Official Crawlbox BS thread!

I can throw some calipers at it if you want and get real specific

Guess I got a limited edition InchMarlin WormTaco box lol

 

You won't be the only one. 2 other guys I know received their inchtacowormbox too and apparently MC is selling the front and rear adapters individually as well.

 

Seemed like MC is not using AA hd case no more. The case look more like the same designed TG used on their trail creeper. Definitely not a refurb but some new casting rf1a housing.

 

However ya gotta get there... amiright?

 

Ain't gonna matter when your in compound low 2nd gear making everyone else look like n00b's while you're straight up crawling up vertical obstacles.

 

No need, that's perfect...thanks. The bottom of mine is wider but the overall length is shorter by a little over an 1/8th of an inch which kinda surprises me. That's about the length I started at on the original design.

They must have picked up a big ass pile of inchworm stock if they are selling the parts too. The only thing that looks to actually be from marlin in that whole setup is the gears. I think that's kinda cool. Glad to finally see these are going out to folks. I'm calling it the Frankenbox.

 

That or going down a steep slope and you climb out to watch your truck walk itself down as everyone say wtf.

 

Lot going on in these pictures, I find it kinda interesting to see what MC is doing to create these boxes. I built my crawlbox with Inchworm and MC parts, and can tell a few things:

1. Input is definitley a MC 23 splin "Total Spline" - This can either be a 2.28 or 4.7



2. Front Transmission to crawlbox adapter plate. This is 100% a plate that LowRange produced when they bought Inchworm, but before TrailGear bought LowRange.
Can tell by the logo milling. Does use MC hardware though - bolts are all installed on the 0* clocking but dead give away is the internal torx at the bottom of the adapter.


LowRange Inchworm




3. Crawlbox housing is stock OEM hosing, can tell by the smooth undercut under the shifter mount




4. Back adapter plates that go from crawlbox housing to factory chain drive tcase. These are also Inchworm-LowRange.
These adapters aka 2 parts, were designed in combinatoion to allow 360* of clockability.
Back in the day with crawlbox leaks, MC got alot of calls and complaints about leaks. MC eventually went to a 1piece non clockable design because of this and to not need Inchworm adapters anymore, even though there is nothing wrong with the 2piece adapters as long as they are sealed correctly.



5. And final word...

Years ago there was a big problem with MC crawlboxes doublerow bearings "exploding" This was due to them using a fill slot style dual row bearing insteal of a dual angular non fill slot style bearing. So you might want to check and see what bearing is being used in your case. MRC 5029 is what you want.

Official Crawlbox BS thread!

 

Dunno if I'm lucky or cursed but I do know I have a Frankenbox. According to Marlin, all gears and internals are brand new Marlin Crawler parts. I'll have to check and see if I have that double row bearing that caused a lot of headaches. Fingers crossed I don't.

 

I've got a similar setup like yourself. Inchworm gear drive case adapter and 22/23 spline adapter, marlin box with marlin total spline input shaft and gears, along with marlin 360* clockable setup. Haven't had any issues with it other than leaking by the gear driven case adapter to trans connection because of the design of the inchworm adapter doesn't really give alot of clamping force at the bottom.

 

With all the stock MC are getting why are they still not taking orders on their site? Is it the labor that takes so long? Can you buy just the parts I wonder ?? You think MC adapters are better? You said the inchworm adapter tends to leak..

 

Can’t say for sure. Bad business practice is all I can speculate. Merlin never made the transmission to gear case adapter ever for the RA61, even when they were actually making cases at a reasonable pace.

 

Ra61 is the manual trans?

 

I think it's just because they are still behind and last I heard, the stopped taking people's money until they were ready to build your box. You haven't been able to place an order on their site for much of anything for a long time, but they would still take your order via phone and add your name to a list and call you. People don't get as pissed off about not getting their $2000 part when you're not sitting on their $2000. That's my theory anyway, all based off things I heard.

 

Dayum. I'm glad I surfed tonight; learned some things.

 

Here's a little teaser shot



That was when we stuck everything up to measure for the drive shafts. A one-piece rear came out to 60 1/4" and the front was 36 3/4" iirc.

We had to pull the trans for some other work but it's all staged and ready to go in tomorrow morning. I beat the trans tunnel pretty good, doubt it'll have any issues once the support for the crawl box goes in to help. We'll trim out the interior and get the sticks as close to perfect as we can and then do the FJ tube swap out front. Hopefully tomorrow evening the drive shafts will be done and we can test it all out!

 

what's the FJ tube swap?

 

You remove the Tacoma ADD from the passenger side of the front differential and replace it with the solid tube from an FJ.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-deleting-add-system.427258/

Eliminates the failure-prone front differential actuator which engaged the differential for 4wd.

 

Filled the box about half an hour ago and it's leaking around the adaptor



And this bolt



I don't know why the bolt is leaking