Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Just asking who has tried the Maxi Rock crawler gears in their LT230??

At $1650 or there abouts they are not bad money.
It lowers your LR to 30% lower.
Good for cruising at highway speeds as you dont loose the High ratio. Then you have the LR 30% lower for those big tyres or rock crawling.

Anyone used them and do you think they are good value?

Steve

Was going to do the same with my Disco 2 as I recently fitted some 31.7" muds but decided to go for the 4.11 diff gears instead. This will bring my overall gearing back to just past what it was. Suits me as I would like slightly more crawlability in low range and a bit more low end torque in high. Means the engine will rev slightly higher but it's all a trade off at the end of the day......unless you have a huge wallet!!
Fitting the rear maxi drive locker as well while it is all in pieces.

Good luck with the crawlers and let me know how you go with them....can't go wrong with the maxi gear though!! Also at the risk of hijacking your thread, I would be keen to hear from anyone - PM me - who has fitted the 4.11's and is running 32" tyres.

Cheers, Mick

I've got the Maxidrive 30% kit in my LT230.

Makes a fantastic improvement to low range particularly if an auto.

It does not address high range though which is a disadvantage if you are regearing to compensate for bigger tyres. If this is primarily your aim then a ratio change in the diffs is a better option.

There are also a few different alternatives on the market for lower gears now that ashcroft are back in the game. Maxidrive also make a 49% reduction as well.

High ratio is not a big issue as a 200TDI is pushing 110kmh at the best of times.....

I mope along at 90kmh so running 35's will change my top end, but only to and from the trips i'm going on.

I have Peasant Duellers in 32" for my Road tyres when i have to drive it around.

Steve

sclarke7171 wrote:High ratio is not a big issue as a 200TDI is pushing 110kmh at the best of times.....

I mope along at 90kmh so running 35's will change my top end, but only to and from the trips i'm going on.

I have Peasant Duellers in 32" for my Road tyres when i have to drive it around.

Steve

I have heard some good stuff about the Ashcorft...but currently I am running 4.75 with 36" as I need to regain gearing uphills since Lebanon has a lot of quick altitude fluctuation....
Off road the 4.75 gives me the crawl I really need

HSV Rangie and maybe Grimace (Anthony P) was going to order an Ashcroft Underdrive. Not sure if he has yet, and what it will work out to $ wise landed here, but low low low was looking impressive as well as the ability to split gears in between.

Underdrive thread http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... underdrive


Maxi 49% low range thread http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... underdrive

Another interesting underdrive thread http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... underdrive

I have a 1.41:1 defender LT230 with maxidrive 30% lower gears, in my rangie. I am pleased with how this combination goes.

As the maxi gears are straight cut, they whine when low range is used, but this is not generally important. In high range on the highway, I can't tell any difference over the other noises.

steve, the thing that sucks with bigger tyres on a tdi is taking off from a stop. 1st gear is such a stretch, let alone uphill or towing.
have you done the math and compared 4.11 gears or 4.3 toy gears.
could strengthen the front axles and cv's as well.
john with the purple disco (lrocv) has the maxi gears in his rig.
david

modman wrote:steve, the thing that sucks with bigger tyres on a tdi is taking off from a stop. 1st gear is such a stretch, let alone uphill or towing.
have you done the math and compared 4.11 gears or 4.3 toy gears.
could strengthen the front axles and cv's as well.
john with the purple disco (lrocv) has the maxi gears in his rig.
david

I should have a chat to him... John that is...

Yes 1st is an effort, but as its only when i'm bush i dont know it it will bother me.
4.1 would be nice and i've thought about that. if i did it i would get the UK ones and not toyo as i dont yet know enough about moded toyos.
which toyo do you uses in a Salisbury?

Dont use a Toyo Rear unstead of a Sals, just buy either British Sals ratios or if you go for something like a Toy 4.3 / 4.5 use a Dana gear set out of the states.

sclarke7171 wrote:

modman wrote: which toyo do you uses in a Salisbury?

Dana 60 ring and pinions are the same as Sals, the only difference being the D60 ring gear bolts are 0.5" not 12mm (sals), and the pinion head has a different spline (so you need a D60 pinion flange as well). There are heaps of D60 ratios and from 3.54:1 to 4.88:1 there are matching toy ratios.

I've had the 30% ones for a few years now, huge improvement over std. Onl;y disadvantage is shifting from low to hi on the move is more difficult. If you don't tow a heavy trailer, not a problem. They offer more control, its just easier on the car & on the driver.

Having said that, I'm contemplating the Ashcroft crawlers. I've just gone up to 35.5" ETs. I'd like to stay right off the clutch in the difficult stuff.

Regards
Max P

does anyone have a close up pic of these gearsets?

cooter wrote:does anyone have a close up pic of these gearsets?

Maxi 30% and 40% reduction gears, which have been posted in this forum before.

I spoke to Fred Smith Automotive in Bayswater yesterday. Fred is a big beliver of dont play with it, keep it within limits.
So anyhow in conversation i told him my 1st gear in LR was to high. His reply was Maxi Gears.

He showed me the 4.1 ratio Gears and the Maxi Gears then he told me why he would stick to 3.54 and not go the 4.1
More to do with contact are of the 4.1 is only 1.75 teeth where is the 3.54 is about 2.2 So that i could see and understand, He said you may never break a 4.1 but they do wear quicker and weigh the costs up a 4.1 conversion is about the same, but when you go back to 31's or 32's you have the problem of it screaming at 100kmh.

So i pondered the thought and will go the Maxi's. But that will be after the rear locker and CV upgrade.
Depending on what breaks 1st?

i'm going to run my Simex's for a while and see what they are like then if i keep breaking things i'll sell the 35" ET simex's and buy 33"

So you might see 4x 35" Simexs on here for a bargin price.

Steve

I have:
3.54's
and run 33 M/T's and 35 Simex
1.4 transfer box with the ashcroft crawler box
so I keep high and low plus crawler
the low low 1st turns the wheels at winch speed which saves the clutch.






from ashcrofts website:

The return of the now famous UNDERDRIVE! Which was originally introduced for the hardcore ‘rock/glacier crawlers’ but has since become the favourite for the serious ‘challenge event’ competitor.

This product has been brought back into production by popular demand. We have made these in the past but stopped due to manufacturing and supply problems. These problems have now been overcome by re-engineering the unit so we can supply on an ongoing basis. We have initially make a batch of 50 units, which will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

For those that are not familiar with the unit, this is an additional reduction unit fitted to the LT 230, which bolts onto the Power Take Off (PTO) flange.

High and Low ratio will remain unchanged but when selected the underdrive will give an additional 2.69 reduction, this makes a low, low ratio of 8.93 (3.321 x 2.69). This gives the best of both worlds, high stays the same for road use, you have stock low for running about between sections and you have underdrive low for crawling over obstacles or winching.

The unit will only be supplied in the 26 tooth, suffix C onwards input gear format, if you have a 28 or 38 tooth input gear fitted you will also need to change the intermediate and the high range output gear at an additional cost of £150. To find out if you currently have a 26/28/38 tooth input gear please refer to our fitting instructions.

Now in stock,

Nice unit.
But Cost is an issue to us poor buggers in Oz.

and what is the cost of the input gear on its own?
Why do i ask?
Some tight Aass like me have worn output shafts on the LT77 or 380 box and we have new input gears that are now worn to match the shaft.
so putting one of these in means we have to rebuild the gearbox as well if your output shaft is worn.
Where as the Maxi gears are not going to be effected if the input gear has wear....

i guess the problem to me is i'm not one to spend lots of $$ on anything. i have a cheap Defender that does the job, but could do with some mods to make it better.
if i was to go out and do locker front and rear and maxi cv's and low ratio box then id be about $8k worse off....

So i tend to only do what i have to.
If i find the 35's are to much of a strain i'll buy 33's and just not do some stuff....
But low ratio gears with 32's are still worth while for that harder stuff when you want more control....

just my thoughts. we are all different. Some have $$ to spend, others dont. Some want the ultimate, some are happy....
I'm both... i want the ultimate but have no $$, So guess what...... i have to put up with the comprimise for now.

Sad but true...

get the 33's and save for other bits
35's will break standard parts with ease.
last weekend a mate did:
short front shaft
front diff without really trying.

you have Maxidrive/Jac mac and are very lucky.
a set of MD shafts/drive members set me back £880 approx $2000AUS
to get overhere.
input gear approx £50-$110 AUS

Yep,
Hence why i'm selling the 35" Simex's and buy some new 33"s

Bugger you cant get ET in 33"... i might have to get the 32"s

Steve

do the diff ratios.

the end result is far better.

Michael.

Bush65 wrote:

cooter wrote:does anyone have a close up pic of these gearsets?

Maxi 30% and 40% reduction gears, which have been posted in this forum before.

from my memory the 40% reduction is actually 49% which makes a difference to the final ratio
30% takes 43-1 down to 56-1
49% takes 43-1 down to 64-1

I am currently trying to sort out a unit for myself but due to the high cost of bringin the thing over to me in OZ i am currently working on a relative to bring it over when he returns to OZ at the end of the year.

Steve, remember that the Toy 4.1 gears have much greater pinion tooth engagement than the 4.1 Maxi/Rover CWP as they are a hypoid diff. There is a good photo in one of the other threads comparing a 3:54 Rover ratio with a 4:1 (??) Toyota centre.

<edit>I just nicked this pic of Slunnies, hope he doesn't mind....
It shows a 4.1 toy centre and the Rover 3:54. Check out the pinion size difference....
</edit>

FWIW, the Simex tyre charts I have list the 32" tyres at 32.6".
The other 33" alternatives are either a 285/75/R16 whatever takes your fancy, or the 255/85/R16 BFG MT, which is a claimed 33.3" tall. This isn't a bad all-rounder.