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203 or 208?

np208 or np203

  • np203

    Votes: 4 14.3%

  • np208

    Votes: 16 57.1%

  • get ur head out chur a$$ and buy a 205

    Votes: 7 25.0%

  • nekkid

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • Total voters
    28
  • Poll closed .
73redblaze

73redblaze

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i don't know if i should run a np203 or a np208.... i know i know i should run a 205, but i have no money for that. 208s are literally everywhere so i wont ever have to worry about finding one. i went to the pick n pull today and didn't find a single th400 203 so I'm thinking about running a 208. what do you think? 208 or 203?
 
What kind of wheeling do you do? Do you need/want the full time 4x4 of the 203? If you don't need the full time 4x4, then I say go with the 208. It's way lighter, and actually shifts decent. If you planed on converting the 203 to part time, then I'd go with a 205.

BTW, if you decide to run the 400/203, and need to piece the combo together. I've got a few 400/203 adapters laying around if you need one.
 
208 or better yet a 241 or better yet a 205 (but you already knew that). I would never swap a 203 into a truck
 
i wouldn't be swapping a 203 i would be keeping the 203. i wouldn't pay that much for one but if i can find one cheep why not. i only wheel the truck, hardly any highway. i do rocks and mudd. thats pretty much it. question: how can i tell the difference between a part time 203 and a full time? i also just remembered why i don't want to run a 208, don't you need a chip or some BS like that? so that narrows it down to a 203 or a 205.... and i already have the 203 trans so why not.

BTW, if you decide to run the 400/203, and need to piece the combo together. I've got a few 400/203 adapters laying around if you need one.
Click to expand...
do you have the adapter to make a th350 203 a th400 203? if so im interested because i have a decent 203 now
 
73redblaze said:
i wouldn't be swapping a 203 i would be keeping the 203. i wouldn't pay that much for one but if i can find one cheep why not. i only wheel the truck, hardly any highway. i do rocks and mudd. thats pretty much it. question: how can i tell the difference between a part time 203 and a full time? i also just remembered why i don't want to run a 208, don't you need a chip or some BS like that? so that narrows it down to a 203 or a 205.... and i already have the 203 trans so why not.


do you have the adapter to make a th350 203 a th400 203? if so im interested because i have a decent 203 now
Click to expand...
Im confused, why would you buy a 203 if you already have one in your truck? I wouldnt pay more than $50 for a 203. As far as part time goes Im not sure, I would imagine the shifter is different?

The 208 doesn't require anything special except for the correct adapter of course
 
All are decent transfer cases in my opinon but the 205 is a bit more severe duty. I myself have never been able to blow a 208 even though I did blow the muncie in front of it. I did restore my 74 203 back to fulltime as it was a victim of the common part time kit that is not in my experience the best setup. The 203 is a bit more complex but with a properly cleaned and lubricated shift mechanism and a good chain I believe the 203 to be great for a full time application that isnt going to be driving a lot of miles as they do tend to wear the front end components and slurp down extra fuel in the process.
 
I don't see why you would need a chip to run a 208. Also, if you have a 203 in there chances are very good that you have a short shaft output TH400 and you won't be able to bolt that 208 to it anyhow.
 
if you had both i would say run a 208 and convert it to a fixed yoke. but since you have a 203 already, stick with that. i would go through it and check it out,and if you found a spare which is what i'm guessing you were hoping to find at the junk yard, i would not pay much for one. you could also keep looking for a 205 and since you have a 203, do a doubler kit down the road. as far as i know all the 203's were full time unless someone converted them to part time(i could be wrong)
 
you dont need a chip for a 208 just put in and go but most 208 have slide in drive shafts **** that and 208 have a chain not gear to gear like the 203 205 i run the 205 i love it and the 205 u can put twin sticks on it
 
73redblaze said:
do you have the adapter to make a th350 203 a th400 203? if so im interested because i have a decent 203 now
Click to expand...

I've got the adapter. Actually I've got two 400/203's and atleast one 350/203. The input gear is differnt between a t-case behind a 350 or 400.
 
I would keep the 203. save up till you can afford to buy a 205 and a doubler.:D
 
that and 208 have a chain not gear to gear like the 203 205
Click to expand...
yea 203s are not gear drivin. i have a 203 but its from a th350 and i need one from a th400. i thought a 208 required a chip of some soft? if not I'm a little upset because i just sold a th400 with a 208 3 weeks ago with only 80k on it... and i already have a th400 for a 203, just not the 32 spline 203. but i couple always get a new trany and t-case somewheres.... and how do doublers work btw? i can use a np203 and a 205?
 
The only thing you would have to watch out for is a case with an electronic speedometer pickup..likely a 241, and some very rare 205's (in which case you could probably sell the case and make $$). You could run the electronic speedo cases but your speedometer will not work. I do not know of any "chip" to convert electric to mechanical speedo. If you go from either a 203 or a 205 to a 208 you will need drive shafts, shifter, linkages, cross member and so on (you may well need this in other scenarios as well). The drive line in a K5 is short so I would avoid slip-yoke drive shaft if you can. A TH350/205 or 203 combo is going to be about the shortest combo. A TH400 is longer than a 350 but shorter than a 700R4.

I don't know the technical specifics, but a doubler combines a 203 range box and a 205 case giving you a "twin-stick" shift mechanism for a double low range. ORD sells the kits upwards of $1000 for the doubler. http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/doubler.htm
The low-range is the only downfall of the 205 as it is not really that low like 1.96:1 IIR. The 208 or 241 has a good low range somewhere on the order of 2.75:1.
 
the drivelines are not my concern because i have upwards of 15 rears and fronts some slip yoke for 208's some extended some nto and many many otheres. but now im kinda mad i didnt keep that th400 + 208. i only sold it for $400 for both. but i guess i could sell the trany and 203 and maybe get a 208+th400. i think i would just rather take the np203 and make it a adapt to my 400
 
i hate the 203 with a passion. its garbage. i had one in my 84 for a few years with the part time conversion. besides it being almost 200lbs and a royal pain to take in and out of the truck, just the way it behaves sucks. it acts like a open axle. all the power goes to the axle with the least amount of traction. a few months ago i was following a k5 with that set up, climbing up like a 5 foot hillgoing up all the tires went to the back. soon as the front tires get to the top all the power went to the front axle. this truck was on 38s and my s10 on bald 33s was kicking the k5s butt all over the place
 
damn, there is all kinds of misinformation in this thread;

203 is chain driven and has a 2:1 low range, all are fulltime unless converted to part time with a kit; ergo the full time hubs. 203's were last used from the factory in 79. also, in the 203, there is a lock position in either low or high range where you can lock in the differential inside the case so it is not open all the time as previously stated.
in 1980 all trucks and blazers got the 205, albeit with a slip yoke rear driveshaft. it was also available in later HD models with a slip yoke. the 205 has a 1.96:1 reduction. it was available in earlier years with a fixed yoke behind the manual transmission. it is a gear to gear case. also, i have had 4 73 model trucks and blazers that all had the 205 behind the turbo 350.
the 208 was used in 81 and later trucks until the 241 came along in the 88 year model, which used both. the 208 is a chain driven case with a 2.61:1 reduction. all are slip yoke but can be converted with a dodge case. the 241 is also chain driven and has a 2.72:1 reduction. you can buy a fixed yoke conversion from JB conversions for the 241.
 
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