MountainmanID
1/2 ton status
So I'm in the process of collecting parts for my K5 build as I will have a 2 post lift with 14' of ceiling above it to do the major work in 2-3 weeks. So far, the truck has 4" blocks in the rear, 4" springs in the front, and all the good stuff like extended brake lines already installed. Stock axles with 3.43 gears (if I read the tags correctly). I have driven it about 100 miles on the 33's it came with and am happy with acceleration and highway RPMs. I recently got a 4.10 LSD D60 from a 67-72 1 Ton to go in the back, so I'll need to move the perches out a little bit.
Plan is to find pretty much any matching 3/4 or 1 ton front axle (hopefully with 4.10s already installed) and put a lockright in it. Springs will stay 52" but the rear will get 4" springs with a DIY4X shackle flip kit, and the front will get 6" springs or some really stout shackles. Body goes up 1.5" or so on UHMW spacers. The goal is to be able to run the truck on 36-37s with decent flex room, which should be easy in the rear since it's getting a flatbed/roll cage back end behind the extended cab. I get a 19.5% difference in gearing with a 12% difference in tire size so I think I'll maintain the decent street-ability, while gaining just enough torque to make up for the heavier tires.
The motor is the original 350 with the same 87k miles the chassis has. Has some headers and an edel street carb that will likely be replaced with some kind of TBI setup I build to run off arduino software.
Trans/XFER case are of course the same original mileage. TH350 to a NP203. The T350 trans shifts and kicksdown great, but the color of the fluid worries me a bit.
The lift and tires were installed long ago and this is apparent whenever you shift from park to drive (CLUNK!!). The NP203's chain is obviously in need of replacement, along with a parttime kit.
So here's the question: Will a rechained 203 with a decent part time kit hold up to around 265HP and 37" tires? I'm not interested in doing a doubler setup based on the very small amount of crawling I plan to do.
I feel like I'd have a better shot of finding a TH400/NP205 combo deal than finding a NP205 with the correct transmission adapter. As a matter of fact there is one of those combos on CL right now for 300 bucks that apparently worked good when pulled from a 1 Ton.
Does anyone running a PT NP203 run 1 ton axles and 37s? They seem more popular on trucks with 31-33" tires.
I'd appreciate some wisdom.
Plan is to find pretty much any matching 3/4 or 1 ton front axle (hopefully with 4.10s already installed) and put a lockright in it. Springs will stay 52" but the rear will get 4" springs with a DIY4X shackle flip kit, and the front will get 6" springs or some really stout shackles. Body goes up 1.5" or so on UHMW spacers. The goal is to be able to run the truck on 36-37s with decent flex room, which should be easy in the rear since it's getting a flatbed/roll cage back end behind the extended cab. I get a 19.5% difference in gearing with a 12% difference in tire size so I think I'll maintain the decent street-ability, while gaining just enough torque to make up for the heavier tires.
The motor is the original 350 with the same 87k miles the chassis has. Has some headers and an edel street carb that will likely be replaced with some kind of TBI setup I build to run off arduino software.
Trans/XFER case are of course the same original mileage. TH350 to a NP203. The T350 trans shifts and kicksdown great, but the color of the fluid worries me a bit.
The lift and tires were installed long ago and this is apparent whenever you shift from park to drive (CLUNK!!). The NP203's chain is obviously in need of replacement, along with a parttime kit.
So here's the question: Will a rechained 203 with a decent part time kit hold up to around 265HP and 37" tires? I'm not interested in doing a doubler setup based on the very small amount of crawling I plan to do.
I feel like I'd have a better shot of finding a TH400/NP205 combo deal than finding a NP205 with the correct transmission adapter. As a matter of fact there is one of those combos on CL right now for 300 bucks that apparently worked good when pulled from a 1 Ton.
Does anyone running a PT NP203 run 1 ton axles and 37s? They seem more popular on trucks with 31-33" tires.
I'd appreciate some wisdom.
) with a brand new diesel 3/4 ton or $50k toyota SUV (easily spotted by the high number on the license plates and the fact they somehow made it 200 yds off a highway into the woods with a foot of snow), 2. The "N. ID for life" driver that can somehow make a '94 cavalier (pick a shitty car with 300k and a blown headgasket, somehow they make it home) go the distance on highways that I wouldn't take my 40hp 4x4 tractor on, or 3. The driver who's been here a few years and put a small lift and bigger tires on his 1/2-3/4 ton truck or similar sized SUV. The #3 drivers also often have mildly modified diesels with headache racks to haul the playskool plastic cars home for the toddlers, since they've never spent a day on the mountain stacking cords. 
