Orion and Atlas transfercases avail soon

[PKP80]

Randy at Advance Adapters has my name plastered all over his desk in line for the 80 series Atlas. but it aint going to happen and Randy admits it-I spoke with him personally about the project on several occasions. I even had a used tcase and offered it for free and he didn't want it. He knows that to use an Atlas in an 80 means the gas tank must altered/replaced. this one huge issue makes the 80 series atlas much less marketable as the tcase conversion will never be a bolt on in the 80.

But if you put the 3.1 marks gears in your case and regear your diffs you wont be as eager to get the lower gears offered by the atlas (not as eager but still eager)

I have to admit that the one area I do not understand very well is the subject of crawlbox/tCase/atlas/etc. Is the only thing stopping the running of an Atlas the gas tank (I'll ditch that faster than you can say Atlas). Any means of working out why each option Wouldn't work on the 80 (reverse engineering of sorts)?

I will cut out my floors, relocate/remove the gas tank, whatever! But for the Mark's box costing just under $4K to my door I would have bought it by now and with each day it looks like that is what is going to have to happen.

I also have Advance on SpeedDial and the light at the end of the tunnel looks more and more like a train instead of hope for a solution. Great thanks to anyone who attempts to explain the options and why they don't work/what it would take to make one work.

 

[fzjconvert]

I have to admit that the one area I do not understand very well is the subject of crawlbox/tCase/atlas/etc. Is the only thing stopping the running of an Atlas the gas tank (I'll ditch that faster than you can say Atlas). Any means of working out why each option Wouldn't work on the 80 (reverse engineering of sorts)?

I will cut out my floors, relocate/remove the gas tank, whatever! But for the Mark's box costing just under $4K to my door I would have bought it by now and with each day it looks like that is what is going to have to happen.

I also have Advance on SpeedDial and the light at the end of the tunnel looks more and more like a train instead of hope for a solution. Great thanks to anyone who attempts to explain the options and why they don't work/what it would take to make one work.

I have not seen one person mention the Klune. Much smaller than an Alas and would work with our gas tank. I think if we showed more interest we could light the fire under Greg's feet. I have driven big block trucks with the "Goliath" and Samurai's with the "David". From my experience this would be the way I would want to go. You keep your HWY gears and have an extreme low with stock R&P. The only hang up is he just has not made an adapter for our truck yet. What do you guys think?

http://www.klunev.com/

 

[Nay]

Do the 3.1 case gears and 5.29's. If you need more, you are wheeling the wrong rig.

(yes, there are some exceptions on this board who have chopped, etc., but there is no mass market for that).

If I wanted to keep my 80, for whatever reason, I'd probably replace the entire driveline so I could run the good stuff.

That's the problem with Toyota loyalists - they never realize when their junk doesn't work anymore and keep trying to make Toyota stuff fit American extreme crawling.

Nobody is going to make a reasonably priced low gear option for the 300 people who wheel these rigs into pretzels. The gas tank is just an excuse - the economics don't justify it. If you really want it, just pull out the plastic, buy the Mark's box, and do the extra work.

The Classifieds is waiting for you (do your portals first).

 

[alia176]

That's the problem with Toyota loyalists - they never realize when their junk doesn't work anymore and keep trying to make Toyota stuff fit American extreme crawling.

AMEN brotha

 

[Hanna Quality]

Well said Nay








I still want a low gear trans case on my door step delivered by UPS that bolts on in a day is that too much....ah the internet where dreams are made.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

If I wanted to keep my 80, for whatever reason, I'd probably replace the entire driveline so I could run the good stuff.

And unfortunately, this is the problem with the otherwise excellent 80 series trucks.

In some ways, an earlier 80 would be a better platform for mods. Think about it-with a 3FE you can direct bolt to the F Bellhousing, which then gives you access to any GM transmission you want. From there, it's trivial to go to any transfer case you want.

I saw an 80 at Rubithon that was 4bt to sm465 to 203 doubler to Split case. Very nice.

I agree that in the end, gas tank replacement is trivial once you are spending the $$ it takes to run really low gearing.

I've gone the other way entirely and have given up making the 80 a "wheeler" and just keep it as a desert/Utah truck.

 

[cruiserdan]

I've gone the other way entirely and have given up making the 80 a "wheeler" and just keep it as a desert/Utah truck.

You know, as good as you guys eat on the trail I am astounded that at least one of you has not converted an 80 into a mobile meat locker.......

Tom's truck comes close but it only comes in part way.......;p

 

[Nay]

I've gone the other way entirely and have given up making the 80 a "wheeler" and just keep it as a desert/Utah truck.

I think the 80 occupies the best of the middle ground. I run 37's so easily that my wife loves to drive the truck at high enough speed on the highway that I often tell her to ease back off to keep the RPM's down.

It wheels like crazy - just within reason. No extreme trails. It's the desire to get extreme that gets people - it doesn't matter really what rig you own as a base platform: to go extreme you will give up dual purpose.

I wheel with a few guys who trailer rigs to the trailhead in the heavy duty pickup class. I often pass them on the way home on the interstate, good music on the stereo, four kids enjoying the trip home at night.

Crawler gears would be nice, but they would honestly tempt the sort of trails that are unfriendly to our stock axles and body size. Best to leave some limitations intact if you want to keep the body intact.

This is true of every rig where the owner wants to enjoy the highway miles as well as the off highway miles.

 

[CruiserDave]

I have to admit I do miss the 4:1 transfer on my old rubicon. Just gives better control on the trails without having to use your brakes as much. Being able to start off in first gear and not give any gas on a manual transmission is nice. Down hills in 1st or 2nd with 4:1 give a nice slow controlled descent. But all the dual stick and such should be used for smaller vehicles and buggies, just my opinion.

 

[TrickyT]

You know, as good as you guys eat on the trail I am astounded that at least one of you has not converted an 80 into a mobile meat locker.......

Tom's truck comes close but it only comes in part way.......;p

More bacon, please!

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Tom only goes in part way.......;p

No comment.

I think the 80 occupies the best of the middle ground. .

This is true. The most versatile Land Cruiser of all time. If only it had really low gear options that were reasonable.

 

[treehugger]

fj 80 350 sm465 203 doubler 529s 38 I love it

 

[Wrench]

With a crawl box you still retain dual purpose. I DD my rig back and forth to work and wheel hardcore trails on the weekend then back at it again on Monday. I have not lost any normal drivability. Crawler gears are the answer for these rigs. You'll be amazed at what an 80 can do with crawler gears.

 

[BenMara]

You'll still need to do something about the gas tank and floor mods.

Im not worried, but im gona flog the Cruiser while i collect all the parts for my build.