Question: you have heard it before, but i need power. My '06 Jeep Rubicon unlimited has an automatic, cold-air intake, 33s, a rollcage, a winch, and so on equaling 4,640 pounds. My next plans are 35s and 4.88s. i know i'll never have it as good as my '86 CJ with the warmed-over 401, but i would appreciate any suggestions.
Billy c.
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: I agree with you. My first Jeep had a V-8 and it was a blast to have that tire-spinning power, but remember your '86 CJ never came stock with a 401 so why keep the straight-six in your '06 Rubicon? Just because it's a new truck doesn't mean you can't change the engine for something better. Take the plunge and get some power under the hood with a V-8 swap! Companies like American Expedition Vehicles (www.aev-conversions. com) and burnsville Off Road (www. burnsvilleoffroad.com) both offer Hemi conversions, not to mention the plethora of shops across the nation that have been swapping gM V-8s such as LS1s under the hood of new and old Jeeps. Mount Logan Off Road (www.mtloganoffroad.com) comes to mind and of course Advance Adapters (www.advanceadapters.com) has most of the parts you need. you can have it as good as your '86, if not better. Just stuff a late-model V-8 behind the grille of that late-model ride that i assume has air conditioning, a sweet ride, and all new amenities, and go play. it's your right as a red-blooded American to have a V-8 under the hood of your Jeep. yes, there may be a bunch of hoops to jump through to make it legal, pass smog, and keep all the drivetrain alive, but don't be scared. Often it's possible if you get a V-8 from a car instead of a truck, and you bring all the smog equipment along. Hey, maybe you're even lucky enough not to have smog testing in your state. Realize that there have been people putting V-8s under the hoods of Jeeps since gis stuffed Flathead Fords between the flatfenders of Mbs during WWii so our generals could get around faster than their nazi opponents. it's nothing new, and it just makes sense since there's no replacement for displacement.
Question: I need some help with Toyota transfer cases. i have a '91 Toyota extended-cab chassis and EFi motor. i am running an '85 transmission and transfer case since the '91 was automatic and it was blown. i see everyone has gear kits and doubler kits for the transfer cases. is it possible to put in the gear-reduction kits and a doubler kit together? if so, what transfer cases do i have to use?
Kyle R.
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: All Toyota mini-trucks from the late '70s up to the current Tacomas have a transfer case that is made up of two components, a reduction box with the gearing in it for high or low range, and the transfer box that sends that gearing to the front and/or rear axles. When we talk about a doubler or dual cases we are talking about putting a second reduction box from another transfer case in between the transmission and the current transfer case. This is done with an adapter that attaches the back of the reduction box to the front of the other reduction box so you end up with a transmission, reduction box, reduction box, and then transfer box as one complete unit. This way you can put one or both reduction boxes into low range and get a double lowrange ratio. Also the stock reduction box low-range gear ratio is 2.28:1, and there are other low-range gearsets available such as 4, 4.7, and 5.1 from Marlin Crawler (559.252.7295, www.marlincrawler.com) and Advance Adapters (800.350.2223, www.advanceadapters.com). Thus you can run lower gears in one or both of your reduction boxes, which helps the small four-cylinder engines turn big tires and climb steep obstacles. How low you go in the transfer case depends on your axle gear ratios, tire size, and the terrain you attempt. Most Toyota guys i know like to run the stock gearing in one reduction box and then the 4.7:1 ratio in the other along with a 4.88 or 5.29 ring-and-pinion in their differentials when running 35- or 37-inch tires.
The only rule for the rear reduction box is that the transfer case must be a top-shifter style case (found in '85-'88 fuel-injected, nonturbo trucks and early '79-'83 first-generation trucks), and the front reduction box in the dual case setup needs to match the transmission. Due to all these options i recommend calling Marlin Crawler and explaining what you have exactly, and from what year, make, model vehicles the other cases come from, and they will walk you through your options.