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Old 12-26-2010, 10:04 PM   #103
DirtyLarry
Windy Corner of a Dirty Street
 
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pueblo West, Colorado
Posts: 2,926
Re: NV4500 swap is underway

Quote:
Originally Posted by duallyjams View Post
First thing this is a great thread. You pushed me over the edge to get going on mine. So i want to back up a bit. On the nv4500 adapter to the np205 why did you chose not to upgrade the 27 spline in the np205 to a 32 spline also did you look at the adapter that north west fab makes ?
Thanks! Funny you should ask about the splines. I had originally planned on converting the original 10 spline 205 to 32 but a complete 27 spline 205 from a 1972 K20 TH350/205 popped up on Craigslist for $25! The goal was to get away from the old school manual trans 10 spline that are notoriously sloppy (and mine was very sloppy!). In order for me to convert my old 10 spline to 32 some machine work needs to be done to the tcase housing. For the price of the 27 spline 205 I don’t feel spending several hundred more dollars to buy a 32 spline gear then pay a machinest to rework my case only to get 5 additional splines was really worth it. Again, the main goal was to get away from the sloppy course 10 spline while doing the OD swap.

With this AA kit, it isn’t a true 32 spline anyway once you hack off the trail shaft of the NV4500. With this kit you cut off the 32 spline portion of the output shaft and use the big 31 spline cog that is just behind the 5th gearset. You almost have to go to AA’s website and download their install instructions to understand what I am talking about. The good thing about this AA kit is that it eliminates any future potential of the 5 year nut backing as the 31/27 spline coupler holds 5th gear in place where the entire contraption is held together by the tcase to transmission tailshaft housing union.

Sure it would be nice to have a 32 spline but I think the entire 32 spline fad is often overrated. Just like everybody tripping over themselves spending thousands of dollars on front Dana 60’s. Sure, I want one too but refuse to pay the price of admission when a built D44 driven by a skilled driver has worked fine for 15 years even with over 400HP under the hood. My truck see more true off-road action in the middle of nowhere CO mountains to the deserts of AZ and UT than most 4x4’s on this board that are packing D60s and 32 spline transmissions to tear up corn fields, power line roads or the local drunk fest mud drag. That said, I don’t foresee the lack of 5 splines being a huge deal for a real world off-road truck.
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