Daily driver with crawler gears

[Ogre]

Hi
Is it possible to mix and match gearing inside the 5 speed box and t'fer case of a 92 wt?
I will be using it for a daily driver but also want to have a crawler setup in 4low for the paddocks and hill at my mates farm.

Will be used as a daily driver and delivery truck and will get one at max two trips away a month to the hills. Not super hardcore just camping and "where does this trail go" type stuff. Suspension mods?? recomendations??

Is articulation better than ground clearance or are they a function of oneanother and are not seperate.

thanks
later
P

[bigsteve]

I guess it depends on your budget and what tyres you plan to run.

Just to start an arguement I'll say dont go Spring Over.

Steve

[skippy]

Hi
I will be using it for a daily driver but also want to have a crawler setup in 4low for the paddocks and hill at my mates farm.

why not just get some rockhopper gears?
www.bigballsoffroad.com

as for suspension the stock setup sounds like it will suite you fine. you could always do a 2" spring and 2" body lift to fit some larger meatier tyres under it.


ditto on the Spring Over comment. (bring on the flames )

[redzook]

stay spring under
just get a bodylift an some 31's, rockhopper seies 1 and lockers

[SAWZALL]

I would (and will) go spring under, 2 inch springs, 2 inch body lift, locker/s and 31's

[OVERKILL ENG]

Stay spring under just get a good KIDNEY belt

[greg]

Is it possible to mix and match gearing inside the 5 speed box and t'fer case of a 92 wt?
I will be using it for a daily driver but also want to have a crawler setup in 4low for the paddocks and hill at my mates farm.

Hi Ogre,

Don't forget that putting lower gears in your transfer case (i.e. a rockhopper) will not render your car useless for on-road use as you will still have high range to work with - which will only be reduced by 12% (rockhopper1) or 22% (rockhopper3)... This simply means that your car will rev 12% or 22% higher to do any given road speed unless you increase your tyre size by a similar amount...

Too easy

[N*A*M]

i have rockhopper 3s with standard diffs and 26" tyres
you get used to shifting at different speeds and the fact that your overall top speed is slightly reduced
but other than that, it's not hard to live with at all

[Ogre]

Currently running everything stock except tyres, which are 225/60/15 Bridgestones off the Commadore ute.

I do between 100 and 200 kms a day for deliveries and pickups for work.

I am wanting to keep the 2H gearing the same or even make it a bit taller(?). While dropping the low range gearing lots more.
I was wondering if it's possible to split the box and the t'fer case and mix and match the gearing clusters between the 1ltr and 1.3 ltr to get what i'm looking for?????
How do the dif ratios effect this??

I have a spare set of wheels and tyres (9.5x15 no-name 50/50) for going into the bush that I swap onto the WT when I go bush.

The rockhopper sets drop both high and low range. Series 3 looks to do what I want in low range but I do two freeway runs a week and 20%+ drop in high range efficiency will hurt.

What are my options??? Gearing wise?

Do the suspension and body lifts raise the COG?? how does that affect on-road performance? Body sway? In-sewer-ance? boys in blue trouble?

Is the 2" suspension lift just so the suspension reaches the 2" lift in the body OR is to maintain the suspension angle and ratios for correct wheel alignment? or is it for some other reason?

Looked @ bigballs offroad.
Is the adjustable rancho's for shock ride height adjustment or only for how hard/soft the shock reacts??
Lifting block made out of plastic WTF?? pls explain.

thanks
later
P

[greg]

I am wanting to keep the 2H gearing the same or even make it a bit taller(?). While dropping the low range gearing lots more.
I was wondering if it's possible to split the box and the t'fer case and mix and match the gearing clusters between the 1ltr and 1.3 ltr to get what i'm looking for?????
How do the dif ratios effect this??

The rockhopper sets drop both high and low range. Series 3 looks to do what I want in low range but I do two freeway runs a week and 20%+ drop in high range efficiency will hurt.

What are my options??? Gearing wise?

I've never heard of anyone wanting to reduce the gearing of the sierras (i.e. make them taller), this is a bit odd But i guess the easiest way to do this would be to increase your tyre size, without increasing your gearing.

I'm also not aware of it being possible to mix and match the gears from the different boxes. Again, the easy way to do this would be to put in a rockhopper (i.e. series 1), and then increase your tyre size by more than 12% - this would mean higher gears in low range, and (hopefully) enought gearing in low range to make it work offroad.

Do the suspension and body lifts raise the COG?? how does that affect on-road performance? Body sway? In-sewer-ance? boys in blue trouble?

Definately - raising the car in any manor will raise it's centre of gravity some amount. It's just a matter of being sensible.

Running a 2" body lift, Old Man Emu Springs, and something like a 31" tyre isn't hard to drive around without being pulled over by the police... However, strickly speaking, the tyres would be a bit of a no no, but the spring lift and body lift would be legal to run.

i.e. in vic a body lift is legal if sensible, and a spring lift is legal if it is no more that 1/3 bigger than the stock springs allow for (which am OME spring lift will be okay for)... The tyres will be technically illegal if they are over more than 10 or 15mm bigger (in diameter) than your stock tyres...

Is the 2" suspension lift just so the suspension reaches the 2" lift in the body OR is to maintain the suspension angle and ratios for correct wheel alignment? or is it for some other reason?

A 2" suspension lift is just that - the distance between your chassis and your axels will be increased by 2" (at theoretical ride height). A raise as slight as this should not have any negative effects on axels, steering etc...

Looked @ bigballs offroad.
Is the adjustable rancho's for shock ride height adjustment or only for how hard/soft the shock reacts??
Lifting block made out of plastic WTF?? pls explain.

Body lift blocks appear to be legally made out of plastic in NSW, but aluminium is not legal to use there? I know - it's got me confused too.

Shocks are adjustable for hardness/softness - not ride height - have to buy new shocks if you are changing that

[greg]

How do the dif ratios effect this??

Sorry - forgot this one...

To my knowledge, the widetrack sierra already has the tallest possible diff ratio in it (3.1:1), so you will not be able to use diff gears to make the gearing taller.

Normally people are putting high ratios in their sierras to make them slower (i.e. i am running 5.12:1 diff ratios)...

cheers

[redzook]

wide tracks are 3.7
coils are 3.909 or somthin
narrow tracks are 4.11 ?

[greg]

wide tracks are 3.7
coils are 3.909 or somthin
narrow tracks are 4.11 ?

sorry - meant to write 3.7:1 - not 3.1:1

Anyways - it still shows that the wide tracks have the tallest of the gears for a sierra.

[Ogre]

Thanks heaps
Ok so I have the tallest standard factory gearing in high range.
Is there some way I can "lower" the low range only?

What's the rear disc brake kit from bigballs like???

Are there 1" body lifts or are they not worth the effort?? IE do it properly (2"+) or don't waste the time.

What sort of $$ for an 2" lift for body and shoks??

thanks for all your help esp Greg

later
P

[greg]

Is there some way I can "lower" the low range only?

Are there 1" body lifts or are they not worth the effort?? IE do it properly (2"+) or don't waste the time.

What sort of $$ for an 2" lift for body and shoks??

I'm not sure if you can just run a reduction on your low range, perhaps a 'custom' setup of gears could be achieved in the x-fer case, but i still think that once you get the right tyre size, you will want a decrease in both high and low.

Although i'm sure it would be possible to run just a 1" body lift in your sierra - i'm not sure if it would be worth while.

2" seems to be the maximum acceptable size before you start to encounter a lot more fitment issues, and start stressing body to chassis connections excessively.

I'm sure you could buy a 2" body lift commercially, but i would suggest that you come along to another club meeting and talk to Steve (president), he makes them as a little 'kit' and that is what a few of us in the club are running on our cars. The cost of this kit is very reasonable.

Please note that a body lift will not require new shocks - not sure if that is what you are thinking from the above question. However, new shocks are generally going to be anywhere from $10 each, to $220 each - depending on what brand and what size.

Work out what tyre size you want to run. If it is 235x75x15 (28.5") or smaller, then you won't need a body lift. If it is bigger than that, then you probably will. If it is bigger than 31", you will need to move your front axel forward so the tyres clear the firewall. If it's bigger than 34", then you will need a new front grill and headlights etc.

Cheers

[Luigi Malone]

Thanks heaps
Ok so I have the tallest standard factory gearing in high range.
Is there some way I can "lower" the low range only?

What's the rear disc brake kit from bigballs like???

Are there 1" body lifts or are they not worth the effort?? IE do it properly (2"+) or don't waste the time.

What sort of $$ for an 2" lift for body and shoks??

thanks for all your help esp Greg

later
P

Ogre, harden up, get off road or get a ricer. Whaddaya want?
A lancer turbo whatsist that goes off road ?. No way jose.
Zuks don't do time trials.
Make it what you want, but it will always be a zuk.
I know i'm no help.
LM.

[No Idea]

Greg,

Why would you need a new grill and headlights if you go larger than 34'?

Please excuse my ignorance as I have never heard of this before.

[Ogre]

No Problem LM

$$ problem.
That's why I have to use zook for both jobs.

looking for best bangfor $$

thanks
later
P

[Luigi Malone]

No Problem LM

$$ problem.
That's why I have to use zook for both jobs.

looking for best bangfor $$

thanks
later
P

Me too soldier, I have a zuk that revs to 4850 rpm at 100 Kph. But I live with it because I like zuks and I like to off-road in style.
I understand your dilemma, but It's a case of whaddaya want?
You wanna off-roads or not ?
Zuks take a lot to live with.
Once you take the plunge it's not so bad.
I'm not flamin' you.
LM

[Ogre]

[/quote]

Once you take the plunge it's not so bad.
I'm not flamin' you.
LM[/quote]

Know that. Wasn't even thinking you were.
So how often are you called in cause the spouse found wool in his zip???

Pm to follow.

[grimbo]

Greg,

Why would you need a new grill and headlights if you go larger than 34'?

Please excuse my ignorance as I have never heard of this before.

With the setup on greg and my Suzukis. 34 Swampers rear old man Emu springs up front and still spring under at full stuff the tyres foul on the wheel well behind the headlights to free this up greg has removed the inner wheel well which then let the tyres hit the back of the headlights. to get around this he installed a grill and headlights from a Holden Drover as they are rectangle and a much lower profile so they don't hit. Simple really

[greg]

Greg,

Why would you need a new grill and headlights if you go larger than 34'?

Please excuse my ignorance as I have never heard of this before.

With the setup on greg and my Suzukis. 34 Swampers rear old man Emu springs up front and still spring under at full stuff the tyres foul on the wheel well behind the headlights to free this up greg has removed the inner wheel well which then let the tyres hit the back of the headlights. to get around this he installed a grill and headlights from a Holden Drover as they are rectangle and a much lower profile so they don't hit. Simple really

Zig-zactly - so if i wanted to go any bigger than 34, it is probably going to require either a tube front clip (with narrowed grill and different headlights), or an LJ body (they already have a narrowed grill and headlights are closer together)... (look for pics of Critter - LJ extreme - this has an LJ body on a sierra frame - running 36's).

FYI - the 34's do stilll tag the back of the headlight area with my current setup. This just means that after a hard day of wheelin' i have to straighten up the brackets around the headlights again before driving home - otherwise my headlights would be pointing all over the place

[redzook]

i dont think u would need to run a new grill an headlights if you were spoa
with 34's
could be rong but most yanks still have grill an lights and runnin 35's (spoa)


its only cos greg is spua, he basically has no lift an no flex

[greg]

its only cos greg is spua, he basically has no lift an no flex

Too true, it's actually a full on low rider man... the 34's are on 32" bling bling rims

[SAWZALL]

So that is the reason people run Drover grilles and lights. Coool

[greg]

So that is the reason people run Drover grilles and lights. Coool

Yeah that had to be a good reason didn't there - coz the drover grill is pretty ugly

Another thing i've found is that the drover headlights are pretty easy to find at shops too They are the same as certain hilux, gemini, 323's and a few others

[SAWZALL]

I've been a fan of the drover light setup for years. Sam knows the reason hehehe (Tim Hardy, your my hero hehehe)