Un-coilovering a P38A

Costs do seem to go up exponentially once you start building a project, I know ;)

I never changed my diff ratio and am still on stock, can't say I am bothered though. Since you are getting new diffs from ashcroft, I assume you are going for lockers? I have opted for the diff pegging, have you?

At some point you will have tackled all the weak points, with RCV half shafts, tom woods double cardan's etc. The next weakest link I think is the VCU in the transfercase or the autobox/transfercase itself I guess...

Good luck with the build and keep up the good work!

Cheers,
-P

I'm not planning on any of those at this time. Those mods are all extremely expensive on top of the well over 3000USD I have budgeted (+1100 for the conversion back to EAS, which is still assuming the pump and valve block need nothing more than seals). I also find the idea of lockers a little questionable on a vehicle with a viscous center diff. The TC does a reasonably good job on anything that isn't straight-up rock crawling so I'm thinking that plus a winch will do everything I really need. I'm hoping I can get this build finished in time for Texas SCARR. It's a good opportunity to push a rig with lots of help around if you overdo it. Once I get out there and see how it does I'll know what really needs to be done next.

If I can sell the old bumpers and running boards for good money I'll see if that can be used to cover HD axles/CVs, but we'll see. Gotta pay for the steel versions, first, and Rock Rover ain't cheap!

The traction control does a great job getting up even pretty gnarly challenges, when driven appropriately. With that said, a locker will allow more controlled (read: less bouncy) 4wding.

I found the biggest benefit to my P38 on All Terrain Tyres was the rear locker. With the 33” Mud Tyres, I am less reliant on the locker for control on bad terrain, but I do still use it at times.

Cheers
Keithy

It's exactly because of the control I bought the lockers :) My GEMS has only rear TC and I have used it extensively in the beginning and was amazed at what it could do but the braking system and the car took big hits by the aggressive braking of the TC. Also, make no mistake, the VCU is a weaker part of the vehicle but a good unit will lock up sufficiently to drive a loaded P38 out on a single wheel. These babies also don't like shock loading as much so a locker vs TC makes that more controlled as well.

Anyway, you have to draw the line somewhere and have something left to dream for so :)

As they say down under, no worries mate!

-P

Delete double post

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MaestroMan

I also find the idea of lockers a little questionable on a vehicle with a viscous center diff. The TC does a reasonably good job on anything that isn't straight-up rock crawling so I'm thinking that plus a winch will do everything I really need.

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Unless I'm missing something, the VC will help with the distribution of power ie traction between front and rear axles, but not for between wheels on the same axle. For the latter you need some other aide such as lockers, TC or some form of LSD like trutracs, Ashcroft ATB etc. I have trutracs on both of my D2a and RRC and love 'em - fit and forget and almost as good as pure lockers. I also like the enhanced self cenreing.

I have given thought to LSDs as well, but Detroit lockers skeeve me out when it comes to snow driving at high speeds, and I do have interests that trend toward perhaps tackling Colorado or New Mexico in winter.

I will keep lockers in mind, though. I think you're all three right about the shock loading the TC creates and ultimately I will probably decide I need them but for now I'll just bet on a winch and traction boards. That's a lot cheaper than a set of KAM460 lockers!

By the way, I will probably be starting a build thread this upcoming weekend. I have the rear set of Arnott Gen 3s coming in today or tomorrow and already have the fronts and a seal rebuild kit for the valve block/compressor. I just put in a PayPal invoice with Britcar for their Hard Range kit (only one left now that I bought one) and will probably try to get that put on the following weekend since I suspect it will arrive early next week.

Hopefully my Rimmer Bros order comes in this week so I can swap the running boards for rock sliders. I should also have my Island 4x4 order with the Terra Firma adjustable +2 shocks and full poly bushing kit arriving this week or early next as well.

After that I think it will be steering damper, tires, and an alignment! We'll see if I have any money left after that for installing 4.10 gears or Rock Rover bumpers, but I'll definitely be at SCARR 2019 in April down in Gilmer, Texas regardless of my bumpers if I can get the lift fully sorted!

Any reason MM cant just alter the transfercase ratio?( rather than buy two diffs) or even put in the Ashcroft transfer case LSD?

how would this play with the viscous coupling?

I don't think that anyone is making swap gears for the Borg-Warner center diff like they do for the LT230. Either way I'd still be swapping both the HI and LO range gears to compensate and I am willing to bet it's pricier to get a pro to pull my T-case+swap gears than just undo the drive shafts and do the same operation to each axle. Plus, 4.10 gears are an almost perfect match to the 33" tires I'm planning on. 15.8% increase in input rotations for 4.10s from 3.54s and 13.7% increase in distance traveled by each rotation going from a 29" to 33" tires, so no fiddling with retuning the ECM's reading of the speedo sensor.

I could do the gears myself, but clearancing new R&Ps is a trick operation I really don't desire to do myself.

Is it worth spending time on the 3.54’s with 33’s before changing ratios? Being on 33’s myself, and still 3.54’s, I have no desire to swap for other ratios. My P38 is always loaded (2.7t) every day of the week, it’ll sit on 2000rpm to accelerate more than comfortably to any legal speed limit here. When given the boot, it still scares V8 Land Cruisers away. Plus I’m not arguing with a drop to 2000rpm at highway speeds, and reduced fuel consumption!

I haven’t noticed any Low Range crawl issues either. Downhill and up, it still offers me the same satisfaction!

Cheers
Keithy