Has anyone used a Yota1 dual transfer case? $3,300 so cheaper than both TrailGear (https://trail-gear.com/2-28x4-70-dua...new-gears.html) and Marlin. Its also available right now.

Would love to go with Marlin but they are ~$5K once you get the cores and all the required parts. More importantly, they wont have the parts in stock until at least June, potentially extending into next year. I want to use the rig haha.

TrailGear is only 30-60 days out so thats another good option timing-wise but is a tad more expensive than Yota1

Curious to poll the forums thoughts here. Thanks!

Dual T-Case from Yota1 is here:
https://209yota1.com/products/dual-t...ar-components/

 

Save a bunch of money, build your own. Toyota T Cases are simple to work on.

What type of case are you looking for? Stock duals? 4.7s in there? what upgrades are you after?

Id build one for you if you were closer.

 

Thanks for the reply. Looking to have the Marlin-esq 2.28x4.70

Would love to build my own, unfortunately I work around 100 hours a week so just do not have the time. I get one Saturday off every 2-3 months so hoping to use this truck on one of those Saturdays, not spend it trying to figure out how to build a t-case and getting the tools required to do so.

I called Yota1 yesterday, they seem like great folks and use Sumo parts, not Chinese like TG, so think that is the route I am going to take unless folks here on the forums have warnings about Yota1 products.

Would love to go Marlin ideally but given my work schedule, I really want to start using this truck to get offroad, outdoors, and out of LA, so do not want to wait around for 6months+ as they wait to hopefully get parts in stock.

 

fwiw i have duals with those gearsets, i haven't used the 2.28 much because it's designed to be used in conjunction with the 4.70, aka it's for hardcore crawling only after the 4.70 is engaged... with both gears in play you never want to push the clutch in while coasting, because of the speeds that the clutch disc is spinning.

make sure that they pack grease around the splines between the boxes, to help prevent fretting... you'll have to measure for custom driveshafts after installation, and if the rear pumpkin has been rotated up you'll want one of those dual cv type joints in the rear.

i got the turbo flywheel/clutch/pp from marlin, but i think that it's a common part number so it should be easily available.

the 4runner that i got already had big holes hacked in the tunnel, it's ugly and it didn't have a console when i got it... the boot on the tg dual stick shifter is a p.o.s. that doesn't last because the rubber cracks, the third time i had to replace it i went with some generic boot from amazon, had to do a bit of custom stitching.

edit: i just saw that you have an automatic transmission?

 

That is helpful, I will pass those notes on the the fabrication shop.

Yeah it is an auto. Bought it because it was in absolutely impeccable cosmetic condition. I am having the shop mate the dual transfer case to a rebuilt A340F auto from a newer gen 4Runner. Then they are going to put in Rad designs triple sticks, delete the transmission ECU, and install a Rad designs VX shifter to manually shift the auto. I want to daily drive this and live in LA so didn't want to constantly have to be holding the clutch in during traffic. Plus (perhaps controversial to say this) it will be a lot comfier to drive offroad.

I'll have an upholstery shop or classic car restoration company redo the center console to make the additional sticks look like they were always meant to be there.

 

that sounds like a sweet build, what year is it?
possibly too nice of a rig to be doing the kind of wheeling that you'd need two cases for.
fwiw i've seen posts where people who were crawling with autos claimed that they didn't need as much gearing, or something to that effect.
i have to drive north thru l.a. to get to the trails, i always wish that i had an automatic for that.

 

1986. I certainly do not want it to be a beater as it has been very well restored. The original auto has started to get weary though and I do not want to simply have it rebuilt. The one's in '86 share fluid with the transfer case and are problematic.

With the cost of doing a custom transmission swap into this auto I figured I might as well do dual t-cases. At least when I am overlanding, camping, offroading, etc I will not have to be afraid of getting stuck haha. Marlin is also rebuilding the diffs with front and rear ARB air lockers 5.29s.

 

I have dual RF1A cases with 2.28 and 4.7 gear sets and I do not HAVE to use the 2.28 WITH the 4.7. You can use either OR both. I like the 2.28 for the easy trails when high range is too high and 4.7's are too low.

I use the 4.7 for the trails where I need them. and both cases in low on the most extreme stuff. I usually use 2nd and 3rd gear in this situation but I have a manual trans.

You are going to love the gearing options you will have. ARB's are going to be awesome as well. Did you do a straight axle swap or still IFS? What size tires?

 

Still IFS - wanted it to still handle well for daily driving. Its on 31s so nothing crazy but looks good (IMO).

Just got the estimates back for the bespoke transmission work and SHEEEEESH it is 3x+ what it would cost to just rebuild the 1986 auto that is in the truck. Plus the simple rebuild of the 1986 auto will only take a few days and then I can finally use the truck haha.

I know its lame, but given cost and timing, I may just have the 1986 auto rebuilt OEM. That combined with 5.29s, the custom suspension / steering, engine rebuild, and front and rear air lockers will still make this rig capable. Thoughts?

I really wish the transmission could last a bit longer so I could just wait until next year or so to do this bespoke build, but its going out now. Plus I think the u joints are bad (its screeching LOUDLY while driving down the highway.

 

My wife had an 86 4Runner with the auto trans. The truck was gutless with the 22RE and automatic but it never had any problems and it went over 450K miles when it got wrecked. It never even leaked. If it works for you the rebuild is a good decision.

The IFS is fine until you get into terrain that makes you lift a wheel. Not enough flex if you're going to do much rock crawling. My 88 was pretty capable with the IFS, 31's, 4.56 gears and Detroit Tru-Tracs in both diffs. It was manual trans though.

5.29's are more of a match for tires larger than 31's. Whatever you decide, good luck with it and please follow up.

 

For sure man I'll keep you posted on what I decide. I do not plan on rock crawling this rig - if I got into that I would do a separate build. This truck is in such impeccable condition I wouldn't want top rock crawl it. Just hoping to be able to tackle any jeep trail I want without issue and take it overlanding / camping.

The only reason I really wanted that bespoke transmission was so I could daily it comfortably and would have ZERO doubt that I could drive on any trail I wanted to.

Gutless piece doesn't really bother me, most concerned with offroad capability and durability.

The quote I got for the bespoke drivetrain build is more than most cars haha so it would have to really make a huge difference to be worth it.

 

Hey man, not to dissuade you or anything but I would recommend against 5.29s against on a rig with anything smaller than 35s. I'm running 5.29s with 35s and my truck is screaming at highway speeds, I feel like 4.56 or maybe even 4.88s would be a lot better for what your use case.
Same with dual cases, I'm running dual cases with ifs and it made the front driveshaft start to vibrate around 40 mph since it messed with the angles and those can't be fixed as easily as the rear. The lockers are a good move for sure though and honestly the only thing that I feel like would be worth it for you since the auto will already make it a lot easier to crawl.

 

Really appreciate that. I’ve decided to just go ahead with the stock auto OEM rebuild. If I decide it’s not enough, I’ll do the bespoke drivetrain setup down the road. Not planning on ever selling this truck so it will need another transmission at some point haha.

On the 5.29s those have already been installed so there isn’t a way to go back. Marlin is just installing the lockers, the diffs were already rebuilt with 5.29s by the previous owner.

I would like bigger tires on it at some point anyways so if anything I’ll probably just replace the tires with 35s or larger.