Official Crawlbox BS thread!

Instagram links are kinda weird, have to follow through to watch the next video in the sequence.

Here's a YouTube link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDTQCMW5MEI

 

Been following this thread for a while haha saving money n trying to gain knowledge

 

Checked all my fuses and wiring. Still no speedo. Re-installed the sensor twice. Theres definitely a worm gear on the output. Not sure how the sensor could have gone bad just from swapping it but I dont know how else to explain it.

 

Just got done a few days in Moab testing the new crawlbox. Aside from the speedo not working and gear oil coming out the shifter, everything performed flawlessly. This is hands down the best mod I've ever done. Total game changer.

 

Gear oil from the triple stick base is normal. As far as the wiring goes, i hope you solder the wire and not use quick clamp in place connector? Did you check continuity between each wire?

 

Where is the oil coming from, exactly?

 

I soldered everything and tested continuity. I will try replacing the sensor as I dont know what else it could be.

It's coming out the boot. It seems like the sweet spot on the MT is around 2-2.5 quarts. Anything over that amount comes out the boot which was expected due to the adapter plate issue.

 

You can test your VSS with the below procedure:

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/the-toolbox/testing-2-and-3-wire-speed-sensors/28754

I had a dead speedo and used that link to diagnose the problem starting at the sensor itself and then tracing wires all the way up the back of the cluster. Turns out the cluster was bad and a new one fixed the problem.

 

I'll be damned. Finally got around to pulling the speed sensor tonight and checking it on the voltmeter. Constant 12v as I spin the worm gear so i guess i somehow damaged it moving it between cases. Glad to have a definitive answer before throwing money at it. Thanks for the help!

 

Hello Friends!
I've been doing my due diligence all week. I see some of y'all running dual case w/taco boxes and others with one or the other. I get that gear reduction just keeps stacking and multiplies rock happiness. I want opinions and inputs.
Junk yard 23 spline top shift Tcases is where I've been zeroing in for a 1G 5vz..?
Benefits to lefty or righty? (I ask in relevance to SAS down the road, want to do everything the right way the first time), obviously IFS needs lefty for simplicity.

I think I've gathered Dual case is cheaper and more involved?

TONS of mixed reviews on crawl boxes from brands, Marlin seems to be the 'greatest' if they ever send you your shit.
But overall everyone else likes who they buy from?

1. Sandwiching it all together is really the biggest chunk of info I haven't read anywhere yet. in the case of both, Im thinking it would be TRANS/donor case/crawlbox/stock tcase/Diveshafts?
2. Does it really matter what sequence so long as theres a Complete tcase at the rear for the frontshaft?
3. if i bought a righty donor and I use the first housing, and if i decided on a passenger side pumpkin (during SAS) I could just switch up some sequence and reattach the other three housings?
4. Dual sticks? is 2hi/lo really worth it on the trail? or is it what all the cool kids are doing?
5. Why did you pick crawlbox vs dual case?
Thanks in advance

 

--My opinions in red.

Hello Friends!
I've been doing my due diligence all week. I see some of y'all running dual case w/taco boxes and others with one or the other. I get that gear reduction just keeps stacking and multiplies rock happiness. I want opinions and inputs.
Junk yard 23 spline top shift Tcases is where I've been zeroing in for a 1G 5vz..?
Benefits to lefty or righty? (I ask in relevance to SAS down the road, want to do everything the right way the first time), obviously IFS needs lefty for simplicity.

Left drop is probably preferred for exhaust clearance and allows you to run a cheap SD60 axle down the road. Once you're into SAS type of fab, you can make either work.

I think I've gathered Dual case is cheaper and more involved?

Outside of running an Atlas, a Tacoma requires duals to get 4.7's or an adapter for a gear drive case and 95% of the work it would just take to go duals and have more gearing options. Earlier trucks that took a gear drive case could just swap 4.7's in for reduced gearing.

TONS of mixed reviews on crawl boxes from brands, Marlin seems to be the 'greatest' if they ever send you your shit.
But overall everyone else likes who they buy from?

No complaints on my TG adapters and 4.7's. Bought back in 2014.

1. Sandwiching it all together is really the biggest chunk of info I haven't read anywhere yet. in the case of both, Im thinking it would be TRANS/donor case/crawlbox/stock tcase/Diveshafts?

Trans/adapter/Donor case (Crawlbox)/adapter/stock tcase/driveshfts

2. Does it really matter what sequence so long as theres a Complete tcase at the rear for the frontshaft?

Yes the sequence matters. The only way to build duals requires a reduction portion of a gear drive case that goes immediately behind the transmission.

3. if i bought a righty donor and I use the first housing, and if i decided on a passenger side pumpkin (during SAS) I could just switch up some sequence and reattach the other three housings?

You would have to totally change the rear transfer case. The only way to keep the guts of a rear case would be to run a billet gear drive lefty and keep you stock right hand drop housing and swap it back over. Not sure if anyone is even making a lefty housing anymore since the stock chain drive case works fine.

4. Dual sticks? is 2hi/lo really worth it on the trail? or is it what all the cool kids are doing?

I've never felt a need for single reduction 2wd. Going to triple sticks (dual sticks on the rear case that come through the floor by the crawlbox shifter) lets you retain one of your cupholders though. I've got a cupholder on the bezel around the shifters and an ammo can center console, so no dual sticks for me.

5. Why did you pick crawlbox vs dual case?

A crawlbox is a part of a dual case setup. Can't have one without the other.

Thanks in advance

 

Welp that low down highlights a misconception; I don't have the full picture still.
Appreciate the insight! I've clearly got a lot more reading to do.

 

I think most of the confusion comes from everyone using different terminology to refer to the same thing. Dual cases, doubler, tacobox, crawlbox...it's all the same thing. At least with a 1st gen you're not stuck with marlin as your only choice. Sucks no one else is building them for the 2nd and 3rd gens anymore.

 

Ive said it before and ill say it again even though its unpopular. Just go with an atlas from the get go. The 5vz is probably pushing the limits of dual cases. Would suck to go sas and have huge sd60s that are big and stronger than most things on these trucks. Your weak point is now the dual cases which is a trip/day ender in most cases if you break something. Order an adapter and atlas 4.3 or 5.0 from advance adapters for just a little more than dual cases and call it done. Can reuse the stock transmission cross member as the atlas can be left unsupported. Plus front digs and sealed unit etc. You can read my other posts for more reasons on why haha.

Driver drop is better for tacomas like mentioned because of the exhaust. Its possible with passenger drop but requires reworking the exhaust and one catalytic converter.

Dual sticks is great. I use 2 low a lot and comes in handy when needing to slide the rear end over on an obstacle. I cruise around in 2 low as much as possible to take the stress of 4wd off the knuckles when steering. Good thing to have and worth the money/cutting the center console.

 

Got to properly use the crawlbox this past week in Moab. I can't imagine having done most of what we did without it. I'm just trying to quantify all the stuff I didn't break because I could go slow.

I think this was in 1-lo-lo @ ~2k rpm. It's pretty amazing how much grip you can get even just by letting it idle vs 2k rpm.

I definitely loved being able to have 3 lower ratios to choose from depending on the terrain. Usually was in 4.7:1 low range as I could crawl up decent sized ledges but still have enough speed to get between obstacles.

 

Saw this online and am thinking about picking it up.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/pts/d/napa-tacoma-dual-transfer-case/7001874956.html

What do you think would be a reasonable price for it? $3k seems a bit steep from my research.

I have a 3rz/W59 config that it'd be going on so it sounds like it would just bolt right up?

What are some things I should look out for?

 

3k seems fair for a ready to use driver drop gear case considering the Tacoma 4.7 crawl box is 2200 without shipping.

 

With the TG holiday sale I can get one for 2200 shipped new.

also comes with twin sticks for the rear case.

This would bolt right up to my w59 minus the obvious driveshaft and shifter modifications, correct? Looks to be the same TG one.