Official Crawlbox BS thread!

I just spit beer out my nose when I saw the price. Holy hell man. I had Yotamasters build my box with all new bearings and Marlins Total Spline input for less then 1/2 of that. I'm an auto so I just kept the 2.28 stock gears though.

 

Adapters are $760 and 4.7’s are $600 so 4.7’s make a pretty significant difference in the price of your crawlbox build. I can see the appeal of TG’s box being ready to bolt in depending on how you value your time tracking down a top shift case and assembling it.

 

Awesome, thanks guys for the help! Barring TG/LROR lead times I'll join the club soon.

 

I had my case in hand less than a week after ordering.

 

And MC just said 12 weeks.

 

They are lying, but I'm sure you knew that.

Marlin's formula for shipping is quoted number of weeks multiplied by 3 or 4

 

Or “weeks” really means months...

 

Correct! Just wanted to show my work so I got credit

 

Just got my quote from the machine shop for the manual trans mission spline adapter...not as favorable as I was hoping for. Unless we can get a bigger group of people together who want these and don't want to wait for Marlin, these are going to be quite expensive.

1 adapter = $1,500 each
2 adapters = $1,050 each
5 adapters = $600 each
10 adapters = $475 each

 

Ouch. I think the idea of welding the spud coupling from atlas will be a more economical solution

 

whats the spline count on a FJ case? its been awhile since i did the swap.

 

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie...at that price point it has taken some wind out of my sails and I don't feel great about the idea of welding the atlas adapter on.

The AT FJ case is 23 splines

 

I paid around $2K for my inchworm.

Mine arrived in a couple weeks as well.

 

I get what you guys are trying to do and keep it all Toyota but you seriously need to look elsewhere. There are a ton of different reduction boxes out there with stronger internals and can be had within a month compared to getting one of parts that will leave you stranded when they break.

 

All things will break eventually, one way or another. Getting a much stronger reduction box pretty much moves the possible breaking point to another location. I'd seen more dead rig on the trail with other issue that is not related to crawl box/axles.

For me, I like to keep the drive train Toyota if my axles are Toyota based. Now on the other hand, if I'm running kp60/14b than I would definitely run atlas. You don't have to send it everytime, easy and slow will get you there as well.

For my location, 99% of the trail and obstacles are up to par with Toyota gear box and axles. That 1% can be done if you choose the correct line and angle to start your approach.

But yeah, there are other options out there as @malburg114 mention.

 

Guess I don’t agree with your logic. Your building something to *just* be strong enough for the trails your doing right now. No weak points. Everything is equal. Next year or 3 years later. Your doing harder trails and now breaking axle shafts. You upgrade those. Now your weak point is the u joints or tcase. I joints are cheap. You upgrade those. Now you have a transfer case with a one off coupler as the weak point. Break that and you not only ruin your day but everyone else’s day that’s with you and is forced to help you.

Maybe I think about it differently but I over build everything knowing things will change. But by starting with a stronger tcase and upgrading axles. That leaves your weak link as the u joint which are easy to fix and carry trail spares.

And you don’t have to go with an atlas. There’s a ton of different things out there for cheaper. Just have to do some looking.

 

Built it right the first time around, true. But regardless of an axle housing / shaft upgrade (unless it's 35 spline and 1ton) most guys I trail with are running DD RS/diamond/TG mini axle because it's cheaper?? A mini is still a mini with an 8" center no matter what they say. Their weakest point will be that 8" R&P, especially when they pair them with 37"+ tires. If I was to built it right, it'll be with a kp60 or hybrid 9/60, but that won't happen. Im not building a rock bouncer or race truck. Look at bayareataco built Tacoma, his axles will be my dream axle.... someday... Haha

 

Please elaborate

 

Look outside of Toyota crawl boxes. Look at the magnum black box, off-road designs, atlas 2 or 4 speed, hero case. There’s tons of different cases out there and although they may not bolt up to a Toyota transfer case they will bolt up to something else that is stronger. Just have to do some searching and figure out what works.

Like my plan. I have an a340e (2wd transmission) with a inchworm adapter to dual cases (23 spline 2.28 front 4.7 rear. About as strong as they come). I want to ditch the dual cases and go to a 4.3 or 5.0 atlas 2 speed. To do this I need an a340f (4x4 Toyota transmission) or an aw4 transmission from a Jeep. If I use the a340f transmission I need an adapter to bolt the atlas up which costs roughly 800-1000$. If I go with an aw4 (which are a dime a dozen out of an xj) and swap my current bell housing and torque converter onto it, an atlas or Dana 300 will bolt up with a small spacer that costs 100$.

You guys do what you want, I’m just trying to say there are better options out there, you just need to search and talk to companies. Buying a 1 off coupler for 500-1000 dollars to make a part that was designed for an 80hp 3000lb trucks to go into your whatever hp 5000+lb truck sounds absurd to me.

There’s a reason the old Toyota’s work with dual cases and Toyota 8 in axles and 3rds with no problems. They have little to no horsepower and weigh next to nothing.

I know all about the fancy axles and what they cost as I’m finishing a 609 rear now and Already have a ruffstuff Toyota front..


reason I say all this is because I have dual cases and even though most aren’t automatic, I regret it because of the leaking problems, small splines, and overall weak cases. Look at what truck these cases started in and compare them to what we are putting them in. More weight. More motor. More everything. The weak point has gone from my axles to u joints and I’m not willing to blow the transfer case up so now I wait and save for an atlas.


Just my .02.

 

There are other weak points besides the u joints that will fail before the t case internals...
Personally, I’ve killed a rear axle shaft and @6 gearT444E nuked a front diff tube.