Some really good information in this thread and even though that 52T chainring looks huge. to me, I;m thinking now that it might be easier to find a larger one rather than mess with the rear gearing. By keeping the 36T up front I won't lose my current low range either. Sounds like a good fix for me if the front DR can handle the difference in gear size without too much adjusting or modifying. Thanks for all the good input.