"Forget the gear, buy a winch and go in reverse when 44.2:1 is too fast." Alain added: "If I were to build a 3B for all around wheeling, I would go for a T-18A transmission as you would have the best of both worlds with low and high gears. The CJ-5, 1971-76 T-18 had a 4:1 first gear and the 1977-79 T-18 had a 6.32:1 first gear. First Gear 6.32 6.32 6.32 6.32 6.32 Transfer Case x 2.46 x 2.46 x 2.46 x 2.46 x 2.46 Differential x 5.38 x 4.10 x 4.27 x 4.56 x 3.73 Final Crawl Ratio = 83.64:1 = 63.74:1 = 66.38:1 = 70.9:1 = 57.99:1
"It is quite easy to match; the transfer case is a bolt on. I have a CJ-5 with a 4.3 GM, T-18A, a Dana 20 with the guts of a Dana 18 and two Dana 44s with 4.56 gears and it gives me a respectable 70.9:1 crawl ratio. I have 36 inch Swampers and it crawls well and is a good all around wheeler, but still nice on the highway. Get all your options before making your choice. You can find a T-18A for cheap and make all of the modifications for cheaper than you think." Jyotin chimed in: "I use my stock 3B for all sorts of things and have never found it to lack the ability to go when and where I wanted it to. I've also got a CJ-5 with a T-98 in it and it has an 84:1 ratio in low - low. It doesn't do anything that my 3B with the ~45:1 ratio won't do. That is probably why they didn't sell many T-98 Jeeps -- at some point the Jeep is just too light. Actually, I think that the T-98 with 4.27 gears would be more useful than the T-98 with 5.38 gears; you'd get higher end top speeds and a respectable low end. "By the way, a quick and easy way to determine the low gear ratio of the T-90 is to look at the transmission shift lever. If the lever end that the shift knob goes on is threaded, it is 3.3:1, if it is not threaded then it is 2.9:1. Now that assumes that the
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shift tower has not been swapped with another transmission." John Hubbard: "O'Brien's 4 Wheels West at 916-773-3278 has a 4.10:1 or a 4.86:1 kit using a bigger diameter intermediate gear in the model 18. This obviously involves cutting a larger hole in the bottom of the case for the larger gear and then welding a cover over it. The big drawback is you can't use any overdrive on the back of the transfer case." Jim: "I have installed one from O'Brien's. You need to be very experienced to attempt one. Also remember that your Dana 27 is only so strong even with stock engine. You can get down to about 70 to 1 without going that way, but that involves removing the T90." JC Jenkins: "I just talked to Jack O'Brien, the maker of the Rockeater gears for the Spicer 18 -- the price is $1529.00 for the kit (gears, gaskets, and detailed plans). The thing is basically bulletproof -- the gears are made of the same material that helicopter transmission gears are made from (far exceed OEM specs)."
"The best fix for this is the 11/4" Intermediate Gear Kit marketed by Advance Adapters. It consists of a new intermediate shaft and 2 Timken bearings; it used to include a modified intermediate gear, but that is no longer part of the kit. The gear was modified by turning recesses into either end to accommodate the outer races of the Timken Bearings. The new shaft floats in the case and is held in place by the original key, but there is a nut on the opposite end which is used to preload the bearings. This arrangement is much stronger than the original setup due to the increased size and quality of the bearings. "I have one in my Mercruiser CJ-5's D18, and none other than Rick Pewe of Petersons 4WD mag commented it was the quietest transfer case he'd ever been around, and he should know. This was after a full day of riding with me. As far as strength goes, a friend has one that has been behind a 454 Chev motor and SM420 gearbox for years and years with no problem, and he had it in the vehicle for 10-15 years before taking up competition rockcrawling. It never gave up and I'm sure he still has it. "The kit was about $160.00 last I checked, and is definitely the best thing you can do to a Dana 18 besides using thread
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sealant on all of the bolts so the thing doesn't leak like a sieve."
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D-20 gear selection chart for identifying these gears. We three made the contributions to cover all of the applications. The 'Dana 18/20 Gear Interchange Chart' is available on my website or Novak's website. This is a very handy tool in identifying gears in the D-18 and D-20 transfer cases."
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Case Info From Willys Tech. Also lots of information on the Dana Spicer Model 18 at Novak Conversions. Return to the CJ-3B Tech Tips page. CJ3B Home | Site Map | Updates | Search | Links | Bulletin Board
Last updated 28 September 2009 by Derek Redmond redmond@queensu.ca http://www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3B/Tech/DrivetrainTips.html All content not credited and previously copyright, is copyright Derek Redmond
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