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203/205 doubler with 1/2 ton running gear?

72blazerguy

72blazerguy

3/4 ton status
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Posts
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Location
fairbanks, ak
So after several years of riding the brakes, I finally purchased the parts for a 203/205 doubler (still need shifter). Couldn't take any more of the TH350, 205 high gear BS.

I am still running 12bolt-Detroit and D44-True-Trac w/ 4.56 gears and 35" tires. Over the years, I have broken a few front u joints, but have always stopped when I heard the u joint go and haven't broken any axles. I do carry spare axles for both front and rear as I have seen plenty of trail carnage, just usually not mine.

I am wondering if anybody has been successful running a doubler with the 1/2 ton running gear. I will probably upgrade to 3/4 or 1 ton stuff in the future, but try to only upgrade as my budget and time allow so I can wheel all summer (and pay cash). I have a set of 3/4 ton axles (14bff, D44), but no lockers so would prefer to try this summer without the axle upgrade as my blazer budget has been depleted.

Anybody have experience???
 
Don't have experience with 1/2 ton gear but I didn't understand as fully what the craze with low gearing was all about until I installed and used mine. I thought 58:1 was low enough. Now I have the ability to have 117:1 Talk about control, I can start in 4th gear. The lower gearing will definitely be nicer to your axles than the same amount of skinny pedal necessary to go down the same trail.:D
 
Rob, TheRobzilla ran 1/2 tons and a doubler for quite a while. He had alloys, ctms, and wasn't neccessarily easy on the throttle. He ran a pretty healthy 383 I believe.
 
just be careful, thats gona be alot more torque on those axles. personally id weld the 14b and throw it in, the added peace of mind is worth it.
 
muddybuddy said:
just be careful, thats gona be alot more torque on those axles. personally id weld the 14b and throw it in, the added peace of mind is worth it.
Click to expand...

Seems like 2x the torque on everything behind the tcase. 14bff has 4.10 gears so I would lose the posi in the front. I usually drive my rig to the trail so welded rear isn't something that I want to do. Also, the 14b will require new wheels. friggin domino effect
 
Do it.

Everyone always talks about how much power a motor makes vs. how well axles hold up, or how adding a doubler will put twice as much stress on everything, its all BS.

All of that stuff is based on how much you use the skinny pedal, plain and simple. The doubler will give you a lot more control and allow you to crawl stuff that you would've otherwise had to throttle up and IMO the doubler will actually mean less breakage.
 
Chris already made the point I was ready to make...

You could make the argument that the doubler will DECREASE breakage on the trails depending on how you drive.

With poor gearing you will find yourself charging toward the obstacles trying to get momentum to climb, and revving the engine to much. You lose traction as the truck crashes off a rock, the wheelspeed skyrockets and when your tires finally come back to earth and finds traction, you've got a huge shock-load (Torque) transmitted back into the u-joints and axleshafts........ BOOOOOM! :doah:

If you're the kind of driver who prefers to carefully choose his line and keep good traction on the tires, you'll crawl with much better control and a lot less drama.


:usaflag:
 
I got the doubler plate yesterday so it isn't really a question of if I want to do it. It's done :D

The gearing/power combo that I have right now has been decent for climbing. My motor makes good low end power and a low stall torque converter gets that power to tires at low rpm. My feeling was that the extra gearing from the doubler would only help me, but then I got to wondering about the additional torque. I know the 35's are about the end of the line for the 12b/d44, but that combo has been good to me.

I hope that the careful driving argument is correct and can't wait to get this installed and try it out.
 
72blazerguy said:
I got the doubler plate yesterday so it isn't really a question of if I want to do it. It's done :D

The gearing/power combo that I have right now has been decent for climbing. My motor makes good low end power and a low stall torque converter gets that power to tires at low rpm. My feeling was that the extra gearing from the doubler would only help me, but then I got to wondering about the additional torque. I know the 35's are about the end of the line for the 12b/d44, but that combo has been good to me.

I hope that the careful driving argument is correct and can't wait to get this installed and try it out.
Click to expand...

keep us posted! i'm still running the same axles as you and have been eyeing the doubler kit
 
72blazerguy said:
... My motor makes good low end power and a low stall torque converter gets that power to tires at low rpm....
Click to expand...

Re-visit your brakes. As far as I know, Rob had an issue with his motor (TPI/low stall) trying to drive thru the brakes in low/low...
 
I was running a doubler on 1/2 tons for a short time. Without a locker, it wasn't much good for climbing loose dirt or big rocks, but it was super nice being able to just idle down pretty steep trails that I used to have to stand on the brake pedal for. Id go for it and worry about upgrading if and when you break too much.
 
The gears/lockers and wheels/tires are the main reason I don't upgrade right now. My 3/4t stuff is 4.10 open, 1/2 ton is 4.56 locked. I still have to build some stuff to get the doubler in, so maybe an axle upgrade will still happen while I have everything apart. Don't want to pay for those drivelines twice. :D

bp71k5 - our blazers look very similar. I took the soft top off and have been running the hard top, but otherwise....

K52.jpg

blazer.jpg
 
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