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Lower gear or transfer case options


Scott in Bellingham
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I got myself a 99 outback with a 5 speed, I pull a trailer with it and it just doesn't have a low enuf gear to pull up my steep driveway loaded down, if I had a lower gear I could do it , I'm not against lifting it and adding a transfer case but the 5 speeds a AWD so I would need to lock the center diff, I could swap in a Dualrange , I would like to lift it 3-6" and add another front diff but to do a 2nd front diff I would need 8" I have a 720 Nissan transfer case and also a Sammy t case anyway just trying to get some discussion , if I could mount up a normal transmission not a transaxle there might be room for a second diff up front with a 5" lift or maybe even go with a diff off to the side , anyway let's talk options

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You might be able to retrofit deeper R&P gears in the transmission, then just change out the rear diff.I think its possible to put 4.44 gears in the 5 speeds with out the dual range stuff in the way.That or the 5 speed transmission in the 04+ forester xt's have 4.44, verse the 4.111 you have now.

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I wonder if anyone has used one of Bill's adapter bellhousings to a Toyota 4WD transmission. That might gain some clearance for a second diff without having to go so high.

 

 

4.444s are possible, and make for some pretty sweet gears, it's also pretty easy to swap to a higher 5th gear to compensate on the freeway. But, if you do lift it, it's probably not enough to compensate for larger tires.

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I cut the front diff area out of the bellhousing for the 4EAT in my Legacy for clearance in a transfer case swap. I'm running 5" of subframe drop and 6" lengthened struts. The limiting factor for tucking the front diff with the 4EAT is transmission pan clearance. 

 

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It would be a tad harder to cut into the case of a 5 speed manual since the bellhousing and diff section doesn't separate like the 4EAT does, but there would be more clearance around the rest of the transmission.

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That may be alittle high but now you have a fantastic place to run the exhaust y pipe.

 

If I may though did you weld that or did a shop do it?If a shop did it how much did they charge?

 

Also do you have any moar pictars of the tcased beast?

Edited by Uberoo
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Since you have the means I'll pitch one of my wacky ideas that I think could work. Hopefully this makes sense. So Toyota 4wd transmissions have the same splines on the for input and output shaft. So the coupler that goes from trans to transfer-case can be slid over the input shaft. Google Toyota dual transmissions for a visual. My spin on this was to take a 5 speed gut it save for the front cases and mainshaft. Then have the main shaft shortened and splined to the Toyota coupler. An adapter plate between yota trans and front cases should be pretty simple. You could cut the diff area out like the housing above to save lift height needed.

 

This allows to keep Subaru clutch and starter function, also at least in my hatch it would put the shifter in the ballpark of the stock location. You then could run a 2wd trans for using divorced units or 4wd trans and yota transfer-case.

Edited by 86hatchback
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newrider3 that's cool Im guessing you welded the center diff?

 

There's no center diff in the 4EAT technically, but a rear drive transfer clutch pack (pretty similar to a motorcycle clutch). I gutted the discs out of the clutch pack and welded the two drums together to lock the rear drive. Pics in my build thread here:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/148013-1993-legacy-wheeleradventure-wagon/?p=1245189

 

 

That may be alittle high but now you have a fantastic place to run the exhaust y pipe.

 

If I may though did you weld that or did a shop do it?If a shop did it how much did they charge?

 

Also do you have any moar pictars of the tcased beast?

 

I did the welding myself, so no idea what someone might charge. Welding oil soaked cast aluminum isn't the most fun thing in the world though.

I will try to get some more updates and pics posted in my build thread, for some reason I haven't been able to get any good pics of the drivetrain to post so I'll have to work on that.

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