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Marlin T-Case Reduction
- Thread starter Tapage
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Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Sure, a full on crawl box would be nice, but it doesn't pencil out. Between the cost of the unit and the mods to the gas tank, needed, they'd sell like 3.
Regarding the gears, I am virtually certain, this is NOT the Mark's gears. Marlin had these cut. Please correct if that's wrong.
In fact I have heard they are significantly quieter than the Mark's gears.
I just hits me the wrong way, that with all the thousands of dollars these trucks consume in gas, parts, maintenance etc, shaving $100 from Marlin is mean spirited.
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To further, there aren't many 80 specific vendors that will take $20k risk, and I can't say that I fault them if this forum was the target market, considering the banter.
Once more 1FZs have reached the end of useful life and OE support has subsided, as it has in every previous model, no one will spend the money to maintain and Chebby's with their associated drivetrains are cheaper than what a 1FZ will cost to rebuild, let alone a transfer case alternative.
Most here complain about the $1,100-$1,200 it costs to install the gears, yet I know guys that put $3k TCs in FJCs that aren't fail proof by a long shot.
It's all about the money and the money isn't in 80s.
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If these gears were $500, there'd be only a nominal amount more sold.
Oh come on chill out. There's no harm in asking for a group buy discount. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Those that want the gears are still gonna pay asking price regardless. With that logic we should all be paying MSRP+ for Toyota parts and supporting our local dealerships.
X2
When i wiped my butt this morning i'm pretty sure i used some double ply and not Benjamins.
For what it's worth $160 saved plus having it shipped to my parents in Reno to avoid sales tax will save me a total of $232 x2 sets (one for a friend) =$464 saved.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Surprisingly, I am reasonably chill right now. I just like and respect Marlin, know what a good and decent dude he is, and how much he's contributed to the community.
There is a big difference between asking a tiny vendor, operating on a small business budget, for significant $$ off an expensive and small volume product, than taking advantage of a "discount"(in reality a jobber price) freely offered by numerous Toyota dealers.
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I wish he would contribute more to the 80 community. We are begging for more low gear options. Seems like he cares more for the mini community. We 80 owners are so neglected. Our screams fall on deaf ears.
Oh how we get side tracked from the OP's question. 
It makes no difference who or where they are made as they function quite well under the right conditions. Yes I would agree that the money could be spent regearing as this should be done first when running larger rubber.
I agree with Delancy, there is a niche market for this type of thing hence the cost. It is a newer item here in North A for us and for an 80 series truck that is 20 years old. I dont foresee the price coming down unless Trail Gear makes a copy cat set but the market is not there yet and may never be. This may start taking off in the 100 series market but as with the FJC crowd, IFS rigs dont react well to torque multiplying on their front ends with large rubber. Too many blowed out crawl boxes on FJC's on the trails.
So yes these gears are the bomb. Are they pricey, in my op, no based on my return of investment and the way my truck is set up for them. They are quiet as crap...granted I am running Redline oil and have all new bearings in there. It does shift in low way easier than it ever has. One finger operation now. Keep in mind that I dont pay labor so my cost is the day to install them and not the cost of a shop to do it. So I can see an install with just gears to be in the $1500 plus range. Add another $450 in bearings and seals to that should you decide to freshen up the case. This is where I get blinded. I dont eat a labor rate per se.
There may be only a handful of us that are even running these gears. If you want em', bite the bullet. And as for MC, I have been supporting his business for 15 plus years and still doing so with the 80. His products have never let me down and continue to meet or exceed my expectations. I hope to see more 80 products but there is not much left out there for these rigs.
If you fellas over at MC get wind of this thread, make me a complete set of bullet proof motor, trans mounts. I will buy them right away.
It makes no difference who or where they are made as they function quite well under the right conditions. Yes I would agree that the money could be spent regearing as this should be done first when running larger rubber.
I agree with Delancy, there is a niche market for this type of thing hence the cost. It is a newer item here in North A for us and for an 80 series truck that is 20 years old. I dont foresee the price coming down unless Trail Gear makes a copy cat set but the market is not there yet and may never be. This may start taking off in the 100 series market but as with the FJC crowd, IFS rigs dont react well to torque multiplying on their front ends with large rubber. Too many blowed out crawl boxes on FJC's on the trails.
So yes these gears are the bomb. Are they pricey, in my op, no based on my return of investment and the way my truck is set up for them. They are quiet as crap...granted I am running Redline oil and have all new bearings in there. It does shift in low way easier than it ever has. One finger operation now. Keep in mind that I dont pay labor so my cost is the day to install them and not the cost of a shop to do it. So I can see an install with just gears to be in the $1500 plus range. Add another $450 in bearings and seals to that should you decide to freshen up the case. This is where I get blinded. I dont eat a labor rate per se.
There may be only a handful of us that are even running these gears. If you want em', bite the bullet. And as for MC, I have been supporting his business for 15 plus years and still doing so with the 80. His products have never let me down and continue to meet or exceed my expectations. I hope to see more 80 products but there is not much left out there for these rigs.
If you fellas over at MC get wind of this thread, make me a complete set of bullet proof motor, trans mounts. I will buy them right away.
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Oh how we get side tracked from the OP's question.
It's obligatory in 80 Tech.
For OP....
Here's the brass tacks of it and this has been eluded to by more than one vendor, in off the record conversations, so I won't call them out.
When looking at this forum as the prospective product market, with the abundance of threads complaining about a $15 difference from OE to Napa or a $100 discount not being offered from a vendor on, what appears to be, a relatively small profit margin component, what business person in their right mind would invest anything in a crawl box that may exceed $4k, even after development is paid for?
I wouldn't, would any of y'all?
I'm not belittling the guys that may not have the budget to put money into their rigs like others, by any stretch, for the record. Just pointing out the obvious.
The market can sustain group buys of off the shelf suspension components when they're shipped for free, because there's not many that can or will spend the money on a anything a grade or two above.
Yet, poke around in the 100 forum, or better yet, venture to the FJC/T4R forums and it's obvious that there's a different clientele base that will throw countless thousands at their rigs on whatever flavor of kool aid is most popular at any given time.
Vendors don't owe us anything and that should be kept in mind, because we're in the small minority of the Toyota market share with less expendable money heading their way, on vehicles that are aging with younger wheelers, who appreciate the 80, but may not have the expendable income to support a new product.
Where I think the benefit is will be in the future as more of us become adept at fabricating, machining, rebuilding, because it will remain a product produced by the market that sustains the same market.
Until then, specifically on topic, there's no other means to achieve a lower gear ratio, there's only a few producers on the planet making, and for the money, it's the single biggest improvement over the OE platform besides a minimal lift and decent tires, in a real world off road situation.
Mark my words. Trail Gear, or similar, will produce a gear set for $400 then everyone will bitch about how bad they suck when they start blowing up.
It's a no win situation, anyway you cut it.
"Mark my words. Trail Gear, or similar, will produce a gear set for $400 then everyone will bitch about how bad they suck when they start blowing up."
-Delancy-
I said it first....
-Delancy-
I said it first....
This whole "debate" is a joke. The gears cost $800. If you want them, buy them. If you don't, pass. I have them and would pay $800 all over again; It's that simple. It's the best/ only option in reality.
The cost was forgotten the first time I put it in gear
Kinda like a fridge...bitch about the cost until you own one, then its a bargain
Kinda like a fridge...bitch about the cost until you own one, then its a bargain
Mine just arrived in the mail yesterday. Now I've got one more project that I can't get to...(kids yelling in background about whose turn it is and somebody is running water?!)
Coming from the guy with a Mark's crawl box in his 80. How did that one happen??
I believe he may have been referencing the cost. Marks case is $3k if I recall and given some of the mechanical issues along with fitment....becomes cost prohibitive rather quickly. How about someone make a Klune box work with my stock case and tranny....lol
Yeah he was referring to the cost...but Wrench does run the mark's crawl box also.