Making a NP435 into a 5 speed

toddz69 · Feb 22, 2007

There was a thread recently (can't seem to find it now) that talked about making a NP435 into a 4 speed.

While reading the thread, I remembered an article long ago in Four Wheeler magazine that talked about such a thing. Found it tonight while looking through some magazines for something else.

January 1991 issue. "Made from mixed and matched 2 ton internals" according to the kit's developer. It was available in either a 1:1 5th gear or a 0.80:1 OD 5th gear.

Kit was not cheap in '91 (pre NV4500 era) retailing for $1850!!

Contact info was:

Performance Gear & Axle Inc.
11989 W. Colfax
Lakewood, CO 80215
303-238-2953
800-365-3272

FWIW,
Todd Z.

Tito · Feb 22, 2007

Wish it was more affordable, for that you may as well do a zf of nv4500 or 3550.

broncnaz · Feb 22, 2007

Thanks for the info Todd Z I may have to give them a call see if they are still in business and if they are still making those kits or will offer any info on whats needed.
I would think a mass buy could bring that price way down heck if they had ever really marketed that kit it would have sold pretty good there are a lot of NP435's around

Madgyver · Feb 22, 2007

I believe the NP435 is alot way more stronger than a ZF.................
Is there any links to the article?

72Sport · Feb 23, 2007

This was probably the recent thread Todd was referring to. http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96277&highlight=speed+np+435

va bronco · Feb 23, 2007

5th gear in np 435

If anyone sees the Mass buy for this 5th gear kit PLEASE email or PM my A$$. I'd love to get one. I would probably keep ole blue and drive her daily again.

Orange Crush · Feb 23, 2007

va bronco said:
If anyone sees the Mass buy for this 5th gear kit PLEASE email or PM my A$$. I'd love to get one.

x2.......The price would have to come down quite a bit but I would definitely be interested in a mass buy on this.

ugly74 · Feb 23, 2007

me too. I even have one that came outta my Dodge due to a busted mainshaft. it would totally go in the Bronco if it had OD

thegreatjustino · Feb 23, 2007

I just called both numbers.... Neither of them are any good. The first number is now a horse breeder and the 800 number just rings and rings. Bummer ?:?

va bronco · Feb 23, 2007

Hey if anybody is in Lakewood, CO. See if you can go by there and talk to them. Get all the contact info you can get.

Desert Thrasher · Feb 24, 2007

I tried looking them up online, their website www.performancegearandaxle.com cannot be found. Then I found another 4wheeler tech article which talks about them and they mentioned they were in Mississippi and their website was www.4x4gearmasters.com and their number is 601-799-2229. Unfortunatley their new website cannot be found either. Maybe somebody will try the new number. Their website still comes up in the top listings, but it cannot be found when you try to go there.

Looks like they were still around in 2002, I found this cache of their site:
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...mance+gear+and+axle&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us

rob wilson · Feb 24, 2007

I was able to talk to the company in MS by looking at cached pages but I don't think they are the same folks. Talked to a guy named Chris that had never heard of such a thing. I also called a Ford dealer in Lakewood CO that is just up the street from the location mentioned in the article. They had never heard of the place.

I started the previous thread based on a conversation with a friend. I need to get back in touch with him and find out more.

00gyrhed · Feb 25, 2007

Would be sweet to have the wide range of the NP435 and .8 OD to boot. If it is actually true it would be the only manual transmission conversion.

I recently threw out a bunch of old magazines so I don't have a copy. Probably didn't have that anyway as long ago as that was. Who saves 1991 issues of Four Wheeler anyway???

Was this an article or just one of their little semi ads at the front of the magazine. "Whats New" or whatever they call it?

They sometimes put jokes in that front section. There was a paragraph and picture of weld on portals for Jeep axles made by a company in Korea in that section that they admitted later was a joke.

Like to see more info on this. Would it be too much trouble to post the article?

An old dude told me he had an NP435 in a 71 Ford that had a Borg Warner T-10 (the stronger of the two they made) stuck behind it. That would be sweet. It would split all the froward gears if you wanted, and shift at the lift of the skinny pedal. But I did a lot of looking and I am pretty sure he was mistaken.

chuck · Feb 25, 2007

Madgyver said:
I believe the NP435 is alot way more stronger than a ZF.................
Is there any links to the article?

I think the ZF is a stronger trans, it also has syncros in first and reverse, the 435 does not. I may be wrong but the gears and shafts look about the same size and at least the input and output bearing bearing are bigger.

toddz69 · Feb 25, 2007

00gyrhed said:
I recently threw out a bunch of old magazines so I don't have a copy. Probably didn't have that anyway as long ago as that was. Who saves 1991 issues of Four Wheeler anyway???

Was this an article or just one of their little semi ads at the front of the magazine. "Whats New" or whatever they call it?

They sometimes put jokes in that front section.

Like to see more info on this. Would it be too much trouble to post the article?

Hey, hey, hey, I resemble that remark!

I have Four Wheelers back to '63 although I do admit I stopped subscribing about 3 years ago because I just wasn't getting much out of the magazines anymore. I don't often go back and look through them but recently had a water line break in the garage and I've had to dry all the magazines out. I've been going through them, separating pages, etc. and hence found the article. I had remembered it when it originally came out but didn't have a clue as to what year/issue it was in anymore.

It was a bonafide article - not one of their Aprils Fools specials that they did some years. The article included some pics, etc. where they put a trans in a Ford pickup.

I'm a bit old-fashioned and don't have a way to scan the article and post it (although I do have that scanner here on the office floor that I've never hooked up....).

Todd Z.

rob wilson · Feb 25, 2007

Ok, some more info from the guy that started it all....

Apparently NP used the same case as the 435 to also build the 540 and 541. These were used behind gas (361 & 391) truck engines in everything from bare chassis to UPS trucks. There are a number of variations of the 540/541, some with an OD 5th and some that are 1:1. According to him, the NP 435 has a spacer in place of this fifth gear but uses the same case and main/counter shafts. I'm going to do some more research on the 540/541 and will update with new info as I find it.

00gyrhed · Feb 25, 2007

1991 Four Wheeler

I was just wondering if it was in fact just some 2 ton parts we might convince someone else to do machine work. I have a friend with a complete machine shop that would be willing to put some together if the development was not too costly, and he thought he could get the price down to where people would buy more than a couple. He wasn't interested at $1800 (or more) becuase he didn't think anybody would buy them, which is probably true. He has made or at least helped me make several adpters in the past.

I told him I would try to get him the article. What would be nice is a little more detail as to what stock parts from other transmissions were used and what had to be fabricated.

I'll try the library.

Just kidding about the fire hazzard, I mean magazine collection. ;D

00gyrhed · Feb 25, 2007

rob wilson said:
Ok, some more info from the guy that started it all....

Apparently NP used the same case as the 435 to also build the 540 and 541. These were used behind gas (361 & 391) truck engines in everything from bare chassis to UPS trucks. There are a number of variations of the 540/541, some with an OD 5th and some that are 1:1. According to him, the NP 435 has a spacer in place of this fifth gear but uses the same case and main/counter shafts. I'm going to do some more research on the 540/541 and will update with new info as I find it.

So maybe all we need a 541/542 with OD to get the cluster gear, OD, and the shifter. All we need ??? Probably harder to find than a low mileage SM420. ;D Probably why it was $1800. I have a Ford manual around here somewhere, that I think has all these transmissions and spec in it. I will take a look at the ratios and such in the two transmissions.

broncnaz · Feb 25, 2007

rob wilson said:
Ok, some more info from the guy that started it all....

Apparently NP used the same case as the 435 to also build the 540 and 541. These were used behind gas (361 & 391) truck engines in everything from bare chassis to UPS trucks. There are a number of variations of the 540/541, some with an OD 5th and some that are 1:1. According to him, the NP 435 has a spacer in place of this fifth gear but uses the same case and main/counter shafts. I'm going to do some more research on the 540/541 and will update with new info as I find it.

I dug up the same info it was a blurp in a old repair manual but have yet to find a 540 or 541 tranny to verify. Also while I havent had a NP435 all apart the break downs I see show no spacers anywhere in it so I'm not sure that the spacer statement is true. My dad just bought a old dump truck that had a tranny swapped in and I believe its a NP542 but its not the same case as a 435 for sure as it has PTO plates on both sides and a hump on the drivers side. otherwise it is fairly similar I havent taken measurements yet but it doesnt look much bigger than a 435 besides having 4 shift rails in the cover the only other differance I saw was the output shaft housing bolt pattern was different. When and if I get a chance I'm going to take some good measurements Dad may rebuild the tranny that might be a opprotune time to see whats different inside.

jamjet · Feb 25, 2007

I found these pics of the 435 and 540
http://community.webshots.com/user/jolly13zxq

Making a NP435 into a 5 speed

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