T-case without 8+ inch lift?

[Phizinza]

Just theroy right now, but I was wondering if any of you have had ideas on how to fit an extra t-case in a EA81 without 8" plus of lift.

 

I've thought about the possibility of removing the front diff, cutting the casing out and welding in some blank off plates into the gearbox then sitting a diff up in that hole.

 

The reason I want this is so I can have RWD, good low range, and legal looking Subaru (any more then 2" lift is illegal and I'm sure if I ran 8" with 29" tires it would be defected instantaneously.

 

So, any ideas on how to get a t-case with no more then 4" lift? I reckon I could make a 4" look legal.

[Gloyale]

 

I've thought about the possibility of removing the front diff, cutting the casing out and welding in some blank off plates into the gearbox then sitting a diff up in that hole.

 

That actually might be crazy enough to work.

 

The input shaft of the trans is pretty high in the case. YOu could eliminate alot of it. The drive pinion end would be exposed, Perhaps you could drive the T-case off of the drive pinion? Kinda backwards though. Finding the proper unit would be tough.

 

But then where would you're new front diff go???

[The Beast I Drive]

I think he meant putting the t case behind the trans and putting the new front diff in the hole made by removing the old fwd diff, but the tricky part is how are you going to get a driveshaft from the t case to the front diff

[Uberoo]

even tougher is how you are going to fit the transfercase without having like 2" of of ground clearance under the case..

[The Beast I Drive]

I saw a vehicle once, it had 2 driveshafts comin off the t case toward the front, each one went to a mini differential at the wheel. I forget what kinda rig it was, but if you did it this way it would take extreme fab to make it work but i think it would be the best way, but you would have to take out the back seats to make the clearance for the T case in order to gain ground clearance

 

something like this:

 

 

I think Land Rover might have this setup, but I dont really know, all I know is that it exists and there is one like this in a junkyard near me

[Scott in Bellingham]

I saw a vehicle once, it had 2 driveshafts comin off the t case toward the front, each one went to a mini differential at the wheel. I forget what kinda rig it was, but if you did it this way it would take extreme fab to make it work but i think it would be the best way, but you would have to take out the back seats to make the clearance for the T case in order to gain ground clearance

 

something like this:

 

 

I think Land Rover might have this setup, but I dont really know, all I know is that it exists and there is one like this in a junkyard near me

 

this one

[Scott in Bellingham]

So, any ideas on how to get a t-case with no more then 4" lift?

 

I to would like that, I realy like my white car with the 4" lift, it just needs a lower gear, I dont want it 8" up,

 

 

hummers have geared hubs

 

 

 

 

 

also the old 60s VW bus has this type hubs, $$$$$$$

[The Beast I Drive]

this one

Yes yes exactly that! what kinda rig is that?

 

Those VW hubs would be awesome, talk about crawling, but how durable are they?

[Rooinater]

but then you're spending a mass load of cash on the hubs... the transfercase itself isn't that hard to deal with. it's the front diff that will cause a problem. for the tcase you'll have to cut the tunnel and stuff it up, bend the transmission shift linkage, then resheet metal a tunnel. it's the same thing i'm doing to the toyota, and the same thing john was supposed to do to the subaru... i would of gained 4 inches or more to the tcase with the soob.

[Scott in Bellingham]

I like the idea of cutting the subaru transaxle to make room for the diff, If I could do a 6" lift I would do it with the Nissan 720 T-case

 

 

 

more vw hub ,, now the wheels would turn the wrong direction

 

[Scott in Bellingham]

maybe ditch the subaru transaxle with a regular tranny that has more room,

[Andy FitzGibbon]

If you got rid of the front diff in the transaxle, there might be enough clearance to use a Toyota front diff from an IFS truck. Thy are offset, and you might be able to sneak a driveshaft up to it (from a rear transfer case) past the Subaru transaxle.

Andy

[subaruloverbrad]

amy last t-case i installed sits in the center of the car inside the tunnel lots of cutting a 6 inch lift will barley alow enough clearance for the fron diff im thinking on a 4 inch lift couldnt you raise up the engine 2" above the original placement of course on my t-case lifted roos i use two front crossmembers the engine crossmember only holds the engine its cut down to be an engine mount.

[Andy FitzGibbon]

I was thinking of gutting the front differential out of the transaxle case, and then cutting away that area of the case to make more room for a different front differential unit (independent of the transaxle). The case would have to be closed back up by someone who can weld aluminum once the desired area has been cut away. It would be a lot of custom fabrication, to the transaxle case and the body's transmission tunnel.

Raising the engine up would probably be a good idea, to get as much room under it as possible.

Using an offset front diff would also probably mean using rear wheel drive as the primary drive, as I'm not sure the short-side axle would hold up to constant use. It would probably also require custom axles on the front, which is a pain when you break one.

Andy

[joostvdw]

I was thinking of gutting the front differential out of the transaxle case, and then cutting away that area of the case to make more room for a different front differential unit (independent of the transaxle). The case would have to be closed back up by someone who can weld aluminum once the desired area has been cut away. It would be a lot of custom fabrication, to the transaxle case and the body's transmission tunnel.

Raising the engine up would probably be a good idea, to get as much room under it as possible.

Using an offset front diff would also probably mean using rear wheel drive as the primary drive, as I'm not sure the short-side axle would hold up to constant use. It would probably also require custom axles on the front, which is a pain when you break one.

Andy

 

different length axles is no problem, almost all cars with transverse mounted engines have them.

[Phizinza]

also the old 60s VW bus has this type hubs, $$$$$$$

The problem I came across with the VW portal hubs was they flip direction due to only two gears. And I just coldn't see how I could flip direction of drive in the gearbox or engine.

Although potal hubs would be almost the best option they still have a disadvantage of always being geared. So you either top out the speed at 80kph or run huge tyres which then loose all your gearing.

 

I'll have to look into that idea of moving then engine higher up then standard position and also think about using a different gearbox (maybe something from a nissan. Shorter the better I guess.

I would have no problem with cutting out some of the trans tunnel.

[s'ko]

I think that we are on the right track here.

So when you put a lift on, you lower the engine crossmember and you also put blocks for the engine mounts and tranny mounts to keep it at the stock height, mate the tranny to the T-case, run a drive shaft forward. hack out the front diff and get the housing modified so that a rear diff can rest in that area. Connect the front axles to the new rear diff and call it done.

Now the question is can Scott cast a modified tranny housing that has the front diff portion gone?

[subaruloverbrad]

Hey scott i was wondering that too...can you or would it be feesable to cast front ea82 dual range case halves with the larger bellhousing of the ej case halves?

[Scott in Bellingham]

Hey scott i was wondering that too...can you or would it be feesable to cast front ea82 dual range case halves with the larger bellhousing of the ej case halves?

 

Hey now thats a interesting Idea, it could be done, there is some persise machine work inside that case, might be easier to modify the existing case and weld in a peice that I could make, that way there is no exacting machine work to do just some welding and seal the oil in,

 

you know what would be nice is a EJ belhousing with transfer case gears right behind

it with the transaxle dropped 4" lower then the engine , no center T-case and no 3 drivelines

[subaruloverbrad]

that sounds like an idea. what about making a "bolt on" ej bellhousing that replaces the factory one you have to cut off?

[Scott in Bellingham]

new thought, remove the stock transaxle and in its place back enough to allow the diff up in there hookup a transverse front wheel drive transaxle , weld up the diff spider gears in that transaxle and thats were the reduction would be it would be about a 4 to 1 as apposed to the 1.6 to 1 stock would be light and compact but require some big time machine work to hook it all up, or slip it in behind the stock transaxle for even lower gears, did I loose you??

[Gloyale]

new thought, remove the stock transaxle and in its place back enough to allow the diff up in there hookup a transverse front wheel drive transaxle , weld up the diff spider gears in that transaxle and thats were the reduction would be it would be about a 4 to 1 as apposed to the 1.6 to 1 stock would be light and compact but require some big time machine work to hook it all up, or slip it in behind the stock transaxle for even lower gears, did I loose you??

 

 

I like it

[Phizinza]

No, I followed that.

 

Problem is, that wouldn't allow onroad driving.

 

Plus keeping the Subaru box and a transfer case gives two low ranges.

 

I don't have any plans at the moment for anohter Subaru. But I would like to try this out one day.