Hey Folks, I've got that sexy and sweet little box known as the atlas 4 speed waiting to go into my TJ. Yes, I do enjoy stroking it on the garage floor but I want to get this fawker installed. Major problem, I'm 560 miles away from 90% of my tools and shop so no welder/lathe/mill/grinder/etc. I'm staying with family-in-laws right now and looking for work as an mech eng. I'm doing JV at the end of the month so I've got to get his damn thing in. Normally I would just get a 30 pack and a few buddies and start blasting away and cut/weld/grind/swear at whatever isn't going to fit right the first time. However, sending sparks flying isn't going to go over too well with the in-laws because the house is brand new and there ain't even an oil spot on the drive way yet. Also, the jeep is parked in the driveway blocking in my step Dad's 07 Porsche which owns the garage. Which means I can't have it down for more than a couple days.

So here is the results of my searching here with regard to fitting this bitch under my truck, also note that all of this was for 2-speed cases. If any of you guys have a 4-speed in a TJ please post some photos or info about your setup. Please feel free to add the specs of your install if you have one of these, otherwise keep saving 'em pennies, you'll only need about 280,000 and rights to your first born male child to get one.

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---- Flat Clocking Option - 0* - (only special order from AA):

Option 1: 1" Body Lift + 1" Motor Mount Lift + Hammer / Cut floor a good chunk of floor

Option 2: 2+" Body Lift / Don't need to cut floor but kinda :rainbow: because you can store your high lift between the frame and body

Option 3: 0" body lift and get extra 12 pack, pull both seats and start hacking

---- Clocking Position 1 - 7* - (Highest clocking hole unless special ordered with above option)

Option 1: 1" Body Lift + 1" Motor Mount Lift + hammer cut just a little to fit

Option 2: 1" Body Lift + Regular Motor mount lift + cut / hammer more to fit

Option 3: 0" body lift more cutting but not too exteme

Option 4" 2+" body lift no cutting needed

---- Clocking Position 2 - 14* - (second hold 'bout same as stock 231)

Option 1: 1" Body Lift + 1" Motor mount lift + Poly Trans mount = no cutting tub or skid to fit

Option 2: 1" Body Lift + 1" Motor mount lift + regular trans mount = cutting skid a little to clearance for case but no cutting on tub

Option 3: 1" Body lift + no motor mount lift = still need to cut skid a little (why not just get the motor mounts anyway so your fan and K&N FIPK will line up right?)

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Still Needed: Info with regard to using Nth Degree belly skids or tera flex belly skids.

If you have any better info please post it here. That way when people search for this bolt on BS there will be the answer in one spot. For me I think the sweet spot is going to be the 14* clock and body/motor lift with a poly tranny mount so I don't have to do too much cutting. I've got my OBA and OBW but would rather not alarm the in-laws by getting too hardcore. Also, please post any info about the atlas 4-speed if you have it. I would love to see some photos. Also, feel free to flame away if for any reason you feel this information is not correct, my lady has already taken the opportunity to inform me that I'm an idiot so I won't be surprised :flipoff2:

Oh yeah,

Automatic Tranny = don't need to mod mount to skid location

Manual Tranny = need to move tranny mount further up on skid

the Atlas 4 speed bolts rite up to your trans.
withe the Nth skid the best thing to do is mock it up without the studs in the face of the unit. It fits rite into where the Nth skid has a relief for the 231/241 T-case. you will however need to dimple the floor. Some shops use a BFH and wack the floor and then theres shops that do it cleanly and use a piece of sliced tube and a jack to dimple the floor. other than that it is straight forward.
however you didnt mention if you have a full center console or the early short style?
if you have the early short style center console you can put the 4 speed shifter next to the e-brake with an offset to the drivers side of about 4". Put the handle in the vice and massage it into a 45 deg angle give or take, so while in high range the lever is level with the e-brake handle and when in low you pull up on it.
if you have the full center console I would use the electric shift option. (if you go this route it is paramount you get it adjusted rite or you will break the drift pin (replaceable & used for this purpose)

otherwise its a straight forward swap.

oh yeah with the 2 speed the reason for the body lift is because it doesnt have the housing on the front of it. it basically puts it forward of the relief in the skid plate so it needs to be clocked up higher resulting in needing more floor clearance. the 4 speed shouldnt have this issue from what ive found.

I,ve got a 4speed sitting on the garage floor too.I hope to get it in at 7* with some cutting, air hammering,etc.I have a TJ with NV3550,1in BL,and 1in MML-will be watching this thread for pointers.

I have an atlas 4 spd in my tj clocked slightly down but alomost flat and it fits no problem with a 1'' body lift with the skid plate in the stock position no spacer to drop it nor did i have to trim the floor. I used the tj cable shifters they provided. There are a couple of pictures here in my photobucket album you can look at. I will try and take a few better ones to show you how i did the shifters.

.. this might help http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/jeeper8650/?action=view&current=P1010073.jpg lol

i also did no move my tranny mount either

yeah... I'm not running a full front console, just a tuffy box with cup holders. I like the idea of bending the hi-low shifter to an angle, sounds cool. I was actually hoping that the 4-speed would end up being less work to install compared to the 2-speed because the shape and size is very close to a 231 with a SYE kit. I actually don't even need to change the rear driveline because the 4-speed is only like 1/4"-3/8" longer than the 231 with AA SYE. I've got lots of slip in the rear driveline and it only uses a little bit of it over the full travel on the suspension. Which is good because the ProRock 60 makes the shaft a short little fawker at pretty much stock wheel base.

crusty - do you have any photos of the setup? Are you running a body lift or motor mount lift? Also, tranny mount left stock like jeeper too?

jeeper - thanks for the good info. your rig looks sweet with the strech and 60/14bolt. Do you have the motor mount lift to go with the 1" body?

no just the 1'' body lift

Anyone done the 4 speed with a 33Engineering skid(1.50" from frame)?

Hope some good info gets posted here because I was searching this topic a while back and got nothing for results. I have always planned on running the stock skid with my 1.25" BL when I go 2spd Atlas, but people saying they are running flat skids with no issues and a BL peaks my interest. Pics and info would be great.

agreed, I'm going to make sure to take lots of photos and post here when I get the project rolling... I'm thinking I can get it done next week when the familiy is away for a few days. That way I can bust out the air tools and ready welder if need be.

anybody ever crack a jeep transmission housing? I'm in the process of installing the 4-speed and that thing is a beast compared to a 231! I think I might make a mount for the atlas support ring

you dont need to, mines bolted to the back of an AX-15 with the factory crossmember mount location. never an issue. If you start adding more mounts, you may make more of a problem than the hypothetical one you are trying to fix.

ok, so I got my 4-speed install finished up and as usual it took the standard formula of (expected time) x 2.5 = total number of hours. Here are a few details from my install. I actually have a couple little things left to do... I'll try to get around to posting some pics soon.

1. almost all of the clocking options are totally useless except for the 7* location. To find this location look at the case from the front and locate the ring of holes. The 7* degree location is the last one in the set of 4 in the going in the clockwise direction. I actually tried all the other ones and I can tell you they aren't going to work for shit. 14* degrees is not needed for the 4-speed. The 14* degree location allows for extra room at the body but hits the skid plate. My truck doesn't have a body lift or motor mount lift and still has the stock skid plate. I'm running the case at the 7* degree location and there is good clearance between the body and about a 1/2" between the bottom of the atlas at the low point and the skid.

2. The doubler high-low range shifter is totally annoying. It shifts great but I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with it. Right now I've got it zip tied to the bottom of my truck. There really isn't any good spot to install it. Also, make sure you figure out where you want it before you put in the case. You'll also need to adjust the shifter to make sure it shifts good before install. I think I might just suck it up and buy the electric shift option. The leaver is nice but the only spot I've noticed to put it is to the left of the e-brake lever. However, I've got a nice tuffy box and it has cup holders right there. So, I've got to figure out how much an arm rest, lock box, and cup holders are worth to me. Electric shift is clean, simple, and easy.

3. Stock transmission mount works great. No need to change the mount for any reason. The atlas manual kinda sucks, for how much the case costs I think they could update the manual and make it more detailed. The 2-speed needs mount changes, not the 4-speed.

4. The total length of the 4-speed is just about the same as the NV231 with AA slip yoke eliminator. This works out great because your rear shaft will bolt right up without needing a trip to the driveline shop.

5. Front driveshaft might also work without need for modification. I've been told this will work. The difference between the NV231 and 4-speed makes the front shaft about 3/4-7/8" of an inch longer. I haven't checked my shaft. Depends on how much slip you have available.

6. My twin-stick setup works great. Lots of people bitch about having problems. I assembled everything on the bench and tested it before I put it in. Seems to work great and the sticks are right in the middle of the hole.

7. I'm running Castrol Synthetic 5-50 motor oil for the first 500 mile break in. Once more the manual kinda sucks and they tell you in a couple different places about what fluid to run and each point contradicts the last. I did what billavista did which is to run 5-50 castrol for the break in. Then I'm going to switch to whatever else they normally use.

8. For the new breather line I'm using 3/8" fuel hose and I'm going to order a K&N crank case breather for a VW bug motor. These K&N filters have a hole which perfectly fits the 3/8" fuel hose. Just add a little hose clamp. I'm going to route all my diffs and tranny to this point as well.

9. I've never owned an atlas before so I was kinda confused looking for the fill hole. Yeah, kinda stupid but there isn't a real fill hole. You've got to unhook the top of the sight tube and fill it up at this point. Don't know why they can't just add a nice plug near the top at this price point?

10. Be careful threading in the studs to the front of the atlas. Forget all that crap about mocking up the atlas without the studs in the front. Basically I've seen a bunch of people put the atlas on the back of the transmission and then push it up and mark it with a sharpie. Then they use that hole as marked. Well that isn't a good option when your flat on your back and having to wrestle with a 130 lb transfer case and a marker. I'm 6'5 and 250 lbs and there isn't a chance in hell that was going to be an option for me. I would need an extra hand or two. Just use the 7* degree location and go from there. The 14* degree option will require you to change around the stock skid which means more work for less ground clearance. Anyway, when I was fawking around with it I figured I would just stick one stud in at the different hole positions to get an idea for where it put me. Then try to install the tranny mount and skid. Needless to say all that screwing around with the studs and I ended up stripping out the front of one hole. Nothing a quick run through with a 3/8-16 tap wouldn't fix but a crappy trip to lowes and another $8 plus 1/2 hour wasted. Make sure you put the two nuts on the stud before you try to start threading it into the front of the case. My mistake was trying to start threading it in by hand and then to jam together the two nuts. The studs that come with the atlas are setup for an interference fit. They require a lot of torque to install. The one hole I ran the tap through required much less torque so I used blue lock tight.

Overall the install wasn't too bad but still has the typical 4 wheel drive learning curve. Now that I know what I'm doing with the atlas I could get another install done much quicker, however, this maybe the last t-case I ever need so hopefully there won't be any more installs!

ok, so I got my 4-speed install finished up and as usual it took the standard formula of (expected time) x 2.5 = total number of hours. Here are a few details from my install. I actually have a couple little things left to do... I'll try to get around to posting some pics soon.

1. almost all of the clocking options are totally useless except for the 7* location. To find this location look at the case from the front and locate the ring of holes. The 7* degree location is the last one in the set of 4 in the going in the clockwise direction. I actually tried all the other ones and I can tell you they aren't going to work for shit. 14* degrees is not needed for the 4-speed. The 14* degree location allows for extra room at the body but hits the skid plate. My truck doesn't have a body lift or motor mount lift and still has the stock skid plate. I'm running the case at the 7* degree location and there is good clearance between the body and about a 1/2" between the bottom of the atlas at the low point and the skid.

2. The doubler high-low range shifter is totally annoying. It shifts great but I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with it. Right now I've got it zip tied to the bottom of my truck. There really isn't any good spot to install it. Also, make sure you figure out where you want it before you put in the case. You'll also need to adjust the shifter to make sure it shifts good before install. I think I might just suck it up and buy the electric shift option. The leaver is nice but the only spot I've noticed to put it is to the left of the e-brake lever. However, I've got a nice tuffy box and it has cup holders right there. So, I've got to figure out how much an arm rest, lock box, and cup holders are worth to me. Electric shift is clean, simple, and easy.

3. Stock transmission mount works great. No need to change the mount for any reason. The atlas manual kinda sucks, for how much the case costs I think they could update the manual and make it more detailed. The 2-speed needs mount changes, not the 4-speed.

4. The total length of the 4-speed is just about the same as the NV231 with AA slip yoke eliminator. This works out great because your rear shaft will bolt right up without needing a trip to the driveline shop.

5. Front driveshaft might also work without need for modification. I've been told this will work. The difference between the NV231 and 4-speed makes the front shaft about 3/4-7/8" of an inch longer. I haven't checked my shaft. Depends on how much slip you have available.

6. My twin-stick setup works great. Lots of people bitch about having problems. I assembled everything on the bench and tested it before I put it in. Seems to work great and the sticks are right in the middle of the hole.

7. I'm running Castrol Synthetic 5-50 motor oil for the first 500 mile break in. Once more the manual kinda sucks and they tell you in a couple different places about what fluid to run and each point contradicts the last. I did what billavista did which is to run 5-50 castrol for the break in. Then I'm going to switch to whatever else they normally use.

8. For the new breather line I'm using 3/8" fuel hose and I'm going to order a K&N crank case breather for a VW bug motor. These K&N filters have a hole which perfectly fits the 3/8" fuel hose. Just add a little hose clamp. I'm going to route all my diffs and tranny to this point as well.

9. I've never owned an atlas before so I was kinda confused looking for the fill hole. Yeah, kinda stupid but there isn't a real fill hole. You've got to unhook the top of the sight tube and fill it up at this point. Don't know why they can't just add a nice plug near the top at this price point?

10. Be careful threading in the studs to the front of the atlas. Forget all that crap about mocking up the atlas without the studs in the front. Basically I've seen a bunch of people put the atlas on the back of the transmission and then push it up and mark it with a sharpie. Then they use that hole as marked. Well that isn't a good option when your flat on your back and having to wrestle with a 130 lb transfer case and a marker. I'm 6'5 and 250 lbs and there isn't a chance in hell that was going to be an option for me. I would need an extra hand or two. Just use the 7* degree location and go from there. The 14* degree option will require you to change around the stock skid which means more work for less ground clearance. Anyway, when I was fawking around with it I figured I would just stick one stud in at the different hole positions to get an idea for where it put me. Then try to install the tranny mount and skid. Needless to say all that screwing around with the studs and I ended up stripping out the front of one hole. Nothing a quick run through with a 3/8-16 tap wouldn't fix but a crappy trip to lowes and another $8 plus 1/2 hour wasted. Make sure you put the two nuts on the stud before you try to start threading it into the front of the case. My mistake was trying to start threading it in by hand and then to jam together the two nuts. The studs that come with the atlas are setup for an interference fit. They require a lot of torque to install. The one hole I ran the tap through required much less torque so I used blue lock tight.

Overall the install wasn't too bad but still has the typical 4 wheel drive learning curve. Now that I know what I'm doing with the atlas I could get another install done much quicker, however, this maybe the last t-case I ever need so hopefully there won't be any more installs!
What vehicle are you installing into?

Come on man read the thread he said he is putting it into a TJ in his first sentence

Only read the title of the thread, sorry.

But this might help:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PR-Atlas/

Truck Details:

2000 TJ
NV3550 Transmission
No Body Lift
No Motor Mount Lift
Stock Skid
Atlas replaced NV231 with AA slip yoke kit

Also, check out the link that BillaVista posted. That link is so much better than the Atlas manual that they should hire him to write a new manual. His write up was a real help and I actually had my laptop in the garage with me so I could look at his photos while screwing with the case. Great info and thanks so much for doing good documentation!

Come on man read the thread he said he is putting it into a TJ in his first sentence
And the qoute I posted says in paragraph #2 zip tied to the bottom of my TRUCK. Sorry I got confused.:flipoff2:
Thanks tbeede-do you have any pics?
Thanks BillaVista-great write-up
I'm putting this in a 99TJ--NV3550--1"MML--1"BL--33 Engineering skid

yeah, will post some soon

Installed a 4spd into my YJ this weekend... Teraflex (nearly) flat skid with 1" BL... required a little bit of hammering but fits good... I got the cable shifters all the way around and am regretting it a little... prob should have just gotten the standard shifter setup for the twin stick... trying to find a good example of a cable shifter install on a Jeep tub... not sure what to do with these biotches... and I'm just having a general brain fart for ideas.

of course that didn't stop me from going low low in the apartment complex and pretending all the landscaping rocks were something much larger and more technical... it was kind of fun to jump out and watch it go.

10.3:1 is an amazing gear range..... I've been running mine since mid-summer 2006 and I'm still re-learning how to drive!!

Low-low is great for crawling nearly anything, but too low to bump, so 4:1 handles climbs that require a little more enthusium.

My install was a PITA largely due to the non-stock engine/trans. It took a full weekend fabing new x-members, beating the piss outa the tub and such.

You guys are going to LOVE this case!!

Finally got mine in today.Couldn't seem to find a good place for the cable shifter with the belly-up skid.I ended up with the electric shifter for the reduction box.A priority was was ground clearance and none was lost though I did have to cut a little more for the twinsticks.An air hammer helped out on the underside.Test ride went well-I have never drove a front only option.Need to install the skids and tweek the rear pinion but otherwise done.Here are a few pics.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b355/dirtgrip/IMG_0643.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b355/dirtgrip/IMG_0644.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b355/dirtgrip/IMG_0647.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b355/dirtgrip/IMG_0648.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b355/dirtgrip/IMG_0646.jpg

dont know if it helps any, but here is my 231/300 doubler clocked flat with no body lift and a flat belly flush with the frame. had to cut the fawk out of the floor.

Overview of install on 99TJ,NV3550,1in BL,1in MML,33 Engineering bellyup skid
Used 7* clocking.
Did NOT have to cut transmount as stated in manual.
Electric shifter is easier to install than cable shifter & requires less room.
Driveshaft length's were less then 5/8" different from a 231 with Terra 4:1 and standard length(not super shorty)SYE.
Make sure you put the fluid in before install & stand it on end to get it into reduction unit.
A tranny jack is VERY nice to have.
Some mods had to be done on the 33 Eng. skid due to not ordering a flat clocking case.