Topic: 3spd/4spd gears?

[goingnowherefast]

Just picking up my first cruiser.74 FJ40 all stock.Just wondering the best combo for trans/transfer.are the transfercases lower in a 3spd,will it fit behind a 4spd?Planning on light trail riding.also have a line on a 88fj62.Thinking of using axles/other parts.any input would be great.

[greenfox]

 Congrats on the cruiser,

 It wont help you much to put the 3spd case on the 4spd trans. If you want lower gears you have to go with the gm465trans to the 3spd case, But you will have to get the adapter for this. I like the 4:01 Orion t/c be hide the 4spd trans because there is no changes to the rig to make it work. And in the long run it is cheaper.  The fj62 is a go way to get every thing you need to make a good trail rig. You can us the axles and drive shafts and all the brake hardware. The only thing you would have to do is, out board the front springs hangers and that is not all that hard to do.

 All the info you will needis on web, just search

[Hammerhead]

What month was your '74 Fj40 manufactured in? 

You might already have the 3 spd reduction gears and a 4 spd tranny.  The first few months of '74 came with "Transition" gears installed.  I don't think the higher ratio came out until maybe April, could've been March.

The Orion is the easiest but not the cheapest option.

The SM465 is a great option but can be difficult if you don't have the tools and skills to do much of the work yourself.

The FJ62 has a great set of axles to upgrade to.  That's what I have and I like them.