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Doubler or not?

diablo1

diablo1

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I have a 74' with 350 sbc, TH 350, 203, 44 big hub front, 14 FF rear, 6" springs at all four corners with 35" tires.
I currently need to order front and rear drive shafts due to the new lift. I will use this rig for high mountain passes, fire roads, and some of Moab. Mainly building it for my family and I to get out and see the country. Who knows what the future will bring. So knowing I don't need a doubler for what I just said. I have found a great deal on one.

I know that the TH 350 doubler is not the strongest.


So the question to the K5 brothers that may have been down this road is:
1) Order new drive shafts with the current set up and be done.
2) Doubler, new drive shafts, overkill for now but can handle anything in the future.

Thanks for your knowledge.
 
#1 order drive shafts and be done is my opinion. My k5 will be used like yours here in the rocky mountains but mine has a 5spd.:D
 
How good of a deal are we talking here? If you don't mind me asking
 
I see things this way, i would rather have what i don't need than need what i don't have. With that being said if you can afford to do a doubler and the shafts then go for it.

Also there is really no strength disadvantage with any of the doublers as far as which trans gets used since the doubling comes after the range box and no matter which trans you use from the range box back is all the same.
 
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have you been in situations where you need lower than 2:1?

Another option is the lomax 205 gear set. It replaces the 2:1 set in a 205, with a 3:1 set. End cost is probably within a couple hundred of what you'll have in a doubler set up.
 
76zimmer said:
have you been in situations where you need lower than 2:1?

Another option is the lomax 205 gear set. It replaces the 2:1 set in a 205, with a 3:1 set. End cost is probably within a couple hundred of what you'll have in a doubler set up.
Click to expand...

If he can get the doubler for 1G then he would be better off IMO over a lomax. The lomax will only give him the option of 1:1 or 3:1 whereas a doubler will give him 1:1, 2:1, or 4:1. The real advantage of the lomax is that the t-case remains short but still allows for a LOW range gear.
 
By the time you do a doubler with a 3:1 Lomax setup you could go with a Atlas 4 speed for about the same price I bet. You would have a shorter drive train which makes for better drive shaft angle in the rear and better gearing. And a lighter setup to boot. I was going to do a doubler with the Lomax setup too, but, after discussing it over with some buddies here I have decided to go with an Atlas 4 speed. You bolt it in and be done with it. No adapter plates to deal with, no trying to find a 203 for the range box, all that.
 
Robert, slow down and read the entire post buddy. :D

The OP wanted to know if he should do a doubler because he can get it for 1G or less then 76zimmer said another option would be the lomax instead. Now between all 3 options the doubler is still bang for the buck considering he can get the doubler for under 1G.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Robert, slow down and read the entire post buddy. :D

The OP wanted to know if he should do a doubler because he can get it for 1G or less then 76zimmer said another option would be the lomax instead. Now between all 3 options the doubler is still bang for the buck considering he can get the doubler for under 1G.
Click to expand...



Your getting to know me, I hate reading. My bad, thanks. Nevermind then. :D :haha:
 
4X4HIGH said:
If he can get the doubler for 1G then he would be better off IMO over a lomax. The lomax will only give him the option of 1:1 or 3:1 whereas a doubler will give him 1:1, 2:1, or 4:1. The real advantage of the lomax is that the t-case remains short but still allows for a LOW range gear.
Click to expand...
Very much true...
Thats one thing I've been mulling over due to the parts I have now, and what I need to get the doubler in the truck, I was considering going the Lomax route, but deals have come together to get the doubler in, hopefully a couple hundred under the lomax price, and your right, I will have the 3 gearing options instead of 2.

If he was to use the Lomax, he would have to come up with a core for the rest of the parts anyway...and he has a 203 now also.
 
If you can swing it do the Doubler. I ran a th400/205 in my old K5 for 1 day and said never again. 2 to 1 by itself sucks in my oponion. Yes there are times I would use it but it is nice being able to crawl around with low gearing.
 
So the doubler is 1:1 (high range), 2:1 (stock low range), 4:1 double low range correct? With an auto do you really need the double low if you are not really rock crawling on the big stuff?

So the Lowmax kit gives you a 1:1 high range and 3:1 low range correct? But I still would need a 205 case for the Lowmax not a 203? What is the cost of the Lowmax.

So finally the atlas. From what i read their is the atlas twin stick which I had in a jeep 4:3 and the triple stick with various range variations. The triple stick atlas is basically the same as a doubler correct? I was reading someones K5 build on here and they used a atlas and said that it was the worst thing the ever done because of front drive line angles to steep. Would that be because of an extreme amount of lift or maybe other issues caused by the atlas, trans, or lift?

This is great info guys. Thanks
 
Okay a little history I ran a 203 for years I do rocks alot though. For just trail riding the 203 was fine, but i have been up in the hills miles from anywhere and hit a very washed out section of trail that was all dirt but would put the hardest rocks to shame. I hated those sections with just the 203.

If you can swing the doubler I would do it. It gives you the opportunity to try harder lines. I can attribute almost every single bit of damage on my old blazer to the inability to crawl or the inability to steer solved both of those problems now

One more thing if you get the doubler get the triple stick setup when you can, being able to select rear wheel drive low is really nice on the trail
 
The doubler is the same length as a 203 by itself, so if you want to wait you can build the rear driveshaft knowing it will stay the same. If you switch from 203 to Doubler you will need another 3" or so of front driveshaft.

if you can get that deal on the Doubler, go for it. They can be more valuable for a general purpose trail vehicle than people give them credit for. One example of that would be the ability to run a 4.10 axle gear with a bigger tire and get away with it offroad. Our Cousin Willard crewcab had 4.10's and 37's and was pretty nice on the highway but had no compression braking and barely enough gearing to get around on trails. The Doubler would fix the trail trouble and leave the highway performance the same.

One other advantage in this case is you get the durability of the 205 instead of the chain that will stretch out sooner or later.
 
To the OP...get the cheap doubler. You already need driveshafts and can get rid of the 203.

Been looking into this for my 71, anybody have input on the Klune V or Black Box vs the doubler? 2:1 sucks and I'm looking for lower gearing options (compression braking would be a dream). /end hijack
 
Couple issues with the planet boxes:
General overall strength/toughness, I've seen some big pieces go through the 203's spur gears, planets don't like pieces at all. The planets aren't necessary fragile, just not as tough.
Mating parts cost, the planets are great for round pattern interfaces like a ford or later GM, you have to buy adapter parts to mate them to figure 8 205s and sometimes to the transmission side too.
You can't scrounge up parts to put a planet system together like you can the 203 so cost is usually higher with planets.
 
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