I'm building up a 1979 fj40 and this would make life a lot easier for me. Do they exist? Does someone plan on making them? How much would they cost? Input is greatly appreciated.

[ 09-05-2001: Message edited by: busdrivah ]

Check with Marlin, I think they do but don't quote me. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Sorry guys, Marlin does not make the Cruiser Crawler gears anymore - actually stopped a long time ago. I have heard about some Aussie gear sets, but I think they are for the later split cases, and the ratios werent all that great. If you dont already have an SM420 with a 3 speed tcase I would strongly recommend that. After that, you could go Dana 300 with a centered rear diff, or jump straight to an Atlas.

There is always the possibility of going to a dana 18 tcase. The gear choices are prety impressive. Although they are expensive... I heard that someone is making a shorter adapter for the 203/LC tcase if it ended up only lengthening the drivetrain by about8" or so it would be great!!!!

If you want to go that route the get a late model split case off a 60/62 and use Jerry Nichols 203 adapter, ie 465/203/split case. There still may be a drivetrain length issue for an F powered 40. Check out the adapter at: http://www.mudrak.com/

Krusty's on the money! FWIW, the split case is much stronger and the gear ratios are pretty close to the much vaunted early "3-speed" t-case. There are two Aussie gear projects that I know of, one from Marks 4WD and one from RockHopper, neither of which I've seen in person. I don't know of anyone with them in the US, either. One's less than 3:1 and the other one isn't much lower, like 3.1:1. The problem is that the tolerances inside the split case don't allow much lower gears. Still, coupled to the NP203 doubler you're talking (2.276:1 x2)= 4.55:1 in the t-case, not bad!

I have a 1985 split transfer case in my 40. I used Gear Master gears from Austrialia. Their avaliable from AA and give you a 2.81 low, not that great but lower than stock. Even at that ratio you still have to grind a bit out of the case to make them fit.

The last time I talked to Marlin he was working on cruiser gears that would fit in the Wardens billet t'case housing. But the Warden case is around 1400 I think. For the money you would spend you may as well go with a Dana 300 or an Atlas. I am setting up the SM420 with the stock t-case for cheap.

I run a sm420 and late model three speed
case it rocks..

I would buy the atlas before the wardens.

because the front out put on the toyota
is very small..

but you dont hear of a lot of peopple
breaking the toy output?????

I know that some peopple have figured out
how to use the toy truck gear reduction
in front of the 40 case.

wish I knew how they did it?????

would only add 6 inches.

Yes an australian company makes gears for 40's but they are for the split cases

marks 4wd adaptors

Never looked at it but www.marks4wd.com (http://www.marks4wd.com)

I have been runing the AA SM465-NP203 set up for 3 years and it is great. Strong and not very much money. Check out the Pirate4x4 tech story for more info.

<IMG SRC="smilies/blender.gif" border="0">

I saw a set of Marlin Gears for sale in the TLCA mag about a year ago. Something like $1600 just for the gears. Then about a month later, I do a favor for Marlin, stop and pick up a t-case and (guess what) a set of Marlin gears. Picked them up in LA and met Marlin in Bakersfield. It was the same set of gears. This guy really wanted lower gears.

Haven't seen any since. He didn't make many sets.

Steve