Eyeballing it, I would guess 150-165% more weight for the rectangular tube.
CK5
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80's short box, "S.E.R.E." Box permanently attached to the cab.
- Thread starter cybrfire
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Eyeballing it, I would guess 150-165% more weight for the rectangular tube.
Wow.
Martin
Martin
That is good. You would expect 35-40% more just from the 4th wall. I guess you can also drop the wall thickness due to the stronger shape though to balance the weight.
Sub'ed 
nice!
Awesome I can't wait to start mine
Stomis
Professional Amateur
So whats the actual goal of this build? Trail runner?
Well, kind of everything.
I really liked my blazer. I didn't like that I rarely got to use it. Just seemed like such a waste for it to sit there and rot. Same goes with my crew cab. I rarely have need for it. Its just so big and clumsy. Seemed when I did need them or have opportunity to go wheeling, I had to sort out some issue that came about from having sat so long.
So, what I need now is a daily driver that can go wheeling when the opportunity arises, not the really wild trails, getting kind of old for that anyway. I also do a fair bit of shooting stuff in the summer and intend to get back in to some hunting in the fall. Haven't been able to do that for a long time. My youngest is about a year from being able to chase some upland game birds. I have also been working on my house which has been sorely neglected the last 10 years while getting the biz up and running the way I wanted it to be.
Priorities are comfort and reliability, some sort of mileage. Tons of storage space. Utilitarian usefulness. Mild to moderate trail duties.
In the end, this will be much like a blazer, but slightly longer. I intend to build a topper on the box and make the cab a pass though to the box. Building my own topper will give me alot of license to make the inside more usable space than a blazer is. I don't intend to have any windows in the topper and have some ideas for a modular rack system for gear whether it be construction tools for the house or camping gear for a weekend getaway.
Sounds like its going to be a pretty badass rig! I really love the idea of a built boxed frame verus boxing the stocker. Plus you're starting out with all new metal.
The Chevy NV4500 is better, it has a 32 spline out put shaft. The Dodges came with a 29 rather hard to get a decent T-case. You can change to a Dodge in-put and a Dodge bell housing.
Run fast and far from the Getrag.
You will have to change the starter to a newer model. As well as the the adapter on the back of the motor to bolt the 4500 to it, flywheel also.
Run fast and far from the Getrag.
You will have to change the starter to a newer model. As well as the the adapter on the back of the motor to bolt the 4500 to it, flywheel also.
The 29 spline is cut differently than the 32, the 29 spline connection is significantly bigger.
Beyond that, you can mix/match GM and Dodge 4500 parts for the most part (Dodge input in GM case, etc), but my understanding is that the GM 32 spline output uses different 5th gear parts that there aren't any fixes for. I don't know how that would work behind a Cummins, but I would be concerned about it.
Personal experience or stuff you read?
From my research before I bought my drivetrain ('93 12V/Getrag/205), the main problem was when they first came out ('89), customers complained that the transmission rattled at low RPM. Yeah, an engine with almost a 4-3/4" stroke, 1L per cylinder and a lot more rotating weight than pretty much anything (twice the rotating weight of a 350?) is going to vibrate a bit at lower RPM.
The fix was to preload the bearings more than Getrag called for, and guess what, they became known for burning up mainshaft bearings (the only issue the Getrag is "known for"). Apparently Dodge re-shimmed pretty much all of them, which is probably where the problems really came from (bearings that were quieter at lower RPM but didn't last).
I had to rebuild mine (original at just over 200K) last year, I set it to factory spec (which I heard, from people that actually have made them last and actually use them, is key) to factory spec. IIRC I pulled about .015" worth of shims out, mine had been seen WAY too much preload at some point.
Getrags are known to kill mainshaft bearings, but overfilling them and setting the bearing preload right seems to make them reliable. And their 5th gears don't fall off
NV4500's are generally good other than the 5th gear deal, and I've heard the "fix" is even kind of marginal. Both the 4500 (pilot bearing) and Getrag (pilot bushing) eat the input bearing/bushing, best to machine the flywheel for a ball bearing. NV4500's are almost always more expensive and only came with driver's drop t-cases (the Dodge version anyway).
NV5600's were only made for 2-3 years if I remember right, transmissions are $$$, parts are $$$$ and you have to spend $$$ with Advance Adapters to make it work with a 12V.
The G56's (a Getrag also, FWIW) seem good from what I've seen, but probably the most expensive of the bunch. They have some problems but I think it's because they, at the very least on average, see the most power of the bunch. And probably $$$$ to adapt to a 12V.
The Chevy NV4500's don't have a 5th gear nut "fix" because they don't have the same problem as the Dodge. On the Chevy, most of the transmissions came with a harmonic balancer that slid on the output shaft spines between the 5th gear and the 5th gear nut. The ones that don't have the harmonic balancer just have a sleeve there.
This extra spacer that is splined to the shaft keeps the nut from coming loose, on the dodge the nut is right up next to 5th gear and when the shaft flexes the nut comes loose (from what I understand).
This extra spacer that is splined to the shaft keeps the nut from coming loose, on the dodge the nut is right up next to 5th gear and when the shaft flexes the nut comes loose (from what I understand).
My Getrag experience comes from killing mine
When dodge first came out with the cummins there were alot purchased where I lived. There were also alot of getrags getting warranties. I have known quite a few folks that had issues with them way back on the first gen cummins dodges
The hard part about hearing all the stories online about what trans is good and what isn't, I think most guys are tuning the 5.9 to the gills and then trying to tow alot of weight. In those circumstances, I don't think any of the aformentioned transmissions will last long.
In my case, I don't intend to do much in the way of tuning other than the freebies that net better mileage. I alos don't intend to tow much if anything at all.
So, that being the case, the Getrag will probably work for me, as would the Dodge NV4500. The Chevy NV4500 doesn't make sense from a financial stand point and I just can't get into an automatic. That's a personal preference, not because I think all automatics are trouble but because I like the ability to push start a rig when needed. I like the engine braking from the manual trans. I like the simplicity, specifically for this build. OH, and I like to shift the gears.
In my case, I don't intend to do much in the way of tuning other than the freebies that net better mileage. I alos don't intend to tow much if anything at all.
So, that being the case, the Getrag will probably work for me, as would the Dodge NV4500. The Chevy NV4500 doesn't make sense from a financial stand point and I just can't get into an automatic. That's a personal preference, not because I think all automatics are trouble but because I like the ability to push start a rig when needed. I like the engine braking from the manual trans. I like the simplicity, specifically for this build. OH, and I like to shift the gears.
...and you aren't a woman...
Martin
Martin
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