4.3; transfer case 1.00:1/2.57:1), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/2026/features/mechanical_performance/7543/7545/7547
- Toyota.com, 2026 Tundra and 2026 Sequoia specifications, mechanical (first gear 4.92 and axle 3.31 listed; no low range ratio listed), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.toyota.com/tundra/2026/features/mechanical_performance/ and https://www.toyota.com/sequoia/2026/features/mechanical_performance/
- Ford, 2026 Ford Bronco Technical Specifications, 2/18/26 V1.0 (manual first gear 6.56, automatic first gear 4.71; axles 4.46 or 4.70 manual, 3.73 or 4.70 automatic; low range 2.72 standard, 3.06 Advanced 4x4; Ford crawl ratios 79.92 and 94.75 manual, 67.80 automatic; Ford also prints 57.19 for the automatic, but that figure works out only with the 4.46 axle Ford lists for the manual, so we don't use it), checked October 20, 2026: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/content/dam/fordmediasite/us/en/library/2026/specs/2026_Ford_Bronco_Technical_Specifications.pdf
- Nissan, 2026 Nissan Frontier Press Kit (9-speed first gear 5.425; final drive 3.692; transfer case low 2.717; crawl ratio 54.42:1; pricing: S KC 4x4 lowest 4x4 line, Aug 18, 2025 price list), checked October 20, 2026: https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/releases/2026-nissan-frontier-press-kit