Topic: Crawler box questions

[81yota4x4]

I'm not really a newbie but this is kind of a newbie ? I have an 81 pickup and I want to do the duel case set up, I am going to be picking up a whole other first gen pickup and plan to use the Tcase out of it. I have never seen one in person or know anyone that has had one. Obviously Ill need an adapter which I seen in the store here on marlin and plan to get one So here is the ? when I hear people say "the crawl box" is that a duel case set up or something different entirely, do I need to change any thing in either Tcase, also is there anything else I need besides a new drive shaft to do this? I have done a search for some of this info on here but did not get the answers I was looking for... Maybe I'm searching the wrong key words.

Thank you for any info and help

[PhantomD aka Zach]

Dual cases: you will need a dual case adaptor and another low range gear box (the easy part) you will also need new driveshafts (front and rear) as well as modifying your transfer case mount. Also, you will need a speedo cable extender if you have a mechanical speedo. make sure you get a top shift transfer case as you will be unable to use a foreword shift model for the rear case. There are also details relating the the spline count of the rear input shaft that are escaping me in my pre-coffee morning here.

The crawl box is merely the addition of a second case, either case can technically be called a crawl box. However, the rear case is usually modified with a set of 4:1 gears, thus earning the name "crawl box" but it can be a stock case too.

Good luck! dual cases are the best thing to come to rock crawling!

[81yota4x4 [OP]]

Thank you for the info, the truck I am planing on doing this too is an 81 and the one I am stealing parts from is an 82. I am by no means a Toyota expert but was thinking that they would be the same. the stock Tcase should be a top shift correct? will I be able to tell before yanking the case out of the truck, if not can it be changed over to top shift?

So I will still get a super slow crawl by adding the second Tcase but even more so if I change the gear ratio in the second case to the 4:1 gears...

[blackdiamond]

Yes, the ultimate dual Crawler is stock 2.28:1 gears in the front crawl box and 4.70:1 Martin gears in the rear.  You then have the option to run either case in low individually or both together.  4.70 gears are excellent for the majority of wheeling but are a bit low for "family wheeling.". Both cases in low is only useful on the rocks.

[Cheesemaker]

Just pull the shifter boots and look down to the top of the trans/tcase.  If the tcase shifter base is right behind the tranny shifter, in the top of the trans its a forward shift case.  But if the tcase shifter mounts to the top of the tcase, then its a top shift case.

Here's a top shift tcase


Here's a forward shift case


But if the trans is original, the tcase should be a top shift, since the L-series trans only came that way.  But if it does have a modern trans and a forward shift case in it, thats no biggie, since all you need to do is swap out the shifter rails.  http://www.marlincrawler.com/transfer-case/shifter-parts/top-shift-conversion-kit

[Snowtoy]

You can buy the Crawlbox here on Marlin's store site(about 1/2 way down the page), and install it between the trans & t-case.  Also, since it only costs $200 more than the basic adapter kit, it might not be worth it to buy the parts truck just to get the 2nd transfer case.

[81yota4x4 [OP]]

Thank you all very much... You guys are a great help, I cant wait to get started on it thanks again