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Will a doubler help me?

jk5blazer

jk5blazer

1/2 ton status
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Jan 28, 2005
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Braselton, Ga
I'm at a crossroad. My clocked 208 is making some noise when I let off the gas, so I know a swap is imminent . What I dont know is if I should pony up and get a doubler or not. I don't think it can help me, or can it. We wheel mostly rock and my buddy got one for his toyota but thats cuz it ahs the 22re, 38.5 and is a 5 speed. Now he loves it, but I just dont know. Can I keep my 700r4. The local junk yard has three np203's and like eight 205's just layin around. But I'm just not sold on one. Can you help, thanks
 
At the least, you might consider swapping to a '205. You can keep your 700, but you'll have some work making either a '203 or '205 fit onto it -- it won't be a one-day job. At the least you'll have a week or two of getting parts ;)

Anyway, I would say it depends on both the type of wheeling you do and your driving style. The doubler is great for low-speed, precise, technical stuff, like rock crawling or low-speed trail driving when you want lots of torque but not so much wheelspin or top speed -- I mean, duh, you're geared down.

Mud or sand, or heavy right-foot-centric driving styles do not see so much need for a doubler. (Though with a doubler you shouldn't need a thick right foot ;) )

-- A
 
dremu said:
At the least, you might consider swapping to a '205.
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Are you saying go to a 205 in place of the 208. Will I still be able to use the 700r4. All I really do is low speed rock crawlin now. Does someone make a low kit for a 205? Thanks
 
jk5blazer said:
Are you saying go to a 205 in place of the 208. Will I still be able to use the 700r4. All I really do is low speed rock crawlin now. Does someone make a low kit for a 205? Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes to all; I gather there are low gear kits for the '205, but they also mean switching to a new case proper, so I'd hardly call it a '205 still. Plus for the $$ you can go doubler.

The '208 and '241 have a lower low gear, 2.7:1 instead of 2:1, IIRC, and would be easier swaps than putting a '205 onto a 700.

The '205 is The King of bulletproof, stout, and unbreakable, however. The '208 and '241 are aluminum cases and chain-driven, so they lack in strength when compared to the gear-driven, steel-cased 205.

If your '208 is on its deathbed, I'd replace it with a used one for now, as they're not particularly desirable and there should be lots out there. Down the line, go doubler.

Alternately, if you don't mind being without the truck or if you baby and start buying parts now, you could go doubler this time 'round :deal:

-- A
 
do the doubler you won't regret it. If all you do is slow speed crawling you could go atlas. The doubler is far better in my opinion. 2 to one for easy trail riding and 4 to 1 for hard core stuff. I have 700r4 and doubler in a 72 and its the best thing I did for it. It is not that hard to mate the 700 up. there are several ways to do it. You need the th350 version of the 203. I recomend getting advanced adapters short out put shaft for the tranny. It's more money than a spacer but it keeps the drive train a little shorter and the back of the 700r4 will mate to anything that the th350 does.
 
jk5blazer said:
Thanks guys, any more input will be great. I will at least go pick up a 205 today.
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What is your budget?
I wouldnt put a 205 in because of the gearing. I would go Atlas for all the gear options and they are bulletproof.

Your 208 makes noise when you let off the gas?? Check your U-joints and angles....I bet thats what it is.
 
from reading your sig line, looking at your avatar, and reading the type of wheeling you are doing, a doubler is perfect for you.

A 205 alone will suck. you will lose gear reduction and front driveline length. check all your u-joints and make sure they are not causing the problem. if the 208 is truly to blame then I would just replace it with another 208 or a 241 until you can afford to run a doubler.
 
jk5blazer said:
Thanks guys, any more input will be great. I will at least go pick up a 205 today.
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definitely go doubler. teh only reason not to would be because of wheelbase and driveline angles. but with a fixed yoke 205 on the doubler it would probably be close to the stock length shaft because of the slipyoke on the 208
 
Chaddy said:
What is your budget?

Your 208 makes noise when you let off the gas?? Check your U-joints and angles....I bet thats what it is.
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As little as possible on the budget, getting married in a few months and don't have much extra money, in fact this buy will be our little secret:D:D:D :ignore: .

I was thinking that too, but it sounds like when my shifter linkage wasn't adjusted right and it would pop out of 4 wheel drive and make that grinding noise, so thats why I think the 208 is a ticking time bomb. I'll look into the atlas
 
jk5blazer said:
As little as possible on the budget, getting married in a few months and don't have much extra money, in fact this buy will be our little secret:D:D:D :ignore: .

I was thinking that too, but it sounds like when my shifter linkage wasn't adjusted right and it would pop out of 4 wheel drive and make that grinding noise, so thats why I think the 208 is a ticking time bomb. I'll look into the atlas
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atlas is the most expensive option out of all of them....remember budget???:haha:
 
muddybuddy said:
atlas is the most expensive option out of all of them....remember budget???:haha:
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Yeah just saw that, sorry thats out of the question. I guess I could sell the blazer and the buy one.:doah:
 
Honestly a doubler and an Atlas are close as far as money spent goes, if you compare apples to apples. The Atlas is all brand new, so once you rebuild the 203 and 205, add the 32 spline front output and do the twin stick mod, get the twin or triple stick shifters, add beefier yokes etc the doubler option is about the same money. In the end the Atlas is lighter and geared deeper and nets you a nice short drivetrain.

The downside is you either have 1:1 high range or a really deep low range with no middle ground. Stak has a three speed T-case though.

If I had a small budget and a noisy 208 I would be looking for another 208 for the short term and start saving and do my research as far as T-case options go. I easily have $2500 into my doubler, range box, and T-case...

Rene
 
Look into the 231 doubler kit on Pirate 4x4 http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196804. It is a lot cheaper and you will get deeper gearing.

You can find a round 6 bolt pattern 231 from a Jeep Cherokee and install the 6 gear planetary from a NP241. The whole kit is $414 shipped and your overall low gear will be in the 7's.

The only problem I have seen with these doublers is building the crossmembers.

I had all the parts to do this, but ended up selling my K30 and sold the doubler kit to Daniel Palms http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204000.


My original plans were to use there 241 kit, but in hindsight I would go with the 231 case kit due to it's smaller size and same strength values of a 241. I also had scored a 241 off of an 89 Dodge 1/2 ton truck that had a super short fixed rear yoke. It would have been a sweet setup!

Let me know if you have anymore questions......shoot me a pm.
 
Another thing is, the input shafts on the 231 and 241 are the same. So if you can find a 241 with the same input as your 700 output spline count you can use that case to put the 6 planetary gear set in and input shaft. The when you order the doubler kit, you choose what spline count you want for the intemittent shaft to match the back case.

This has been done in quite a few jeeps and is covered pretty well over in the pirate vendor section "box for rocks DD machine".
 
I think I'm going the Low max to NP241. Its some 7.25 to 1 crawl ratio:yikes: . I can still go the low max into a 205 and have all the streangth, but it will only be like 4.25 to 1 or something and how wants that:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :doah:
 
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