Right now she is bone-stock. The limited gearing in the ol' 4-speed make going anywhere other than back roads less than ideal. I'm currently running 235's on stock rims. I ran the numbers through a drive ratio chart and it's plain to see that a 5 speed would not only allow me to cruise at freeway speeds, but I could run 31 or 33 inch tires at lower speeds on the trail. The L52 5-speed would fit easily as it's the same length but isn't nearly as strong or reliable. Later model tranny's being longer require moving the cross member and other mods to the pinon. I'm not known for abusing my equipment, but I do live in Moab and I also haul firewood. My question is which would you use and why?

 

Sounds like you've pretty much got the information you need. There were some V-6 tranny's, maybe even turbo(?) that are really sought after for their strength, and probably fairly rare since there weren't a lot of turbos.

Other than that, I think you pretty much have the info you need. Most people, crawlers or not, would go for the w-56 for strength. If you're up for doing some mods, or have people who can do it for cheap, or have lots of money, that's pretty clearly the way to go.

I went with having Marlin build an L52HD for my truck, but I probably could have found a good used W-56 and even paid somebody to do the mods for cheaper than what that thing cost me...But I liked the idea of the stock tranny in there, and me being able to pull it and put the new one back in myself.

The W-56 is stronger. Even stronger than the L52HD. So it's a pretty clear choice, unless you don't want to deal with the mods.

The L52 is fine, though, if treated correctly. If you found one of those, in great shape, for super cheap, it's really not a bad idea. They work just fine. Back when I was doing all this, stock seemed best, since the modifications intimidated me a bit.

With all the crazy trucks in your area of the country, I would think it'd be easy to find some shade tree mechanic who can get a W-56 in there for you, without spending too much money. I have no idea what it should cost, though.

I went to school in Logan and spent a lot of time down south. Mostly hiking, but a little 4wd stuff. I love it down there. My currect avatar over there on the left is from the San Rafael Swell area.

 

turbo tranny is best tranny for a 4cyl but w56 are great tranny.

 

Thanks for the great info. I'm leaning toward buying a Marlin L52 modified. It's not cheap, but this doesn't seem to be a cheap mod anyway. I'm not rolling in the dough and I do have a wife, LOL. I have a sneaky suspicion that this is just the beginning of a long line of things. I like the idea of the Turbo tranny, but it might be over kill for my ambitions. Any more thoughts?

 

just do a w56 out of a 22re. 5speed.

 

W56 sounds good too. I may have a line on a G52 or G54, not sure which but it's an 84. I'd have to buy the whole truck for $1k. It's probably worth it but it is somebody else's unfinished project. Anybody have a rule of thumb for determining which tranny is in an 84?

 

84 was a g52 and i think it used the same transfer case as the 83. I could be wrong though

 

I am in the same boat. I have a 45 minute commute and that 4 speed is great for short burst but that engine hates me and I hate having to take the 2 lane instead of the interstate. How much is a 5 speed running at the moment?

 

Well, Picknpull would charge about $120 after a core deposit, but 4wd transmissions aren't nearly as easy to find. I'd say roughly $200, more for one that's been rebuilt.

 

the transfer cases are different. the g series uses forward shift and the l and w sereis are top shift im in the middle of swapping a w-56 into my 82 and the mods are quite a few but i think it will be worth it