Any machinists out here that want a challenge?

[Adam N.D.J.]

Sometimes I just want to sink into a dark corner and disappear, then again, I just can't quite help but lay down the law.

One thing that I really hate, especially in a community such as ours that has actually grown throughout the entire world is the narrow minds of most of the Americans! There is a whole lot more world out there people.

JDM cars in 83 started getting the 5spd D/r, don't believe me, dig up a JDM brochure of an 83 RX. In fact, FHI actually built AWD trannies long before 83, they just didn't mass produce them.

 

As far as the other parts in question, the tranny will handle it what are expecting to do, split a mainshaft? If anyone was going to do that, then I think myself or SubaruBrat woulda told you guys already. The 5spd D/r is a very strong tranny, and if you wanted a 3.3:1 gear set in there, then it could prolly be done and handle it, just a matter of getting it machined right. Which is possible, cause they did have lower gears sets for the 4spd's. If I look around I think I can find someone that is actually working on putting other gearsets onto the main shafts of Soob trannies to atain lower gears at there. So instead of a 3.5 1st gear, I'm thinking something like a 4.9 or 5.1 and got up respectivly from there. It's just a matter of what you want to put the will into doing. There are only 3 things in this world that actually inhibit you from going anything. Those things are Time, Money and Imagination, you get over those 3 hurdles, and bam, your set!!. So I don't want to hear anything of this that can't happen, or that didn't happen, cause for you know, it did, or it will. And I for one will tell you, I just dare, I double dare your to Tell ME, that I CAN'T do something, come on!!!

[greggbrat]

Kudos to you! I am encouraged when I hear the "can do" attitude. I get reluctant to even ask questions, such as this one about a low range gear, on this board because it appears that most (not all) people respond with comments about how it cant be done.........or answer my questions by giving only the popular way to do something. If I can simply find a few people that are interested in making this happen then we make a small brain trust to accomplish the goal.

[GeneralDisorder]

I was speaking stricktly of US versions of course. EA81 RX's had all sorts of nifty things - rear discs, LSD's, and really, really cool engine upgrades that we never got.....

 

GD

[bushbasher]

I dont think the tranny will hold up to 4x the torque with 4:1 reduction. No, the shafts might not break, but its not that tough to strip the teeth off a gear when you have 400+ft-lbs of torque going into the tranny gears. I seem to remember that subarubrat fragged reverse on his 4spd DR tranny. It seems subaru engineers factored alot of extra stress into their designs (except rear stubs and axles :-\ ) which contributes to their reliability, but 50% larger tires, more hp, and higher tranny reduction puts torque through the tranny like an order of magnitude larger!

 

Ask toyota folk with dual cases, you don't put the crawler gears in the first case, or you're asking to break shafts and gears in the 2nd case. Normally you never hear about a toyota tcase breaking, nor a dual case setup with the crawler gears in the 2nd case. It's that big of a jump in stress we're talking about.

 

It's a rule of thumb to always put the reduction as close to the wheel end as possible. The diffs are the best place to get reliable reduction, because the stress acts only through the axles. Next best is the t-case, now you are putting more stress through the axles, differentials, and driveshaft. The absolute worst place to put all your reduction is right behind the engine!

[970subaru]

are there any R&P's that will swap into a subaru trans? like 4.44 R-160's?

seems there is just no option for using the trans's front diff that is keeping with the spirit of offroading subarus that is cheap as hell and light.

one-offing a custom gear set is going to be BIG $$$$$. even to machine it yourself is an insane amount of work and takes no small amount of design skills.

would there be any way to combine different gear sets out of different D/R trans'?

 

for the most capable cheapest wheeler, do what my friend did, and has $1500 or so in his truck, not sure exactly

$400 for a rusty '81 toyota with carb problems

$50 used good carb

used dual transfer case setup $250

welded the rear

$50 chevy rear springs + scrap metal

rears up front free + scrap metal

$100 used 33" AT's

not sure how much all else he spent and on what but damn, that truck never ceases to amaze me. it needs new steering though.

I want to put a ea81 wagon on toyota axles and a toyota transfer case and keep the weight down around 2500lbs. doable I think...