So I've been running an NP205 and I like the fact that it's bulletproof and even in the event of a failure...it's always cheap to fix. I wish there were lower gears available but so far I haven't found anything for the Ford box which leads me to a planetary box. I've looked at the three main ones; The Black Box, Magnum Box, and Strong Box and found they are all similar with the Black Box from Northwest Fab looking like the more premium option.
My question is simple, should I go with a reducer box or bite the bullet and go full Atlas? I like the option of having basically two low ranges but is it worth the added weight and complexity over a standard 2 speed atlas?
When I option out the Black Box with the heavy duty input shaft and the triple cable shifters it's around $2400 but I can probably sell my rebuilt NP205 for a couple hundred and get into an Atlas for about even money. The Atlas comes with a shifter standard, weighs less, is shorter, and has the reputation of being pretty well built but that's why I pose the question to the experts on here...what would you do?
Lastly, is there an advantage of one over the other in packaging under the bronco? From my searches, it looks like the Atlas can be squeezed between the frame rails but may require moving the engine over a smidge. I know my NP205 would require a major frame notch if I want it tucked up...that said, good luck breaking the case on an NP205 so tucking it out of the way is only for ground clearance and not for TC life.
My question is simple, should I go with a reducer box or bite the bullet and go full Atlas? I like the option of having basically two low ranges but is it worth the added weight and complexity over a standard 2 speed atlas?
When I option out the Black Box with the heavy duty input shaft and the triple cable shifters it's around $2400 but I can probably sell my rebuilt NP205 for a couple hundred and get into an Atlas for about even money. The Atlas comes with a shifter standard, weighs less, is shorter, and has the reputation of being pretty well built but that's why I pose the question to the experts on here...what would you do?
Lastly, is there an advantage of one over the other in packaging under the bronco? From my searches, it looks like the Atlas can be squeezed between the frame rails but may require moving the engine over a smidge. I know my NP205 would require a major frame notch if I want it tucked up...that said, good luck breaking the case on an NP205 so tucking it out of the way is only for ground clearance and not for TC life.