Thread: Ashcroft high ratio transfer box

Originally Posted by TJWA

Find a 6cyl wreck, take the front brakes off of it and fit them to the rear of yours facing towards the back of the car. I have done this mod on mine.
Same drums, shoes and cylinders all round, superior braking in reverse and no difference forwards.

I also have the Ashcroft kit, I thoroughly recommend it. Cost me about $700AUS including freight from the UK in October 2009. Spend an extra $250 and put a rebuild kit through it at the same time.

Thanks TJ...sounds like a great solution. I'll keep it in mind.

I use range rover diffs in my S3 SWB and overtake plenty of modern cars on the road. The story that they stuff your low range was invented by those who are all show and no go and the sellers of expensive overdrives and transfer case conversions. Still owning around 15 series Land Rovers, all used regularly off road in some of the steepest farming country in Victoria, I can confidently say that there is no significant difference off road.

Originally Posted by ade30946x6

I use range rover diffs in my S3 SWB and overtake plenty of modern cars on the road. The story that they stuff your low range was invented by those who are all show and no go and the sellers of expensive overdrives and transfer case conversions. Still owning around 15 series Land Rovers, all used regularly off road in some of the steepest farming country in Victoria, I can confidently say that there is no significant difference off road.

Try your 3.54s in a LWB and see how you go offroad What size tyres are you running? 500kg less vehicle, 500kg less payload capacity and smaller wheels makes a big difference.

I have suffix B low range gears in my IIA, so 49:1 1st low. I have found hills I cannot reverse up with a load on in reverse low (slightly higher geared than 1st in a IIA).

3.54s increases your gearing in low by 25% (from 40:1 to 30:1). Based on my experience I suspect you are the one who is "all show and no go".

As I mentioned in another thread, I know someone who fitted a HRTC to a rebuilt 109 with a new 2.25P. After needing to drop down to low range to do hill starts on road he pulled it out.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Try your 3.54s in a LWB and see how you go offroad What size tyres are you running? 500kg less vehicle, 500kg less payload capacity and smaller wheels makes a big difference.

I have suffix B low range gears in my IIA, so 49:1 1st low. I have found hills I cannot reverse up with a load on in reverse low (slightly higher geared than 1st in a IIA).

3.54s increases your gearing in low by 25% (from 40:1 to 30:1). Based on my experience I suspect you are the one who is "all show and no go".

As I mentioned in another thread, I know someone who fitted a HRTC to a rebuilt 109 with a new 2.25P. After needing to drop down to low range to do hill starts on road he pulled it out.

I had a HRTC in a s3 LWB with a 202, took off great empty, struggled a bit towing a RRC on a trailer off the line. Still needed to use low 1st on some tracks in the high country. If you are running 3.54 diffs and std transfer case there is no way you could climb these tracks!!!!!

Can I please drag this off-topic for a moment?

Ben, did you swap suffix B gears into a non-suffix B box to acheive a better (lower) ratio? Was it a complicated process?

I have a '71 2a SWB (suffix F GB, not sure about TC) on 7.50 16's and sometimes would like lower low range gearing (without dropping tyre size) for putting up and down steep things.

Back on-topic, my small amount of experience leads me to beleive that the Series gearing is generally pretty good, but making it higher would make it marginally more crap for low-range offroad work. It doesn't belong on the freeway...

Originally Posted by series3

Can I please drag this off-topic for a moment?

Ben, did you swap suffix B gears into a non-suffix B box to acheive a better (lower) ratio? Was it a complicated process?

Yes.

Cost ~$300 for new intermediate and low range gear. Easy to do. Changes 1st low from 40:1 to 49:1.

Thanks Ben.

What size tyres are you running? How do you find 1st low? only applicable every now and then when things get very steep?

Sam

Originally Posted by series3

Thanks Ben.

What size tyres are you running? How do you find 1st low? only applicable every now and then when things get very steep?

Sam

I run 33's. However I know people with 7.50s (31-32") who have done the same, and I originally had 235/85s when I did the mod.

It makes a huge difference off road. It means that some hills offroad can be climbed in 2nd low instead of first, which often gives you extra momentum you need to climb slippery sections.

I use 1st just as often as before doing the mod though. So much better at rock crawling and going down steep hills than it was before.

Note that a high ratio t-case changes your low range to ~38:1, and you cannot lower it further.