Outer Limits 4x4 Board

The lack of a decent low range has been driving me around the bend, and
as I have been threatening for the last year ( or more... ) I have got
around to DOING SOMETHING.

Here's a "solution".

Get a complete Vitara A44DE ( called an AW4 in Zook circles ) automatic
and transfer etc. The auto is a four speed with lockup converter so its
a good one ( also used in 6 cyl jeeps so its STRONG ).

Get a bellhousing off a Feroza automatic ( A44DL )

Remove Vitara Bellhousing and replace with Daihatsu ( bolts right on )

Sort out mounting suzuki torque converter onto a Daihatsu drive plate.

Fit crawler gears to Vitara case ( in my case Trail Tough 4.3:1 )

Sort out front and rear drive shafts ( eg. zook @ one end - Hatsu @ other )

Modify rear gearbox mount / shift lever / transfer lever etc.....

And there it is ... 64.5:1 crawl ratio and if you include the torque converter
then its around 150:1

This also means that if you have, or can get a genuine Feroza auto then with the right Vitara bits you can put a crawler geared Vit transfer on a
Feroza auto.

This is NOT a completely bolt on conversion.. drive shafts have to be
converted etc etc but it ends up AW4some.

WOOT!

Let us know how it all goes MMouse, nice work!

There's a Feroza auto box on Ebay at the moment- not cheap though... Starting price was $1600 with buy now of $1900 IIRC?

That's for the whole car isn't it murcod?

A genuine roza automatic and transfer seems to go for around a grand.

Remember all you really need is the bellhousing - most wreckers say no
but....... Argue a bit with them, the box is still saleable without the belhousing - if you were after a replacement box the absence of a bellhousing would make no difference.

I was offered a complete vehicle ( auto ) for $2000 - not reg.

daRangie wrote:That's for the whole car isn't it murcod?

Yeah, you're right, I just checked. I read the heading the other day "Daihatsu Feroza Automatic Transmission" - badly worded - and didn't bother reading past the price as I wasn't interested!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Daihatsu-Feroza- ... dZViewItem

I'm gunna have to come and see you sometime MM. Now I've got a company car, I can look at taking the Feroza off the road for a while and looking at options on some of the mods you've done

From everything i have read, auto ferozas are not the easiest thing to find... and converting a manual to an auto seems like a backwards move to me. The car weighs enough as it is.

Has anyone come up with a way to do this to a manual feroza... short of trading it in on a suzuki?

Tzi wrote:From everything i have read, auto ferozas are not the easiest thing to find... and converting a manual to an auto seems like a backwards move to me. The car weighs enough as it is.

Has anyone come up with a way to do this to a manual feroza... short of trading it in on a suzuki?

Ever driven a auto equiped 4wd on rocks, or at least hard terain I think there is too much reading and not enough driving in your post.
Bout the only thing a manual is better with (provided you have good gearing, either crawlers or low diff gears) is the ability to drop the clutch and punch it. Auto's are so smooth, and can make the engine much more tractable at low revs due to the nature of the torque converter. Also an auto in basic terms will double your crawl ratio. Look at most comp 4wd's, they are auto. Buggies - Auto. A few still run manual, and there is some merit in it, but auto makes things lots easier.

Layto....

yep.. never driven an auto 4x4.

Last time i drove an auto sedan, it coasted whenever i took my foot off the accel... just as if i had stuck the clutch in.

So tell me this... does an auto 4x4 coast... or can you drive it downhill under engine compression just like a manual?

Tzi wrote:yep.. never driven an auto 4x4.

Last time i drove an auto sedan, it coasted whenever i took my foot off the accel... just as if i had stuck the clutch in.

So tell me this... does an auto 4x4 coast... or can you drive it downhill under engine compression just like a manual?

Note my coment about good gearing. If your gearing is good then it will compression brake. Not quite as well as a manual will, but if you gearing is up round 70:1 then its not too bad. If not it will run away. But if you set up an auto with a lock-up converter and a lock-up engage switch it overcomes that issue.

Layto....

lay80n wrote: Ever driven a auto equiped 4wd on rocks, or at least hard terain I think there is too much reading and not enough driving in your post

Exactly. My 4Runner (and toy) is a Manual, and my Prado (daily/tourer) is Auto. As far as it goes. I rate the Prado well over the 4Runner in terms of drivability offroad, it just lacks the rubber, clearance, lockers atc. that the 4Runners got. Any lack in down hill control (which doesn't really exist if driven the right way) is far outweighed by all the other benefits.

r0ck_m0nkey wrote:Any lack in down hill control (which doesn't really exist if driven the right way) is far outweighed by all the other benefits.

I'm certainly not the most experienced 4x4er.. but as far as i know you have brakes... and an engine... how else do you control your decent?

Tzi wrote:

r0ck_m0nkey wrote:Any lack in down hill control (which doesn't really exist if driven the right way) is far outweighed by all the other benefits.

I'm certainly not the most experienced 4x4er.. but as far as i know you have brakes... and an engine... how else do you control your decent?

yeah but its HOW you use em.

Tzi wrote:

r0ck_m0nkey wrote:Any lack in down hill control (which doesn't really exist if driven the right way) is far outweighed by all the other benefits.

I'm certainly not the most experienced 4x4er.. but as far as i know you have brakes... and an engine... how else do you control your decent?

As Nath said - there are quite a few different tecniques to overcome auto over-run etc. If you want to know just ask.

Layto....

Good to see some varying opinions out there.....

As for crawlers for a manual, tried everything except getting custom
gears cut ($$$$) - its just too hard for one offs.

You need to drive an auto off road to appreciate it - the control is fantastic.
Runaway downhills is an issue if your gearings wrong, but thats the whole
point of the conversion, auto and crawlers ( 65:1 gears - 150:1 inc converter )

The Feroza and Vitara auto are both lockup converter and 4 speed so whilst there is a small power loss its worth it.

P.S. forgot to mention am using a paddle shift on the steering column with
no auto change initially. Will get around to reprogramming for full auto and
"manual mode" down the track but i like the idea of having full manual
control off road.

Some autos ( or their ECU's ) change at the wrong time which can make
an otherwise good gearbox into a thrill ride.

And "AJ" as your in Melbourne why not join the zook club ? Lots of trips
and I need the backup - no seriously its a great club with no crap.