Best t case gears for a Tj?

David1tontj

New member
So I am looking for the cheapest route to getting some low gears in my t case and was wondering what some of you guys who already built tjs did. I have a np231 with a SYE kit on it and it only has the 2.72:1 low range. My crawl ratio isn't bad at 70:1, but turning 40" tires, and loving big rocks has me needing lower. Any info would help. Thanks!


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
Are there usually any rubicons at the junkyards in your area? That is what 2 friends of mine have done. The tcase however, isn't cheap, usually 800-1000, but that's the easiest way to go

Sent from my LG-C800 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Are there usually any rubicons at the junkyards in your area? That is what 2 friends of mine have done. The tcase however, isn't cheap, usually 800-1000, but that's the easiest way to go

Sent from my LG-C800 using WAYALIFE mobile app

totally agree.
I ran a tera low in my TJ with 38" tires for a while. It always ran fine EXCEPT on longer trails the low was too low and the high was too high. This causes me to turn the case faster than the manufacturer recomended in low range and it blew apart (in a MOST inconvenient place).
 
Are there usually any rubicons at the junkyards in your area? That is what 2 friends of mine have done. The tcase however, isn't cheap, usually 800-1000, but that's the easiest way to go

Sent from my LG-C800 using WAYALIFE mobile app

I'm gonna start looking around for one, but I wasn't sure if I'd have to change drive shafts by running the rubicon case. I currently have a SYE and was curious if the lengths would be different..


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
totally agree.
I ran a tera low in my TJ with 38" tires for a while. It always ran fine EXCEPT on longer trails the low was too low and the high was too high. This causes me to turn the case faster than the manufacturer recomended in low range and it blew apart (in a MOST inconvenient place).

Thanks for the tip! Do you know if the Tera low kit changes the length of the drive shaft at all? Was 4:1 low enough? I like big rocks and steep hills and I just don't want it to stall. It is almost ok, so I am hoping 4:1 is low enough


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
Thanks for the tip! Do you know if the Tera low kit changes the length of the drive shaft at all? Was 4:1 low enough? I like big rocks and steep hills and I just don't want it to stall. It is almost ok, so I am hoping 4:1 is low enough


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

I ran 4.88 gears with a 4.0, 38" swampers and the terra low 4-1 kit. with the nv3550 tranny you couldn't stall the jeep if you wanted to. It was plenty low. I eventually rebuilt the terra low and ran it for years after. it's still working fine in the jeep.
 
I ran 4.88 gears with a 4.0, 38" swampers and the terra low 4-1 kit. with the nv3550 tranny you couldn't stall the jeep if you wanted to. It was plenty low. I eventually rebuilt the terra low and ran it for years after. it's still working fine in the jeep.

That's what I want to hear! Thanks for the info.. I am currently on the fence about either going the Tera low kit, or trying to just swap a dana 300 into it.. The dana 300 is gear driven, stronger, and has twin sticks, but I don't know if I can find one for a reasonable price :(
I'll let you guys know what I end up with


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
I'm gonna start looking around for one, but I wasn't sure if I'd have to change drive shafts by running the rubicon case. I currently have a SYE and was curious if the lengths would be different..


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

Sorry David- i didn't see this reply until now-
If you already have a SYE then it should be a straight swap
 
Sorry David- i didn't see this reply until now-
If you already have a SYE then it should be a straight swap

It looks like the closest nV241 to me is in Alaska and is going to cost $1500 to get plus a core charge! Yikes! So when you say its a direct swap, do you think I could literally trade t cases with a rubicon? I might start asking random rubicon mall crawler owners if they would like 700 buck for a reduced transfer case gear! Haha


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
^ lol, good luck with that approach :D

it was kind of funny saturday, i was having to give the jkur gas to go down a hill :thumb:

hopefully you can find one closer than Alaska, and cheaper.

The shafts should both be 23 spline, so you just swap yokes if need be
 
In my experience it is always better to wait a little longer and save for the best parts available for what you want to do. I would put the Atlas II transfer case in your TJ. I have one with 3.8 to 1 ratio with 4.10 axle gears turning 35" Goodyear MTR's and love it. You get the best of both worlds that you have been talking about. It bolts on and is gear driven with twin stick select ability. I flat towed my TJ from Los Angeles to the Rubicon 500+ miles each way this summer with the front hubs in "Free" and the transfer case in "Neutral" with the transmission in "Park". The transfer case is very strong.
 
In my experience it is always better to wait a little longer and save for the best parts available for what you want to do. I would put the Atlas II transfer case in your TJ. I have one with 3.8 to 1 ratio with 4.10 axle gears turning 35" Goodyear MTR's and love it. You get the best of both worlds that you have been talking about. It bolts on and is gear driven with twin stick select ability. I flat towed my TJ from Los Angeles to the Rubicon 500+ miles each way this summer with the front hubs in "Free" and the transfer case in "Neutral" with the transmission in "Park". The transfer case is very strong.

I would love an atlas! That's why I was thinking about the dana 300, because the atlas is basically a dana 300 that has been tweaked.
I used to save to do things the best way, but I have two kids and my wife quit working to be a stay at home mom..... This is why I am now on a strict budget! If I have to save an additional 1500 bucks, it's literally gonna take me a year or so!
Anyway.. I still have to sell my hardtop before I can move on with this, so until then I will be looking into every option and weighing the pros and cons of each.

How much did that atlas run you after it was all said and done? Just curious


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks
 
I would love an atlas! That's why I was thinking about the dana 300, because the atlas is basically a dana 300 that has been tweaked.
I used to save to do things the best way, but I have two kids and my wife quit working to be a stay at home mom..... This is why I am now on a strict budget! If I have to save an additional 1500 bucks, it's literally gonna take me a year or so!
Anyway.. I still have to sell my hardtop before I can move on with this, so until then I will be looking into every option and weighing the pros and cons of each.

How much did that atlas run you after it was all said and done? Just curious


05 Tj, long arm, one ton, lockers, winches, 39.5" Iroks

Your jeep looks like it has everything but an Atlas II in the drivetrain. With those big tires and axles you need one. I paid about 3k with shipping and tax's. Install was easy with a 1.25" body lift and Rokman high clearance belly pan. It is pretty tight against the tunnel. I also upgraded my drive shafts to one ton cv style from Reel drive shafts in so. cal. I totally understand the tight budget issues. I am a single dad with two boys,one income, child and spousal support. I am still paying off the credit card from the upgrades this summer. lol!! I took my boys on two solo runs this summer. We ran the Rubicon and the Dusy Ershim trails with no issues. The boys love it.

Best of Luck!
 
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