Dana 20 Strength

[Will Morris]

Hey everyone,
I'm in the process of buying a set of Dana 60s for my Cherokee. It's got a rebuilt 360 and TH400, but I need a transfer case with a centered rear output and a passenger side front. What do you think my best options are? Is the Dana 20 up to the abuse that the rest of the drivetrain can take? I'd really like to swap over to a manual tranny, so getting a t18 dana 20 from a parts truck would be much easier and probably cheaper than sm465 np205 or np435 np 205 combo. Also, does anyone know if you can get the 208 HD transfer cases that they used in CUCV military pickups?

Thanks,
Will

[Bob Barry]

Well, the D20 would now be your weak-point. If you upgraded to an NP205, you wouldn't have a weak-point, and they're still affordable.

Since you're upgrading everything else, why not go with the NP205?

[Will Morris]

The only problem I see with upgrading to an NP205, is adapting it to the TH400. I've been looking around for an adapter, but I just missed the only one I found for a reasonable price. Also, not that it's a huge problem, but you have to be stopped to shift into 4wd with a 205, but you can be moving with a Dana 20 right? I'm just curious, as I live in Georgia, but go to school in Maine and find myself in the mountains often in the winter with snowy and icy roads.

Will

[64Trvlr]

Originally posted by Will Morris:
Also, not that it's a huge problem, but you have to be stopped to shift into 4wd with a 205, but you can be moving with a Dana 20 right? Why do you have to stop and shift in and out of 4wd? I shift in and out all the time without stopping at up to 65 MPH.
:cool:

[Will Morris]

Alright, I think I'm sold on the NP205. I had just heard from someone that you had to be stopped with an NP205 but if you can shift at 65, then that more than meets my needs especially with the twinstick potential. Now all I have to figure out is how to get one in my Cherokee. Any budget minded suggestions? As much as I hate to admit it, it looks like going all Chevy 350/sm465/NP205 may be the best, easiest, and cheapest thing to do.

[Cecil14]

You can do it by keeping your TH400. Swap the guts from a chevy TH400 and use the NP205 with your case. AMC on the input and chevy on the output.

Anthony

[scotty]

not that an all chevy driveline is a bad idea, ;) but its easy to adapt the sm465 to an amc motor. a couple of the guys in the local club run em,since they are easier to find than t18s. there are at least 2 guys running amc 360/465/205 and one guy running a 258/465/205.

you use a cj t150 belhousing,and slightly elongate the top 2 holes on the bell where it bolts to the tranny,and drill and tap the the face of the tranny for the bottom 2holes. use the amc flywheel and pressure plate with a chevy disc.

i have an sm465/205 to swap into my rig if the d20 doesnt hold up. let me beat on the 20 for awhile and ill let you know how it holds up :D

wether you swap guts and put it behind an amc motor,or swap in a SBC,a th400 is prolly the way to go if you want to run an auto.

since ive been searching for 465/205s ive seen enuff cracked/broken tranny to xfer adapters the leads me to believe the weight of a 205 is a potential prollem if the tranny is the only thing supporting it. wichever tranny you use,id reccomend making a 2nd crossmember to support the 205,so that one day you dont bounce it wrong climbing a hill and it hits the ground :eek: the one ive got,the adaper is broken in half,and it actually fell off while the guy was driving,and rear drivesdahft was the only thing keepig it from hitting the pavement!

[ November 25, 2002, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: scotty ]

[Will Morris]

Scotty, thanks a lot for that info. I wouldn't have thought it was that easy. Now would you use the clutch pedal assembly and linkage from the Chevy or the Cj? I'm thinking this may be the best way to go, and I'll definitely make another crossmember for the NP205 when I actually swap one in.

Will

[TexasJ10]

Scotty, On those 205's with broken adapters, did the owners bolt the 205 support to the frame like on the donor vehicles? Most 205's have a flange on the front output end of the case, (the lower end) that is suppose to be mounted to the frame with a new rubber ring. I don't thnk the dana 20's or the aluminum cases, have this support. Since a 205 weighs around 150 pounds and a 208 weighes less than 100 pounds I can see why adapters are breaking if the 205 wasn't secured properly.

[scotty]

texas,the 4 ive run across were from the donor chevy vehicles,not stuff that someone has swapped. im not real sure if the 205 is secured in all factory applications,but at any rate, you are right that the broken adapters ive seen were from the 205,for one reason or another,not being properly supported.i dont know if the onwners ditched the factory mounts,or what,but thats why i thot id mention it smile.gif its prolly pretty important to support it somehow,especially if youre going to abuse it and bounce it around.

will,the guys in the club are running them in cjs,so they are using factoy cj clutch linkage,which bolts to the firewall on the end near the bellhousing. our linkage bolts to the bellhousing,so we will need to make a bracket of some sort to bolt the engine end of the bellcrank to,and then just use factory FSJ clutch linkage,pedal cluster,etc.

i havent looked that close at a t150 bell yet to figure out exactly what the bracket will look like,but it shouldnt really be too tuff.

[Bob Barry]

My TH400/NP205 combo came with a hefty rod that bolted to the side of the TC and then ran up and bolted to one of the bellhousing bolts. I plan on using that plus an accessory mount on the side.

[TexasJ10]

The 205 I plan on using is from a Ford with a drivers side drop. I intend to support the lowerer end to the frame like on the Ford application it came from, with an angle iron piece. I remain a little concerned that the weight will break the input adapter all the same.

[scotty]

texas,i think youll be fine if you make a support. my xj friend runs a ford 205 with a bottom mount like your talking of making and his is holding up just fine. he is not easy on his rig,either.

also thot id point out that when using a ford 205 you are more limited in what transmissions it will bolt to. other than the 435,and ford autos,the only other options are some later 465/205 and 465/208 will have the right bolt pattern on the adapter. in those cases,an input gear swap in the 205 will also be needed.

as for autos,ive seen 700r/208s with the correct bolt pattern,but im not real sure o the th350 and th400.those in later years may also have the correct round new process pattern,hopefully someone else can verify.again,if you find an auto with the right bolt pattern,an input gear swap in the 205 will be needed.

at any rate,the earlier 465/205 and th350/400 and 205 will have a different bolt pattern,making a ford 205 swap not possible.

something else to consider when planning on using a ford 205,anyway.

easiest option for a driver side 205 is prolly to simply use the np435. the little jeep guys on JU tell me that the t150 or t176 bellhousing will bolt right to an np435,makig for a pretty easy swap smile.gif .you will need a special pilot bushing,wich is available thru AA or novak

hope this info might help someone whos is still in the planning stages of using a ford 205 for its driver side drop. smile.gif

[ November 27, 2002, 06:12 AM: Message edited by: scotty ]