T-case Debate (BW1356 or Dvrcd NP205)

[venominjected]

Alright guys... will be doing cummins 6bt into a ZF 5 speed....

Keep the married ZF's BW1356 with a 2.79 reduction....

Or keep in twin sticked divorced Ford NP205 with 1.96 reduction and a bit more added complexity. (intermediate shaft, 2ndary mounting etc).

Leaning towards the BW1356 actually....

EDIT: I have Ford dana 60 and sterling axles

I havent bought the ZF yet.. so 4x2 divorced NP205 or 4x4 married BW1356 are both "open" options for me at this time.

[Subybaja]

I like the 1356.

Except for big mud trucks, they never seem to break or wear out chains.
Change the pump and beef up the case tab.
Enjoy picking it up by yourself! Magnesium may not be as strong as cast iron, but it sure is lighter!
They're a dime a dozen.
They were used in F350s for 100 years...without a ton of failures.
A DD Machine doubler is easy to make out of one too.

Twin stick, ultimate strength, and street-cred are the pros to the 205...
Gearing, weight, availability, not so good.

[glenn]

Get the Borg Warner transfercase, much easier install.

[venominjected]

You guys kinda already made that easy....


The ratio alone is soo much better

Not having to do 2 more crossmembers and an extra intermediate shaft is the other...

goodbye cool factor of twin sticks.... I think we all got over that fast...

The golden goose though is the ZF 4x4.... a little hard to find... even in Wisconsin.

[md1970]

personally I vote 205, there bullit proof for life, never ever seen one bad. jmo though

[glenn]

Have your cake and eat it too. Find a late 70's Ford with a married 205, twin stick it, and bolt it to your 5 speed 4x4 trans. If I remember correctly it takes minor mods to do this.

[venominjected]

Have your cake and eat it too. Find a late 70's Ford with a married 205, twin stick it, and bolt it to your 5 speed 4x4 trans. If I remember correctly it takes minor mods to do this.

Have to do some relief cuts in the mounting flange of the ZF.... although I've heard of guys having the ZF flange break/crack due to the insane amount of weight being hung of the back compared to the magnesium cased BW1356.

I'm thinking BW1356 as it stands. Same strength (up for debate but they rarely break, are twice as cheap, twice as abundent, and have almost 40% more reduction.

NP205: 1.96:1
BW1356 2.69:1

Shes not a wheeler... more of a DD... and I need to keep reminding myself of that.

the front will always have the hubs unlocked anyways so 2WD low is basically just put it 4WD low and its the same effect.

[gonz]

I would go for the BW if you're not going to wheel it hard. You have it, it's attached and has a better ratio unless you shell out more money for a doubler.

[Barrman]

I vote married as well. The reason all trucks went married from divorced in a short span of years and stayed that way can't all be cost savings by the manufacturers. I am sure that was part of it.

However, 2 extra u joints, another shaft, another cross member, more mounts and the complexity of a divorced set up probably combined with the ease of manufacture to doom the divorced set up.

Since you have a choice, follow the basic rule of keeping it simple and go married is my opinion.

Going with anything besides a NP20? does get rid of the factory parking brake though. Otherwise, I see all positives.

[venominjected]

Going with anything besides a NP20? does get rid of the factory parking brake though. Otherwise, I see all positives.

With the 1987 Sterling 10.25 Rear end.. i'm going to TRY to retain the factory drums and also thus the factory parking brakes on the Ford axle....

If I have to go to disc in the rear like a 14b... I'll put in caddy calipers with E-brake.