NP205

I've heard of folks running the high side with a tall gear, so they could pull the low side gears out. Can you pull the high side gears out, if you were planning on running low? To save weight, Would it be worth the hassle?

i think profab has a kit.


http://www.profabmachineinc.com/index.html

Called Profab. They have a 205 lowside only kit, but they said it wouldn't be much lighter. Said it was built to be extremely strong. Has upgraded gears and stuff. So, what are some more options?

Ditch the 205 and install a BW 1345 or a 1356. Over a 50% reduction in weight and you still have high and low range and a stronger transfer case in the process. Only thing is the 1345/1356 tcases have a 2.72:1 low range and the 205 has a 1.96:1 so you might have to change the gears in the dif's to get the ratio you want.

So we're talking about saving 100 pounds or so? Anybody done the swap? Pretty straight forward?

I've gone from a 1356 to a 205 with the Profab kit, so the reverse is easy. The splines are the same. You'll need to modify the shift linkage and if memory serves you'll need to lengthen the the drive shaft going from 205 to 1345. and yes I'd estimate close to 100lbs of weight savings.

Alan

Wildman,
Do you know the low gear ratio of the 208

The 208 is a 2.6:1 low range. I'm getting ready to put a gutted 1356 in my ranger to drop more weight. A 205 is close to 200lbs, pulling the high gear set out won't gain you much due to the heavy cast iron case.

A gutted 1356 weighs around 40-45lbs with the low side only. It's not all that hard, you just need to split the case, pull all of the high gear and shifter stuff out, put the low gear stuff back in and carefully weld the gears in place on the shaft. Put it all back together and let it eat. I'm leaving the pump in just for added insurance in keeping the chaing lubed. With the limited use it'll get as a mud drack truck, I'm not sure that was needed, but never hurts. My reasoning for the 1356 is the strength of the magnesium case over the 208 aluminum case plus the 1356 was found behind turbo diesel trucks where the 208 wasn't.

I do know a guy that runs a gutted chevy 208, flipped upside down for driver side drop. He's got is behing a 700+ci BBF with powerglide. IcallhimGeorge posted a vid of his truck recently in the D44 thread. His reasoning for the chevy 208 was the length was shorter and therefor a stronger case. He did say it still should be braced though, as most case failures are caused by flex from the front yoke under load.

The 208 is a 2.6:1 low range. I'm getting ready to put a gutted 1356 in my ranger to drop more weight. A 205 is close to 200lbs, pulling the high gear set out won't gain you much due to the heavy cast iron case.

A gutted 1356 weighs around 40-45lbs with the low side only. It's not all that hard, you just need to split the case, pull all of the high gear and shifter stuff out, put the low gear stuff back in and carefully weld the gears in place on the shaft. Put it all back together and let it eat. I'm leaving the pump in just for added insurance in keeping the chaing lubed. With the limited use it'll get as a mud drack truck, I'm not sure that was needed, but never hurts. My reasoning for the 1356 is the strength of the magnesium case over the 208 aluminum case plus the 1356 was found behind turbo diesel trucks where the 208 wasn't.

They went to the BW 44## in the mid 90's(push down pull back tcases)...fwiw.
but i agree. 1356's are good. I have one in my 91 diesel, its been beat and still keeps going. doesnt shift nice anymore though, its got lots and lots of miles.

Yeah, it was in 96 on the 1/2 ton models. They kept the 1356 behind the F350 until the change of the body style in 99. If you go with that 1356, a bit more info, you need to look for one from a F-350 or Bronco. Those are the ones that had the fixed output yoke. The 150 mainly had a slip output and is worthless on a mud race truck if you break a shaft in the hole.

The 1356 slip yoke version was also found in the F250HD's. I do know that you can find a slip yoke eliminator kit for the 1356 on the web. When I got my pulling truck, it has close to 160,000 miles on it and I put a few thousand more on it before turning the truck into a dedicated puller. I then pulled with it for 3 seasons before switching to a 205 to get a better gear reduction for my setup. I then battled breakage on the 205 all last year before putting a Profab kit in it. Point is, The 1345/1356 are good cases that will take a bunch of abuse because of their planetary gears and chain drive. And the bonus is I could lay under the truck and install/remove the 1356 with no jack lol.

I don't have any experience with a 208, but have not heard anything good about them fwiw.

AP

to bad your not closer i have a np208 and a bw 1345 laying in the floor i'd like to get out of the way.

what would the final ratio be with a C6 with a 1356 v/s a 208 with 4;10 gears be...Thanks

1st gear in the C6 with a 208 case gives you a 26.324
1st gear in the C6 with a 1356 case gives you a 27.434

Thanks wildman,
I think the 1356 would be a better selection then for the final drive ratio.

I dont think anybody mentioned but if you run the 1356 you cant run the big 1410 U-joints unless you make a yoke. This is unless somebody is making the yokes and I am not aware of .

205 yokes will work on a fixed yoke 1345 or 1356(they are all 32 spline outputs,) just getting the right seal can be a pain.

http://www.drive-lines.com/php/pinion_yokes.php

good website. check it out.

I believe I have decided to keep the 205. Mainly for the 1.96. Have we pretty much decided that pulling out the high side gears won't save much weight?