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Revival of the "classic hauler"

Sorry, I don't have any video, but I'm only talking highway. It's like, I want the gear to be there in a flash, and it just isn't. I lose all the momentum if I don't preplan the shift on the flat before a hill. I've never driven a truck with a two speed, but that seems a much smoother method. I'm not sure, but maybe the combination of two transmissions is just too much to line up in any sort of timely fashion. I just think in comparison to a more modern trans you will be disappointed for the money and effort with the ranger.
 

Here is a video I watched before I did mine. Mine works nothing like this. My sm465 shifted excellent before adding the overdrive. Now they are both very chunky.

You'll see him list his favorite shift as both sticks forward. I wouldn't be able to do that shift. Mine don't shift anywhere near that smooth.
 
WyoSquareMan said:
I was just thinking about a zf6 swap just the other day I haven't seen one yet, I've only seen 1 newer truck with a zf6 in it around my area I'm willing to bet it would be a spendy trans to buy

I was just looking at the ranger as a cost efficient, and simple alternative to the 4500.

Richcz28 When talking about downshifting are you talking about
Off road or down the highway? Because the duallys my puller and I've always gotta drive at least 100 miles each way seems like it would be like driving a truck with a 2speed but I guess having never driven one I don't know. Got any vids of the complications?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I agree with the Ranger being "cost efficient." I went through this last year picking a tranny for my rig. NV4500 units are commonly available on the used market, while you are just about stuck buying a Ranger unit new. Price-wise, the cheapest Ranger I found was $1,376. I paid $200 for my (used) NV4500, and newly rebuilt units are commonly available for ~$1000. So I'm not sure when the Ranger makes sense, cost-wise. I know it didn't seem like a good option for my rig. :dunno:

Neither would I call running 2 transmission boxes simple compared to running a single case.

The bolt pattern on the bell housing end of the NV4500 is different from what the SM465 runs, but new holes can be drilled into the face of the NV4500 to reuse your existing SM465 bell housing. Though I think this only works if you get the pre-1995 NV4500. Or you can upgrade to hydro (it's not *that* big of a deal).

for the T-case, I assume you're running a figure-8 NP205? That is one thing that would not easily work with the NV4500. But finding a T-case sounds more fun (to me) than redoing the drive shafts and fitting another box into your drive train.

Running a 6-speed sounds like a great idea. I'm betting it's just cost that keeps folks away from doing that more often.
 
campfire said:
I'm not sure I agree with the Ranger being "cost efficient." I went through this last year picking a tranny for my rig. NV4500 units are commonly available on the used market, while you are just about stuck buying a Ranger unit new. Price-wise, the cheapest Ranger I found was $1,376. I paid $200 for my (used) NV4500, and newly rebuilt units are commonly available for ~$1000. So I'm not sure when the Ranger makes sense, cost-wise. I know it didn't seem like a good option for my rig. :dunno:

Neither would I call running 2 transmission boxes simple compared to running a single case.

The bolt pattern on the bell housing end of the NV4500 is different from what the SM465 runs, but new holes can be drilled into the face of the NV4500 to reuse your existing SM465 bell housing. Though I think this only works if you get the pre-1995 NV4500. Or you can upgrade to hydro (it's not *that* big of a deal).

for the T-case, I assume you're running a figure-8 NP205? That is one thing that would not easily work with the NV4500. But finding a T-case sounds more fun (to me) than redoing the drive shafts and fitting another box into your drive train.

Running a 6-speed sounds like a great idea. I'm betting it's just cost that keeps folks away from doing that more often.
Click to expand...

Wow the cheapest I've ever seen an nv4500 around here was $650 no idea on mileage or condition plus swapping to hydro and like I said the headache of trying to adapt my 205 which I really want to keep and the driveshaft changes, vs the 1600 for the new ranger unit and the drive shafts
 
WyoSquareMan said:
Wow the cheapest I've ever seen an nv4500 around here was $650 no idea on mileage or condition plus swapping to hydro and like I said the headache of trying to adapt my 205 which I really want to keep and the driveshaft changes, vs the 1600 for the new ranger unit and the drive shafts
Click to expand...

Ok. $1600 would go a loooooooooong way toward funding my builds.

Why do you want to keep the NP205?
 
campfire said:
Ok. $1600 would go a loooooooooong way toward funding my builds.

Why do you want to keep the NP205?
Click to expand...

The 205 has just always been in my criteria for this truck I guess my main goal for this truck has always been simple, stout, reliable, and easy to work on. I didn't want to have to worry about a chain ever stretching and wearing a hole through my case
 
WyoSquareMan said:
The 205 has just always been in my criteria for this truck I guess my main goal for this truck has always been simple, stout, reliable, and easy to work on. I didn't want to have to worry about a chain ever stretching and wearing a hole through my case
Click to expand...

Ok. 6-bolt-round pattern NP205 cases are downright rare. So you may be stuck playing with adapters if you decide to run a more modern tranny. Not sure if you can DIY an adapter, but shelling out $500 for AA's kit might put the NV4500 at a similar cost to the Ranger.

Depends how annoying you find that shifting pattern.


Have you priced out an appropriate 6-speed? I'm curious to know where it lies on the price spectrum.
 
campfire said:
Ok. 6-bolt-round pattern NP205 cases are downright rare. So you may be stuck playing with adapters if you decide to run a more modern tranny. Not sure if you can DIY an adapter, but shelling out $500 for AA's kit might put the NV4500 at a similar cost to the Ranger.

Depends how annoying you find that shifting pattern.


Have you priced out an appropriate 6-speed? I'm curious to know where it lies on the price spectrum.
Click to expand...
I haven't looked yet but I'm willing to bet its gonna set me back quite a bit around here
 
WyoSquareMan said:
I was just thinking about a zf6 swap just the other day I haven't seen one yet, I've only seen 1 newer truck with a zf6 in it around my area I'm willing to bet it would be a spendy trans to buy

I was just looking at the ranger as a cost efficient, and simple alternative to the 4500.

Richcz28 When talking about downshifting are you talking about
Off road or down the highway? Because the duallys my puller and I've always gotta drive at least 100 miles each way seems like it would be like driving a truck with a 2speed but I guess having never driven one I don't know. Got any vids of the complications?
Click to expand...

Someone on here has done this swap but with a 8.1 I believe.. I cant remember his screename.. Blue K10 super clean..
 
There use to be another guy on here with a Ranger in his Suburban, and he liked it.

Martin
 
Alright I know it's been a REALLY long time since I've posted in my thread, life has been crazy (see my thread "fellow ck5ers")
So I've got some catching up to do, I ended up putting the bench seat back in and ditching the buckets I wasn't happy with them I also ended up putting primer onIMG_20160207_131113352.jpg

I'm really just buying my self time until I have the time to tear it down and can afford to actually paint it. Was just really tryimg to keep the rust at bay.
The body isn't perfect enough for paint and I'm still not sure if I want to change front clips before I paint (if I had a 73-80 clip in good enough shape). Mine is just in too good of shape I'll probably just keep it, although I just love the round eyes.
 
I'm sure someone is gonna give me shit for putting primer over paint that was nice but trust me it wasn't as nice as the pics make it look, the front clip was shiny Cuz I got bored and decided to hone my skills a bit on a buff job. But there was too many spots where paint was pretty decent then shitty spots I had to put something over to protect bare metal, (peeled off when I peeled the rubber moulding off that was coming loose) terrible touch up from the po.
Stuff like that, to me a solid primer looks better than ok paint then crappy spots (that and I'm kinda white trash and a part of me has always loved primered rigs)

I realize it really was kind of a half a$$ed job but I tried to do a decent job with it purley from a function standpoint.
 
Wow I like this truck.

I saw the pictures you posted with it still Brown on Brown, I thought that was post paint job. :tongue1:

Maybe thats just what I would've done. :grin:


.
 
I couldn't get the updates all up last night, I was dead a$$ tired.
Not a whole lot else has been done, I did get new fuel tanks, and sending units installed from Rock auto and also installed a new tank switch valve that I picked up from Napa.
My passenger tank was leaking (or so I thought, turned out to be dried out filler neck) I wanted to do it anyway who knows what was inside them 30yr old tanks, I like the piece of mind knowing it's all clean and new.IMG_20160317_155954409.jpg
The pile of boxes when parts showed up ^^
 
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