Looking for opinions (I know you guys got 'em).

A little background, my cruiser has a 302, T18, and dana 20. Dana 20's are center output. It used to have a mini truck rear end. I did a SOA and put a cruiser rearend in at that time.

I have a dana 18 to put the internals inside the dana 20 so that the case will be offset like a cruisers. Here's the real question, the dana 18 is 2.43:1 low, but I can get 3.15 tera gears for $600.

here's the breakdown:

6.32 (T18) * 2.43 (t/c) * 4.88 diffs = 75:1
or
same thing with 3.15 gears = 97:1

I'll be running 36x14.5 TSL's, is the added gearing worth the $600? I do some rock crawling but not a lot. If I wait will I regret not doing it while I had it all apart?

I dont think dana 18 gears fit the dana 20 transfercase.
But I could be wrong. There is another guy that has gears for the dana 18 t/c they are a 4.86 to 1, I think his name is
Obrien's 4 wheel west.

If it is easy to do, and only costs $600, i would jump on it! 100:1 is great with 36's and a torquey V-8.

With my SM420 and my stock LCt-Case I'm running about 67 or 69 : 1. I run 35 inch tires with stock dif gearing and I'm real happy with what my Cruiser will do. A trail like the Rubicon is a cake walk with that gearing. Of course lockers, both difs, figure into that equation. ;)

I have a Dana 20 in my garage and I've been toying with the idea of using it in my Cruiser. I like the cast iron case, sort of unbreakable. I've been told by more than a couple of people that the dana 20 will take the lower 18 gears with out much difficulty.

I'll look around and see if I can find a couple links on the conversion.

I've heard it here and read it at Novak that the 18 gears fit the 20 case. In fact the big hole dana 18 and the dana 20 are supposed to be identicle housings. So basically by putting the dana 18 gears in the 20 case I'm just making a big hole dana 18. I need to jump on the jeep board and see if I can get one of those guys to copy some pages out of the factory manual. I don't really want to have to buy a whole jeep factory manual just to have the pages for the t/c. I think I'll just swap the gears and run it 75:1 for awhile.

I think that the stock D18 gear set is 2.46:1 but such a little amount doesn't make that much difference. I have a D18 that I am getting ready to run in my cruiser, and I can't wait to have the peace of mind. I wouldn't go with the Tera gear set, but I would run the O'Brian's 4 Wheels West gears in that t-case. They give you option to choose from gear sets of 3.049:1, 3.6:1, 4.86:1, and 4.1:1. I have heard good things about these gear sets. HTH

Anything is an upgrade over the Cruiser 3 speed case.

That said, I thought the D20 was a center output transfer case and the D18 was offset?

Originally posted by Cruiser Ken
I need to jump on the jeep board and see if I can get one of those guys to copy some pages out of the factory manual. I don't really want to have to buy a whole jeep factory manual just to have the pages for the t/c. I think I'll just swap the gears and run it 75:1 for awhile.

Don't go to the Jeep side, it's evil over there ! :eek:

Just kidding, let me know if you find a manual and I'll send you some cash for a set of copies.

Also keep us advised on how the whole project turns out, and pics if you got them :) I'm real curious as to how you plan on making an off-set Dana 20 out of the two? :confused: Cause like Nolen says the 20 is centered and the 18 is offset.

You will find happieness in 75:1, you'll love it and save yourself 600bucks in the process. :D

Ken here's the place to go, Novak !

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/model_18.htm

He's got everything you ever wanted to know about the 18 and the 20, great stuff !

Originally posted by ouibus
I wouldn't go with the Tera gear set, but I would run the O'Brian's 4 Wheels West gears in that t-case. They give you option to choose from gear sets of 3.049:1, 3.6:1, 4.86:1, and 4.1:1. I have heard good things about these gear sets. HTH

Yeah, I've done some searches here and a lot of people have broken their teralow gear sets. I agree about O'briens but they are like $1500.

Cruiser Ken,
I have heard that you can get the 4.86:1 gear set for around $1200 and the other higher gear sets are progressively cheaper. I haven't been too impressed with the Tera gears at all. I will run my t-case with the stock gear for now, but when I actually have the money, I will get the O'Brians gear set. I want to be around 100:1 or a little lower.