the cheaper way to get lower t-case gears?
 

alright its time for another big mod. ive got an itch to spend some more money i dont have. I am pretty set on a 4.7 crawler set for the t-case from marlin crawler but want to know which option would save me the most coin. i can buy the crawler gears alone and pay someone to install them OR i can buy a completely rebuilt t-case with the gears already installed and theoretically install the t-case myself. does anyone have any advise on this one? have you paid a shop to install the new gears? if so how much? would that be cheaper then the $1200 price tag of the rebuilt t-case? ive never dipped into the transmission or t-case so those of you that have removed/installed the t-case are there any special tools needed or complications? im fairly handy but no professional by any means.
any experience or advice would be just great. thanks

http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/transfercase/gears.htm

I bought the Trail Gear gears and had a buddy install them for 100, best 440 dollar investment ever. Tcase is easy as chit, like 16 bolts total including driveshafts. My buddy was in Denver but he dropped off the map. Addicted offroad on Colorado4x4 does install them. Toss on a new skid too. Great clearance helper.

Start shopping around for prices and decide from there. I will be buying the t-case with gears installed because I need the housing too...read: auto trans and t-case. Although, doing a doubler with stock gears in both t-cases is an option.

If you can't do it yourself the best option is just to get a new t-case with everything already installed...however that may not be the cheapest option.

:guitar:

Cheapest is what I did: Buy the gears, install yourself.

Bought the gears for 300 on sale from marlin, drove into the garage, spent 12 hours in there, drove out of the garage REALLY SLLLOOOWWWW. Total cost 300 bucks.

i use trail gears 4.7 kit. i printed out their instructions and got a rebuild kit also. i had a spare transfer case to install them in and in 2 evenings working on it after work i had it rebuilt and with 4.7's. TG instructions were a great help and had pictures too. the gears work great i've been wheelin 3 or 4 times since i got them and i love 'em.

I don't know if you have a V6 or 4cyl (I am assuming a V6, as most 4runners came with a V6 from 90-95)

If you do have a V6, another thing to consider if you are doing it yourself is that you have to buy a 4cyl t-case to rebuild, and you have to get an adapter plate (I am sure that Marlin sells them, but I can't seem to find them) and I think those are like $300-$400, here is the advanced adapter's one from inchworm:

http://www.inchwormgear.com/store/pr...products_id=34

so that's like $800 for just the parts, and you still need to get a t-case from a 4cyl ($100-$200) and I think you still might need to buy a separate rebuild kit, as that isn't included in with the gear set, and you'll have to clearance the case yourself

so you might save $100-$200 if you do everything yourself, if you don't have some of the tools you'll need (like a hydraulic press for the bearings) then there goes your savings from doing it yourself,

Buy the whole thing and it'll be much easier,

If you have a 4cyl, then ignore all the stuff i just said and buy the kit and do it yourself or, (if you plan on doing dual cases one day) buy the whole thing and save your old case for a doubler

well i don't think ill be doing dual cases for quite a while. i think a solid axel will come before dual cases, but we are talking many years down the road. so i wont have to buy a 4 cyl t-case. i think ill print out the directions and take the to the shop i have my junk worked on and see if they can give me a quote. thanks for the help. so it sounds like TG is pretty decent? i thought people always griped about their stuff? i may look into those gears to save a little cash. or would i be better going with marlin?

What he's saying is that if you have a V6, regearing your existing case is not possible. In order to do 4.7's, you will have to buy the adapter plate, a gear drive (4Cyl) case, and the gears.

If you have a V6, I would look into the new Marlin MC10 adapter. You will be able to do dual cases for what it would cost to do 4.7's.

If you need a gear drive case, I have one for sale. If you're interested, send me a PM.

The Marlin 4.7's have their "total spline" shafts and are significantly stronger than the Advance Adapters/Trail Gear versions.

sorry for the thread jack :hillbill:

i have a 97 runner 2.7 manual. Do they make tcase gears of my tcase?

You have a driver drop chain drive. you can go duals, and get the 4.7, or get a lefty from inchworm. You cant just regear your current.

Trail Gear did a couple of videos on doing transfer case gears and dual case set up, I don't think they have added sound yet, but between the printed instructions and the video my kid could do it...(thats why I am even gonna try:hillbill: )
t-case: http://www.trail-gear.com/videos/toy-tcase.wmv
Dual case: http://www.trail-gear.com/videos/toydualcase.wmv

Aside from the drive shaft work, I am putting dual cases in my '81 for less than $400 ($31 for a used budbuilt cross member off of ebay, $65 for transfercase and $300 for the adapter) I will see how the dual 2.28 cases go and than maybe drop the extra $$ for 4.70's...

Thanks man, looks like i am just going to be doing a twin stick, which inchworm says ADD will work with.

ok thanks for the clarification tc.

A) so if i was going to buy the crawler gears themselves($399) and the adapter plate($349), a donor t-case($$??) and pay someone to do the install ($$ labor $$) so maybe somewhere around $1500 give or take.
or...
B) buy the rebuilt gear drive case with the 4.7s already installed $1200 ish and install myself.
or...
C) buy the MC10-R10 probably with the 2.28 for now($1300) buy tc's gear drive t-case($$??). rebuilt kit for the new case, ($184) and have a new drive shaft built($$??) total... yikes.
Am I missing anything here? i would love to go with option C but i cant see the same price tag going with duals over the single 4.7. so it sounds like B would be the best bet. i wonder what shipping would be on a complete t-case...probably not cheap.
thanks for the help guys. keep it comin.

option C would be $1300 + driveshafts ($200) - as that $1300 price includes a rebuilt crawlbox and all the adapters. You can reuse the stock crossmember, but at some point you may want to upgrade to a dual case crossmember, but it could wait.

Personally, I would not want to have just a 4.7 case - the 2.28 (or 2.56 for chain drive) is far nicer for most of the time you're in 4LOW.