Jeep build up and transmission question

I have a stock 68 cj5. It is by no means a cherry and I am going to use it as a deticated trail rig. Plans are waggie 44's spring over high steer, saginaw conversion, Hydroboost brakes, and keep the stock 231/3 speed t18 combo. Plan to gear to 5.30 something.

My question is any major pitfalls with the above set up?

What transmission out ther is a bolt in setup to go between the 231 and T18?

I found a T400 but the bell housing did not have the dip in the top to match the 231 and I was not sure what issues would be involved in hooking the t-18 to it.

Thanks for any info!!

 

about the only major 2 pitfalls in your setup in my mind ( remember this is only my opinion) is the springover and the rear axle choice. i have never been a fan of them because of axle wrap. the rear axle wont work unless you run CV shafts since the waggy 44 rear is centered diff and the dana 18 is offset rear output. other then that i cant think of any major problems. but im sure someone will come up with a problem

 

Ok.. first what Jeff said is correct.. and the transfer case is a d 18, not a t 18 (dana spicer model 18). The onlt true "bolt in" transmissions are the T-18 and the T-90, neither of which are remarkable in the strength dept. A Th-400 from a commando will work too but it makes the driveline long.. it has been done but you kinda have to keep the jeep low to keep the driveshaft angle kinda not so steep unless you plan on real custom CV driveshafts.. As for adapted tranny combos the sky is the limit.. look at novaks website for more info there..

BUBBA

 

With a spring over-- wrap is a problem.
With wrap the differential and pinion with the U-joint will roll up(move up and down about 6 inches) and down and bend the drive shaft/break the yoke. THis is countered by building a suspension arm to keep the axle and diff from rolling. So doing a spring over causes more engineering to be done than just doing the spring over. Some 4x4 are sprung so hard that the wrap does not cause them a problem however.

Even a stock Jeep, with a locker or locker in both front and rear differential will sure go places you would not expect. Many do the lift and super big tires--- just for looks and not function.

 

The t14 will need an adapter unless you have a 1971 v6 bellhousing, this is a bas!@#d bellhousing and the only year it was made, it has the adapter cast into the bellhousing instead of bolted on like all other years. Bubba I think you ment a T14 or T86 these are the only transmission used stock behind a v6 from the factory as far as a 3 speed is concerned. The t90 can be adapted . Yes the tansfer case is like Bubba said a Dana spicer 18, a t18 is a borg warner granny geared truck 4 speed, very heavy and very beefy, but it can be put into a jep also with some work.

 

You are correct about the diffrence between the t18 and d18,,, to many 18's in my head.....

As for the rear end it is a waggie with a q track, so the rear axle is offset.

Axle rap is a problem with the spring over's but I have had good luck controling it with anti wrap perches and anti wrap bar in the rear on several yj's I have put together.

The main deal behind this jeep is keep it cheap and functional

The concern with the transmission is mostly due to the fact that it is a trail rig and the T86 is not the lowest geared tranny in the world. Just looking at upgrades.

I wanted to keep the D18 if possible because it is tough and If I swap the rear to match it would cause grief down the road..


Thanks for the opinions keep them coming!

 

yeah what mike said.. if gearing and strength are what you are looking for then pony up the cash for an SM-420 adapter from Novak/advance or rube adapter...

BUBBA

 

The major other pitfalls I see in your plan are time and cost.

This modification is going to take more time than you think to complete, and by the time you are done you will have spent, maybe 2x or 3x the maximum value of the jeep in terms of $$$.

If you can afford and are willing to take that $$$ loss, the mechanical stuff is details.

 

then put lockers front/rear, a lift, bigger tires and go have fun R)
the rest is not necc IMO

 

I'm with Jim, if you want to keep it affordable, put some lockers and decent tires on it a small lift and have fun, you'll be very surprised.

 

Hi,
I have a 1968 CJ5 225 Buick with a TH400 and a Dana 20 transfer case. Th400's are strong the problem you may have is with getting driveshaft combinations to work. I still haven't got mine completely figured out. We both may need to send them out to have custom driveshafts made. Usually they run $200-$300 so if you are loaded this is no problem. The trick is to install a front driveshaft that doesn't rub the oil pan flange on the TH400. This may be fixed by moving the trans/transfer case towards the drivers side a bit. I'm not sure though, I haven't tried it. I'll try to answer any questions about this setup as best I can.

Josh