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atlas or to 205/magnum help me decide

chaplinfj60

chaplinfj60

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Member Number
3057
Messages
3,562
Loc
marshalltown iowa
good am all,

so first off it will be 5.3 LS th350 to ___________

axles are super duty front and like the idea of 4.88
14 bolt rear and 4.88
gears ratio is chose for strength. could even do 4.56
tires will be 40-43,

i currently have magnum 205 and love the options i can do. and more and more i feel like the 5.3 low low low is too deep except in the craziest of crazy rock gardens. like RMR for example that park low low was awesome for sure. current 5.13 gears and using the underdrive of 2.76 feels like i can do almost everything out there. but do need a bit of torque converter to do somethings. and heats up tranny some. nothing crazy just warms it up.

i feel like a atlas 3.8 or 4.3 would get me a good all around choice of options.

i have a ford 205 in the shop but the front output is pulled so i need another one.

205 /ord 2.76 * 5.13 = 14.15 (not using low low just the underdrive) if i went atlas 3.8 *4.88 = 18.544

kinda feel like the atlas will give me more of a all around good choice, kinda jack of all trails. master of none so to speak.

i live in iowa. we wheel in MO, OK, TN, KS, an want to go even further east and west in SD.

I also like the idea of one tcase vice two. little bit simpler and mounting is way easier.

anyway this is whats on the mind this day.
 
lightweight / compactness / simplicity

vs

gearing options / lower cost




Do you have / want to spend the money for an Atlas ?
If yes, I'd do a 3.0 / 5.13 gears and a good converter / cooling system. That's what I run in my rig and I love it.
 
How heavy is your rig?

I know some U4 cars are running less low range then you are in 2.72:1 and hit hammer trails just fine but have upped the stall speed on the TC a little bit.
 
chaplinfj60 said:
axles are super duty front and like the idea of 4.88
14 bolt rear and 4.88
Click to expand...

I'd go with Atlas. They're just really nice.
And is there a reason you wouldn't just use the Sterling from the same doody you get the front from? If you pick the right victim you'll get a free rear e-Locker out of the deal. And your bolt patterns will match front and rear.
 
JayMcJay said:
I'd go with Atlas. They're just really nice.
And is there a reason you wouldn't just use the Sterling from the same doody you get the front from? If you pick the right victim you'll get a free rear e-Locker out of the deal. And your bolt patterns will match front and rear.
Click to expand...
Because it's a lot weaker ?
 
Bebop nailed both comments. I personally believe a tcase less than 3.0 sucks, but I also don't like to hunt for traction for 12 minutes at .5 mph and go 7 mph over 4" rocks to the next obstacle. 3.0 and 5.13 or 5.38 is kickass, but that's me saying that on 39's/40's. If you're on a larger diameter, that could change the math. I've been around one 4.3 case. Fucking shoot me, low is too low, high is not usable in the least with the huge split. A light rig doesn't need as much gearing to get going either
 
JayMcJay said:
In what way?
Not trying to pick a fight........just curious.
I have a 14b in my buggy, most of my buddies have Sterlings.
We break about the same number of parts (none).
Click to expand...
Shafts are weaker, also seen more broken Sterling R&Ps than 14 bolts.
I have broken a 300M 14bolt shaft and twisted another one so I guess my buddies and I send it more than your buddies and you :grinpimp:
 
200.gif
 
Or we don't know how to drive. Your pick.
 
Sterling’s bring the suck way more then a 14b.

Anytime I run into a “1 ton” rear end that is broken on the trail it’s usually a sterling.

Anyways, for a buggy I’d go atlas. Coming from a guy with a 205 doubler, the 205 doubler is so versatile but for a buggy doing buggy things the weight savings is nice.

I see the benefits to the 205 with the 1.96:1 in sand, 2.72:1 in light rocks, 5.33:1 when moving my 7k lb fat ass rig though harder rocks, and especially towing out broken rigs. I also go on the road quite a bit so the versatility is there but at a cost to weight. For a buggy that primarily does rocks and rocks only, saving the weight is nice
 
SMI17 said:
Do the Atlas and give me your magnum205. Problem solved
Click to expand...
the thing is would have to get another magnum. they dont swap between ford round and chevy figure 8. so thats the biggest reason i am having this discussion. either way i have to buy something unless i use a chunk of cast called 205. and i did not like that option.
 
My buddy is going through the same decision right now. LJ w/5.3
&4l60, SD 60, Sterling, 5.13's, 42's.

He's comparing his new setup to my rig which is 40's, 4L, 42rle, rubicrawler, rubicon case 5.13 gears.

I can crawl in 4:1, run between obstacles in 2.72, and crawl with insane low range if needed for technical wheeling. I almost never use the low low. Wheeled Colorado for a week and only used low low on the exit to Patriot and the exit on Carnage. It's really nice to have the 2.72 when wheel speed is needed. Nice to have the 4:1 when crawling.

My friends have run my LJ on rocks and like the gearing flexibility. Coming from a fixed 2.72 ratio on 40's, the 4:1 case is a game changer to maintain tire speed/slip control. I enjoy the technical crawling and have spent 5 min on a climb hunting for traction to crawl something I could blast up.

For me it's still learning the limits of my rig but it's also satisfying to crawl something everyone else has to hammer down to climb. It's also about longevity. I haven't changed a single part on my rig except two tie rod ends in 4 years. Well, I'm about to swap in a new trans and big ass cooler, my driving style overheats the trans constantly.

The 4:1 case sucks on the smooth parts between obstacles. Having the ability to switch back and forth opens up a lot more options.

He's leaning towards the 4 speed atlas. 2.72 and 3.8 or 4.3. When all is said and done he'd have $3k in the ORD/205 and $4k in the 4 speed atlas. He's not a heavy right pedal driver so the durability of the ORD/205 was dropped from the decision process.

So I recommend either way you go that you have a doubler to open up options.:stirthepot:
 
I will echo what lt1yj says on the suck a 4:1 gear ratio brings between obstacles for just a 2 speed case. I had a factory H3 4:1 t case before my 205 doubler and while I loved the 4:1 for crawling in between obstacles sucked with a 4 speed. I would max out pretty quick and be revving the fuck out of it or going 2 mph. 1:1 was too high.

If you do atlas I would look at a 3:1 option
 
chaplinfj60 said:
the thing is would have to get another magnum. they dont swap between ford round and chevy figure 8. so thats the biggest reason i am having this discussion. either way i have to buy something unless i use a chunk of cast called 205. and i did not like that option.
Click to expand...
I might be interested in the Ford Magnum 205 for my Bronco.
 
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