78 shortbed stepside 4x4 rebuild...have questions

[78stepside]

i am in the process of rebuilding from frame up and have some questions:

1. the truck currently has full time hubs and i want to swap them to lockouts, are there any issues/what are the best options? (i bought 8 lug axles a while back. 44 front and a 60 rear)

2. having a mild lift, i think i should divorce the transfer case. what are the best options here? it has the cast gear driven case (np203 i think).

3. it was a smallblock auto and i am looking to swap to big block manual. i already have the BB as well as a BB 727 for a 2wd (and the original SB 727 for a 4x4). i need to find a BB 4 speed. i am also going to do a cab swap but need to find a donor truck (with column and everything for a stick). is the swap worth it or is it a major pain? i know i will need different motor mounts and such but wasnt sure what else i will need.

the truck will be coming home to me from my fathers garage next week. it has been in the family for years and its time to start working on it.

still searching for a 4speed truck with a rust free cab if anyone knows where one may be.

i live in southern maryland.

thanks in advance!

[712edf]

The 203 won't work with lock outs & wasn't available in a divorced version (except for Ford's which had driver's side drop). 203's are chain driven.

If you are not using your cab/engine/front axle/transmission wouldn't it be easier just to get a truck that has everything you need? Yes BB 4-speed divorced t-case trucks aren't common, but they are out there (I have one).

For a divorced t-case, I'd recommend the NP205. Dodge used them 1969-74 in all W100,W200,W300 power wagons. I just stepped over a divorced NP205 today at the junk yard, was missing 1 yoke.

Notwithstanding switching from SB to BB, you will need z-bar,bellhousing/linkage & several other odds/ends to swap from auto to stick.

A 78 uteline with a big block 4 speed would be cool to have!

Bucky

[78stepside]

i have become sadly unfamiliar with my 'ol truck lately (the truck has been sitting in the depths of my dads garage for almost 8 years).

it actually is a np205 thats in it. i remember it weighing about a ton and being made out of some ungodly strong metal. question is, is it divorced? i definitely dont think that it is but havent seen any other ones to compare. if i am guessing correctly, they are two totally different transfer cases. there is no way to divorce a non divorced case right? with a mild lift i would really like to have one.

the reason for a cab swap is that the current one has dual sunroofs (like the ones out of the back of a ramcharger). somebody a long time ago put those in and they not only leak like crazy but are starting to attract a little rust. i just figured that with everything i need i might as well find another truck to be a donor. its going to be a body off rebuild so either way i am starting from the ground up. ultimately i would love to find a 4spd truck with all the right goodies (trans, trans case, linkage, column, etc).

i guess i should start looking for a whole truck huh :)

[78stepside]

forgot to ask, is there a 5spd that would fit the BB NP205 setup? factory or aftermarket?

what number trans is your BB 4spd?

i may start turning over some rocks to find this stuff.

[712edf]

Divorced transfer cases are NOT directly bolted to the transmission. They have a small driveshaft (intermediate shaft) between them & the transmission. Dodge stopped using divorced transfer cases in 1974. The beauty of a divorced tranfer case is you can use any engine/transmission combination ahead of it, just as long as it rotates the proper direction & can be attached to the intermediate shaft.

The big blocks mainly came with automatics or 4 speeds. My 4 speed is a New Process 435, a very common transmission (GM & Ford used them too, although not identical) that Dodge used from about 1966 into the late 80's. If you are going the divorced transfer case route, then the best place to find a NP 435 is a 70's-80's Dodge 2wd truck. Most were small blocks, the only main difference being big blocks & small blocks use a different bellhousing. Finding a BB 4-speed truck is your best bet. Or get a small block 4 speed truck & then search for a big block mechanical bellhousing separately. They show up on ebay occasionally. Expect to pay in the $250-$300 range for just the big block bellhousing.

You want a 69-78 bellhousing because pre 69 trucks used a hydraulic clutch linkage, not mechanical. Total different set-up, clutch fork is on the passenger side, while the mechanical linkage trucks have the clutch fork on the driver's side. Also hydraulic clutch trucks use a larger flywheel. Do you have a flywheel yet? That's another fun to find piece of the puzzle. Is your big block crankshaft drilled for a pilot bushing? Gotta have that for a 4-speed. Isn't this gonna be fun?

Putting a 5 speed behind a big block is dependant upon getting a bellhousing/clutch set-up that will work, which means more parts jockeying since that weren't offered that way from the factory, not counting any big block NP540 trucks from the 60's.

It took 6 donor trucks to get all the parts needed to build mine.

Bucky

[The Other Ross]

Yep,what he said,I built my two big block trucks pre-internet was a real experience,but I got mine.Then the Cummins craze hit and I wasn't cool no more.

[78stepside]

. Isn't this gonna be fun?


It took 6 donor trucks to get all the parts needed to build mine.

Bucky

man o man i underestimated this. not to fear though as i am highly motivated and dont mind digging around for parts.

the BB i have came out of a 1972 chrysler new yorker (automatic). right now it is in about as many pieces as you can imagine so i have room to play with things like new flywheel/crank/etc. i havent done any major purchases yet with it so i can still do some hunting before i dive into the BB head first. i want to do the frame, axles, suspension, transfer case, and 4 speed first before i start on the engine. i definitely want a 4 or 5speed with a divorced transfer case.

i think what i am going to do first is hit up a few junkyards/craigslist to see if i can find a np205 that is divorced (might as well get one since the old non divorced one i have needs a major overhaul anyway). then i am going to either search for a NP 435 or call tremec to see what they offer that can mate up to the BB/205 combo (and how much loot it will cost me). i am in a way illerate when it come to these transmissions so the less pain i have to go through the better (dont think its ever that easy though).

i will be keeping my eye out for post 69 BB bell housings in the meantime as i doubt i find a factory BB 4spd truck for parts. i really think that my best bet is to find a complete truck with running gear and then go from there (so i dont have to experiment with this stuff).

why was it you were saying i needed the crank drilled again?

you are helping me out big time by the way!

[78stepside]

Yep,what he said,I built my two big block trucks pre-internet was a real experience,but I got mine.Then the Cummins craze hit and I wasn't cool no more.

cummins craze? i had to stop myself with my 06 cummins because it was getting ridiculously expensive. i had at one time considered putting one in my 78. but then i realized that i had more parts to do the BB and decided against that.

is putting a cummins in the old trucks the thing to do now?

[USN78W150]

'78 stepside

The 400 ci big block equipped trucks had the 4 speed available. Find one of those and you have your bell housing. Your '72 440 has a forged crankshaft from the factory, unless someone has changed it previous to you getting it. Why must you have a divorced transfer case? Married ones get along just fine. :) Seroiusly, I am wondering why it has to be divorced for your application.

[78stepside]

The 400 ci big block equipped trucks had the 4 speed available. Find one of those and you have your bell housing. Your '72 440 has a forged crankshaft from the factory, unless someone has changed it previous to you getting it. Why must you have a divorced transfer case? Married ones get along just fine. :) Seroiusly, I am wondering why it has to be divorced for your application.

cracking me up :)

i am just thinking that a divorced transfer case will help with driveline angles since this truck is going to have about 6 inches of lift. i know it used to tear up u-joints like crazy before with pretty much stock suspension. i just figured i would give the driveshafts a fighting chance if i could. and i kinda figured why not anyways since my non divorced case is old and has a lot of slop in it.

i found a SB 4x4 3/4ton with a 4spd and a divorced case real cheap but its 7 hours away. not sure if its worth it to drive for it or keep hunting around here.

besides bearings and seals what all should i expect to replace if the trans and trans case are junkers? the guy said they worked fine before he parked it over a year ago.

[The Other Ross]

If your worried about U joints the divorced tranfer case will help but you really need to upgrade your yokes.They make convertion yolks to get away from the Mopar spec yolks but I would strongly recommend going to 1350 Dana/Spicers.The six inch lift and the 440 will tear up anything less.

[78stepside]

are you talking about the yolks coming out of the trans case?

[The Other Ross]

are you talking about the yolks coming out of the trans case?

I'm talking all of them,The shove shaft from the trans to the 205,the output yolks to the front and rear ends and the yolks on the differentials themselves.

[78stepside]

I'm talking all of them,The shove shaft from the trans to the 205,the output yolks to the front and rear ends and the yolks on the differentials themselves.

holy be-jesus! i bet that will cost an arm and a leg.

maybe i should reconsider the lift.

[WARWAGON41]

With a 4" lift your angles wont be that bad , plus its a little less headache on the steering side of things as well.
We have an 85 short wide with a 4" Skyjacker system with stock drive lines and its getting along great.
Without cutting the fenders a 4" lift will fit 33"s and look nice.
To fit 35" tires you will most likely need 6".

On my Ramcharger I went with a 3" suspension lift and 2" body lift , since they are shorter than a swb pickup the driveline angles are more of a concern.

Some people hate body lifts , but Ive had a couple -even a 3" and never had any issues even with tons of miles and hard use.
The only reason I use them - untill I win the lottery its cheap , and doesnt affect drive train/steering parts too much.

You can also find some nice part time married T-cases that would bolt right in with alot less work.
With your trans it sounds like you have everything you need already to put in an auto, with a tail shaft swap you would be in buisness.
But I have to side with you - I LOVE a manual trans !

Build your truck the way you want it ,thats part of the adventure.
Sounds like a fun project and best of luck.
Oh and throw in some pictures of your progress if you get a chance.