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What Axles to Use?

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by linckeil, Nov 1, 2004.

  1. Nov 1, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Aug 19, 2004
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    492
    I have 2 jeeps right now. A '64 and a '60. In the spring, I will combine them both to make one nice jeep. The '60 has 5.38 gears, the '64 has 4.27 gears. I plan on dropping a buick 215 V8 in the finished jeep. What axles should I use? I plow snow with the '60 jeep and having 5.38's with a Volvo B20 4 cylinder under the hood works out really well. But with the 215, the 5.38's will really limit my top end, but I fear if I use the 4.27's, I may not get that same snow pushing ability, even though the 215 is a more powerful motor.
    Just fishing around for opinions right now. What do you guys think is the better ratio for me? By the way, IU have the stock T90 trans and D18 transfer case. I Will plow with 215/75 15 tires and run 235/75 15 tires in the spring/summer/fall.
     
  2. Nov 1, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    I plow with 4.27's. Works well -- at least I haven't found gearing to be a limitation yet. The Jeep will push whatever the blade will catch, but I run a small blade.
     
  3. Nov 1, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Boyink, with what motor? what size blade? I have a 6.5 footer.
     
  4. Nov 1, 2004
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    I'd suggest you use the crawl ratio, top speed and engine RPM calculators on the Novak site to get an idea of how each combination will perform. http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/gearing.htm

    You should also have a T90C in your '64, according to Novak. Combining the T90C with the 5.38 gears will give you a decent crawl ratio of 46:1. Using a D18 transfer case gives you the option of the Warn/Saturn overdrive, which will solve your highway speed problems with the 5.38s.

    Getting low gearing is usually expensive, so if you have the opportunity to use the 5.38 axles, IMO you'll be better off.
     
  5. Nov 1, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Tim, great info. thanks. whats a T90C? how is it different than the T90 in my '60? I was thinking of an overdrive to help out at speed with the 5.38's, but they are pretty expensive. would an overdrive with 5.38's run a lower rpm then a stock 3 speed with 4.27's?
     
  6. Nov 1, 2004
    Fhead Guy

    Fhead Guy Member

    Northern VA
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    Apr 29, 2003
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    83
    Forget the fancy math, etc. If you want to drive the jeep on the road, 4.27s are the only way to go on an early CJ5. I had 5.38s with an O/D on Percival and happily swapped axles to 4.27s and never looked back. I don't plow with it, but Mike seems to be doing OK with his set up. The gearing difference between the T90 and T90c isn't such that you are going to notice, or miss anything. At least that is my experience.

    BTW, putting a blade much bigger than 6.5 ft is asking for (eventual) trouble on your rig. We've seen more than one frame bent from plowing snow.

    Eck
     
  7. Nov 1, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    :v6:

    Blade is a garden tractor blade widened to match the Jeep's track width:

    [​IMG]

    Much lighter than a standard Jeep plow.

    Note that I normally only do a couple short driveways -- but living close to Lake MI means we get some pretty good accumulations.

    Actually, now that I think about it I ran Dutch down our entire street a couple times last year when the county plows were slow in getting to us. My scrapped together plow did pretty dang well!
     
  8. Nov 1, 2004
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Walck's says "25% reduction in RPM" so I assume that means RPMs are multiplied by 3/4. Thats the same as multiplying the final drive ratio by 3/4: 5.38*0.75=4.04.

    The T90C has a 15% lower 1st gear, 3.41:1 versus 2.98:1. See the T90 page on the Novak site.
     
  9. Nov 1, 2004
    Ducks-Bass-n-Jeeps

    Ducks-Bass-n-Jeeps A Parade of One

    Brentwood, Tennessee
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    Aug 11, 2003
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    What size tires are you going to run when you get it all together? If you are going to run larger tires you might want the lower gear ratio.
     
  10. Nov 1, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    As mentioned in first post:
    I Will plow with 215/75 15 tires and run 235/75 15 tires in the spring/summer/fall.

    Nothing too big, so a low ratio like a 5.38 will not be offset by a bigger tire.
     
  11. Nov 1, 2004
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    linckeil - forget about the T90C as you can not run it with the input shaft that will come out of this T90 to get to the 215. The bottom cluster is wrong for the tooth count and you will need the long nose Tranny input shaft.

    To be honest - I have been running the 5.38's for years. My son's '46 came with 4.88's and a T14 and have been real impressed with the range it gives him (we run Warn OD's as well). I would not recommend the T14 and am putting 4.88's with a T90 under a rig this winter.

    FWIW - Best mods on a jeep (I do them all so no particular order)
    11" Drums all around
    Saginaw Steering
    Warn OD
    Full Cage and belts

    From there everything else is just cream....
     
  12. Nov 1, 2004
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Curious, I thought the T90C was the standard Truck/Wagon Trans, I know MOP's V6 also has one. So that would be a long input shaft.

    Just asking for some clarification on what you mean Warloch.
     
  13. Nov 1, 2004
    SandhillMike

    SandhillMike Moderator

    Archer, Fla
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    Oct 25, 2003
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    Sparky, I don't know if the shaft is the same, but that spare trans you sent with the truck has a very strange bearing retainer, much different than the CJ ones.
     
  14. Nov 1, 2004
    xz3ltt

    xz3ltt I love hockey mom's

    Clarkston, MI
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    Mike,,,Love the "happy smile" on the snowplow. Your pic reminds me of my days growing up in Muskegon. We would get 12" of lake effect snow and play all day long outside....Good living.....
     
  15. Nov 1, 2004
    SandhillMike

    SandhillMike Moderator

    Archer, Fla
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    If I had to do that just to leave the house, I'd end up a hermit. :D
     
  16. Nov 1, 2004
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    Sparky - from what I have seen the T90J is what came in the trucks (most of those I have worked on - with some T90A's). I have not run accross any T90C's with a V6 and the conversions (like Novak) all work with the A's (again, those I have seen).

    I would love to be wrong as I would really like to put a C in my new rig with the 4.88's - just never seen one that had a long nose in it. I can trade one of the 5 in my garage if anyone is interested :D .

    I am also putting together the stuff for linckeil to put his 215 in his jeep - pulling the setup I have for a 198 that shares parts for him.
     
  17. Nov 1, 2004
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Yeah, I know it's weird. It was set up for a Chevy small block, at least that was my understanding when I bought the truck. I took it off the frame of the other truck. Saw the engine mounts, etc.

    Shaft though I thought was the same?
     
  18. Nov 1, 2004
    MOP

    MOP Active Member

    Pullman, WA
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    Mine clearly says T90C on the cover. I haven't pulled it apart to confirm anything. DanStew also had a T90C in his (which he may still have and might be convinced to sell). Mine is a factory V6 (I can only assume), so I am not sure why it has a T90C based on the Novak information.

    From Novak's info on the T90:

     
  19. Nov 1, 2004
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Guess I should read my resources more huh? :D
     
  20. Nov 1, 2004
    MOP

    MOP Active Member

    Pullman, WA
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    Nah...... You were close. I am still not convinced mine isn't a T86 with a drunken assembly line person in Toledo. Do the covers interchange freely? I guess I will find out once it goes.
     
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