Yeah, I'm a kid Mike. Why don't you quit your deadend job and join the Army and try that on for 5 minutes. I'll be damned if I'm going to serve my country and someone call me a [I love Jeeps] kid. I've done more in my 20 years than you'll ever do, so just leave those comments to yourself. I think I've more than earned my adulthood. Hell, I walk with a limp every day to prove it, 20 years old and I probably have Rhumatoid (sp) Arthritis (so my doctor says after paying him $3k). I sell auto parts all day long to people much older than you, and I've never had one person talk some stupid [I love Jeeps] like that before. That's a totally un-called for comment. I have stated my opinion and shared my experience with the board. If they don't agree, that's fine with me, no sweat off my sack. That's what this place is about, sharing opinions and experience. I have asked for others help in the past, and I have given some my help here as well.
If you spent 2 grand on a 700R4, you too will be disappointed soon enough. Your truck is not a hardcore four wheeling truck and never will be anyway so it might not matter for you.
If you've ever even mounted a 16.5" tire yourself you'd change your mind. They don't even pop when you air them up. You just kind of hear air escaping, see the tire move on the rim, and it starts taking on air. That to me is not effective bead retention, and I have personally watched two of my buddies, one with 38.5x16x16.5 TSLs and the other with 39.5x18x16.5 Boggers throw their tires off the rim in deep mud.
Like I said, they're YOUR trucks. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. I personally wouldn't care what you spend your money on. They're your dollars.
As to the 700R4 topic, I'm DONE with that one as far as voicing my opinion. I have more real world experience than just my own truck. After my friend's 700s went out one after another, mine even gave me a hint of acting up and it was swapped out. I can think of no less than four trucks that I've swapped 700R4s out of in the last couple years, one of them is a '91 K1500 too, (had a 305 its whole life too so I doubt too much input torque tore that one up) so I don't even give them a chance anymore. After what the guy that built my TH 400 said and the Raptor stories, I'm convinced. There's simply no way to make them strong enough for a truck. I'm not ruling the idea out completely, but I've yet to hear on success story. I suppose I'll give them a chance again if I do. All I seem to see is stories about a lot of dollars spent and a ton of money spent to replace it afterwards.
Whatever. I'll take my SM 465 popping out of 3rd gear anyday. I might consider putting the 400/205 setup in a future truck. No matter what happens though, even if it can be built sufficiently, I'll never waste my money on a 700R4. I pay $375 to have a TH 400 rebuilt, you pay $2000 for a 700R4. At the end of the day, I have a stronger tranny and an extra $1625 left over for gas (you better save a lot of gas with that overdrive to break even with me). Considering I can buy over 5 TH 400s for the price of one 700R4 and have piece of mind, I'll stick that way. If you want to have a 700, GO FOR IT! I won't stop you.
