Official Crawlbox BS thread!

I vote body lift. @6 gearT444E and I did mine quite some time before We installed the crawlbox in anticipation of just such an issue.

 

Is it possible to remove the transmission cross member, drop the drive train down as far as it'll go, and get in with a hammer and a big ass drift punch, so you don't have to fully remove the case?

 

I could make my own like 3/4" body lift out of some plate and just plasma cutting it out, but that's a lot of work. Also might look a bit weird imo with armor and spacing the body off the sliders.

Did you do your own or just a 1" one?

I did already do that with a punch, prybar & hammer. Didn't drop the crossmember though. Might have to try that to see how if it'll give me any more room to get in there

 

My mount is beef as fuck with a poly mount and holy shit when i first started her up. Vibrates so much that I'm sure the lady likes it (she actually hates it). Its pretty annoying, i may have to swap that out

 

1” body lift and you’ll hardly notice the difference. Roger Brown makes a nice kit, and I’ve found installing a small body lift has many side benefits such as trans tunnel clearance, replacement of other various components like starter, fitting larger tires without having to bash the fender well, fixing bumper gaps keeping the bumpers from digging into the fenders, fishing and routing wires along the top of the frame, etc. I have sliders and the body lift kept them from hammering into the pinch weld, another added benefit. Also installing the body lift is probably quicker than fabbing a new trans tunnel.

 

Besides my joking, my opinion is to drop the transfer case and clearance or cut a hole. No reason for a body lift and same amount of work.

 

looks like only hitting a small spot, so probably not much clearancing require. I had my case clocked to flat belly so there would be no way to accomplish without rebuilding the whole trans tunnel and drivers seat area.

 

More what I’m getting it. A few wacks with a hammer and it would be clearanced. Only cost would be time to drop the case vs buying/making body mounts. When I get to caging my interior I’ll just cut the floor out and flat belly it and mount everything to tubes to keep it easier

 

I would like to do a body lift for all the reasons you mentioned, but then I would have a decent gap between my bumpers and body. And I don't particularly want to modify them to accommodate that. I know that a 1" gap like that would bug the shit out of me.

I'm thinking of going this route. Not sure if it would be easier to just drop the whole tranny & cases as one, or try and separate the rear chain case with the RTV on there. It's gonna suck, but I think better than making my existing hole 5" longer. At that point I'd have a hole in the middle of my cab almost the length of the floor pan from the firewall to the rear cubbies lol

 

Why can’t you drop both cases like normal at once? Mine is just the crossmember and a series of bolts around the adapter and pull back to undo the collar and it comes out. Transmission jacket makes it really easy

 

Hello, I was just assembling a tacobox. Does anyone know if this gap is normal? Seems kind of questionable. Thanks.

 

I could, but it's RTV'd to the transmission too. Either way I'll have to deal with RTV
Is yours not sealed between the transmission and crawlbox (between the outer housings that is)

 

Just test fitting before I put rtv.

 

It’s sealed between all cases/transmission. Not sure how separating the cases is easier than seperating the cases from the transmission. Sucks either way but from the transmission is easier for me. Was just curious

 

I just figured removing the rear case might be a bit easier since the input shaft on the crawlbox going into the transmission is much longer than the chain case and you don't have to worry about the seal. I had to fight it a bit getting it to line up and slide in on initial install.

I didn't use a feeler gauge on anything to check clearances when I built mine up. I think an old Marlin instruction guide mentioned it, but didn't tell you how to fix it if the gap was out of their specified tolerance. Couldn't tell you if that gap is normal or not.

 

Finally getting after this project

 

I have pretty much everything assembled for my dual case build, AA reduction housing, TG kit, extra driveshaft to shorten for the front, random bits and pieces, last items to pick up are the crossmember and triple-stick kit. Having a time of it deciding between 4.7 and 2.28. I run 4.88 gears, 5-speed, 255/85R16s, rear elocker front open, still IFS, and my style isn't throttle-heavy in general. Won't be going bigger than 35's.

Main concern is running the crawlbox in low with the chain case in high; how many folks out there have busted parts doing this? Any? Is this urban legend nonsense? Pretty sure I heard Marlin say that's how they roll 90% of the time, but I'm not rocking the turtle adapter, unfortunately. I understand the additional forces, but how many if any of you have experienced troublems? If I roll 2.28, I'd be putting around in stock low most of the time, then engage the crawlbox for fun business, and miss out on the absurd 230:1 or whatever (I'm generalizing that ratio and too tired to be bothered with maths). Utility and practicality say 2.28, radical factor 4.7, but I'd rather not if that's an invitation to disaster.

Lemme know...

 

Everything comes down to the driver. I've done low low low locked FR/RR up some gnarly rock slab without issue.

I would run 4.7 if your a manual. Even an auto, I would recommend 4.7 but some will say 2.28 in an auto is great as well. It's preference imo.

 

i almost never have the stock tcase in low. unless i really just need the extra gearing. but the 4.7 in the crawlbox is prefect for me in most situations minus long stretches of faster driving. then its just too slow.

 

What's your setup with tires and gears and all that jazz, no problems running just the front case in low with the rear in high? Basically what led to all this wishy-washiness was a comment from a rep from an unnamed vendor (not Marlin or TG) that I'd be putting the rear case through hell, and made it seem like a real bad idea, and sewed the seeds of doubt in an overly-fertile brainscape. Seems like a lot of people run the 4.7 gears in front, rear in high, just fine. Be nice to have the double-low option for trips to the sandstone playgrounds even if it rarely gets used. Appreciate the feedback.