2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Transmission & Axle Gear Ratios

The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a versatile, luxurious, and highly capable SUV, designed to handle everything from cross-country road trips to challenging off-road trails. A crucial part of this capability lies within its powertrain—specifically, the transmission and differential gear ratios. Understanding these specifications can help you optimize your Grand Cherokee for heavy towing, better fuel economy, or aggressive off-road driving.

Here is your comprehensive guide to the transmission and axle gear ratios for the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Transmission gear ratios

For the 2024 model year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is exclusively equipped with Stellantis’ robust TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission. Depending on your engine choice—either the standard 3.6L Pentastar V6 or the 2.0L turbocharged inline-four PHEV (4xe)—your Jeep will feature a variation of the ZF-sourced 8-speed (8HP50 or 8HP75). Both share an identical, widely spaced gear set that optimizes both low-end grunt for off-roading and high-end overdrive for highway cruising.

Here are the internal gear ratios for the 8-speed automatic transmission found in the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee:

With a steeply geared 4.71 first gear, the Grand Cherokee has excellent off-the-line acceleration and low-speed crawling capability. Meanwhile, the dual overdrive gears (7th and 8th) allow the engine to maintain low RPMs at highway speeds, significantly boosting fuel economy.

Available axle ratios

Your Jeep's axle ratio (or final drive ratio) dictates how many times the driveshaft must turn to rotate the wheels once. Jeep engineers have precisely matched the differential gearing to the available powertrains to balance performance, efficiency, and the SUV's 6,200-pound maximum towing capacity (when properly equipped).

Here are the axle ratios available for the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee:

Note: The 5.7L Hemi V8 is no longer available for the standard Grand Cherokee in 2024, leaving the 3.45 and 3.70 as the primary final drive ratios.

How to identify your axle ratio

If you are buying a used model or simply want to confirm how your current 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee is equipped, there are a few reliable ways to check your final drive ratio:

1. The Window Sticker or Build Sheet For late-model Jeeps, the original window sticker (Monroney sticker) will list the rear axle ratio under the standard or optional equipment sections. If you don't have it, you can request an FCA/Stellantis build sheet online using your Jeep's VIN.

2. The Axle Tag Crawl underneath the rear of your Grand Cherokee and locate the rear differential. You will usually find a metal tag bolted to the differential cover or a highly durable sticker wrapped around the axle tube. This tag will display a set of numbers, such as "3.45" or "3.70," which indicates the ring and pinion gear ratio.

3. VIN Decoder Because Jeeps use standardized equipment per engine trim for 2024, running your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through a dedicated Jeep VIN decoder will easily reveal your driveline specifications, including the exact axle code.

Towing vs MPG impact

When it comes to gear ratios, it is a game of physics and trade-offs. The numbers represent the mechanical advantage your engine has over the wheels.

Numerically Lower Ratios (e.g., 3.45:1) Often referred to as "tall" gears, a numerically lower ratio like the 3.45 found on the V6 models means the engine turns fewer times to rotate the tires. This results in lower engine RPMs at highway speeds.

• The Benefit: Better fuel economy (MPG) and a quieter cabin at highway cruising speeds.
• The Drawback: Slower off-the-line acceleration and slightly reduced towing leverage compared to steeper gears.

Numerically Higher Ratios (e.g., 3.70:1) Often called "short" or "steep" gears, a numerically higher ratio provides greater torque multiplication.

• The Benefit: Better towing capacity, easier acceleration with heavy loads, and superior low-speed control for rock crawling (especially beneficial for the Trailhawk 4xe).
• The Drawback: The engine sits at higher RPMs during highway driving, which can negatively impact traditional fuel economy (though in the 4xe, the electric motors offset this).

Common issues

The ZF 8-speed transmission and Jeep's modern differentials are largely reliable, but they aren't completely immune to wear and tear, especially if the vehicle is frequently used for heavy towing or off-roading. Keep an eye out for:

• Ring & Pinion Whine: A high-pitched whining noise coming from the rear under acceleration or deceleration can indicate premature wear or improper meshing of the ring and pinion gears. This is sometimes caused by towing heavy loads without changing the differential fluid at the required intervals.
• Carrier Bearing Wear: A low-pitched rumble or vibration that increases with vehicle speed can be a sign of worn carrier bearings in the differential.
• Electronic Limited-Slip Differential (eLSD) Glitches: Models equipped with the Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system feature an eLSD. Occasionally, software glitches or degraded specialized friction modifier fluid can cause clunking, binding in tight parking lot turns, or "Service 4WD" warning lights.

If you are experiencing vibrations, shifting delays, or whining sounds from underneath your Jeep, it is crucial to get it inspected by a professional before minor wear turns into a catastrophic failure.

Find a driveline shop on Repairius.