Killed my dana 20, options?

[Zed]

First post here. Had my bronco for less than a month and already broke something.

I took my 73 to a mud pit and after getting stuck in some thick mud broke the transfer case. the teeth are striped off the slider gears and it only works in 4h and 2h so obviously they need to be replaced. I understand I could replace them with the original gears and should have no problem doing the work myself as I have a press. Where could I get a set of sliding gears new or used?

Background on the rig
Mild 302
Twin stick dana 20 (former j shift)
5.29 axles, np435 39.5 tires
Full width 9 inch and 44 front
arbs front and rear

I don't know if the reason the gears broke was my wheeling inexperience, the gearing not being low enough or just the dana 20 two weak for my setup.
Which leads to my next question. Is a low 20 kit a good idea?(anyone know where the best deal on the low 20 kit is?). Or I should I try the JP eaters 4.86 gears depending on the price.

I would love to just spend the money and get an atlas or stak but I don't have the time to do the installation it requires.

Opinions on what I did wrong? What I should replace it with so it does not happen again and where I should get my parts?

Thanks for any input to a EB newbie

 

[NC-Fordguy]

If this is a budget issue find another 20, They pop up in the for sale section from time to time, Some folks have them laying around

I have a t-shift laying on the floor and another in a junker bronco I keep for parts

 

[Socal Tom]

Where are you at?
Tom
If you look around you should be able to find a replacement case for under $200.

 

[Bronco_69]

i have a dana 20 J shift if you need it. $75 and shipping.

 

[Rox Crusher]

there is a dana 20 on Denver craiglist for 40 bucks

search early bronco

 

[Dave]

You already have a NP435 and by the descritpion you need something heavier. Sell your 435 with D20 adaptor and pick up a newer 435 that a 205 will bolt up to.

 

[gpete]

First post here. Had my bronco for less than a month and already broke something.

I took my 73 to a mud pit and after getting stuck in some thick mud broke the transfer case. the teeth are striped off the slider gears and it only works in 4h and 2h so obviously they need to be replaced. I understand I could replace them with the original gears and should have no problem doing the work myself as I have a press. Where could I get a set of sliding gears new or used?

Background on the rig
Mild 302
Twin stick dana 20 (former j shift)
5.29 axles, np435 39.5 tires
Full width 9 inch and 44 front
arbs front and rear

I don't know if the reason the gears broke was my wheeling inexperience, the gearing not being low enough or just the dana 20 two weak for my setup.
Which leads to my next question. Is a low 20 kit a good idea?(anyone know where the best deal on the low 20 kit is?). Or I should I try the JP eaters 4.86 gears depending on the price.

I would love to just spend the money and get an atlas or stak but I don't have the time to do the installation it requires.

Opinions on what I did wrong? What I should replace it with so it does not happen again and where I should get my parts?

Thanks for any input to a EB newbie

There is a NP 435/205 with gear banger combo in the for sale section for $500 now

 

[DirtDonk]

By the way Zed, welcome to CB!
You're barking up the right tree I'd say. Though usually the thing you hear about breaking on the 20's most often is the rear output section. And if you fix your gears, you're still likely to have the output shaft come up as an issue in the future.
With those 39.5 inch tires on there, I think Dave's suggestion about the 205 makes sense, from a bang-for-the-buck standpoint.

Why won't an earlier 435 (if that's even what he's got) bolt up to a 205 Dave?

Paul

 

[Zed]

Thank you for the responses so far. I am in the SF Bay area and always looking for people to wheel with around Nor-Cal.
Budget really isn't a big issue, I just don't want to start modifying drive shaft lengths and mounts for a stak after wheeling the thing once. I think I should just replace the gears in the twenty for now and.

As far as replacing it with used one, All the early bronco t cases are the same dimensions right? just different ratios for t and j shift units? Will my twin stick swap over if I find a t shift unit? I found a pretty cheap one locally I can just run for now, I only plan on snow wheeling this winter no rock crawling or muding for a while.

Eventually I will probably put a 3 speed stak with the ebrake option since I no ebrake because of a rear disc swap. The P.O of this rig claims to have done the rubicon 20 plus times with it. Seems strange that I brake the 20 after one session in the mud. I think lower gearing and a lighter foot will help. I am used to automatics when I wheel.

 

[TN1776]

Stripping teeth off the gears in a D20 is a new one... I have not heard that before. How much skinny pedal was involved??? You mentioned that you're twin-sticked... any chance you had the gear ranges crossed up (low in rear/high in front or vice-versa)? Its been known to happen.

As others have said, a replacement D20 would be your cheapest/easiest swap but especially geared as low as your axles are with what sounds like a torquey motor up front, you will need to upgrade the rear output shaft (or at least carry a spare) and take it easy on the throttle.

You'll find there are a lot of Broncos in the SF Bay Area (I'm in Livermore where there are probably 20 EBs around town), and there are a bunch in the San Jose area too, let alone the central valley and Sacramento areas. Lots of parts turn up. Keep an eye on the classifieds here, on craigslist, and on norcalbroncos.com. Or just save your pennies and put that Stak case in so you only have to swap it out once!

 

[Zed]

Its possible that one of the sticks got bumped. and I just grenaded it but think it was a right foot that did it. I am here in The east bay (Moraga) and joined the NOR-CAL bronco board so hopefully I can meet up with some local guys sometime.

 

[broncomitch]

Thank you for the responses so far. I am in the SF Bay area and always looking for people to wheel with around Nor-Cal.
Budget really isn't a big issue, I just don't want to start modifying drive shaft lengths and mounts for a stak after wheeling the thing once. I think I should just replace the gears in the twenty for now and.

As far as replacing it with used one, All the early bronco t cases are the same dimensions right? just different ratios for t and j shift units? Will my twin stick swap over if I find a t shift unit? I found a pretty cheap one locally I can just run for now, I only plan on snow wheeling this winter no rock crawling or muding for a while.

Eventually I will probably put a 3 speed stak with the ebrake option since I no ebrake because of a rear disc swap. The P.O of this rig claims to have done the rubicon 20 plus times with it. Seems strange that I brake the 20 after one session in the mud. I think lower gearing and a lighter foot will help. I am used to automatics when I wheel.

stuff brakes man. if he really did run the con 20 times, there is allot of ware on that stuff.
personally, i think mud is nothing but a pain in the a$$. it bakes crap,clogs your radiator,stains your rig, it never goes away,and makes your truck stink.
not worth it. yes its fun as hell to drive in,but dealing with it....not at all.


got any pics of your bronco?????

 

[Dave]

Why won't an earlier 435 (if that's even what he's got) bolt up to a 205 Dave?

Paul

I'm not that familiar with the 435/D20 combo. I believe most use an adaptor to the 2WD version with a 28 spline output to mate up to the D20. I do know that the 4X4 NP435 that I ran for years and pulled out of my 83 FSB had a 31 spline output and directly bolts up to the newer t-cases such as the 205 or 208. A much stronger combo.

It would require a cross member and possibly drive shaft mods.

 

[KyleQ]

Hrm - I'd just replace the D20 and not mess with the drive shafts. I thought the lower gears and HD output basically made the unit bomb proof. I plan on building a 3/8" thick cover to act like a brace as well.

I run 37" cut boggers and plan on bumping up to 40" LTB's in the future. I currently carry a spare output as I killed mine my first outing, but that was a WOT shock load.

 

[markw]

Maybe try O'Briens 4 Wheel West.
Builds killer D20s.
1-916-773-3278
Roseville CA
Not cheap but would let you stay all Ford. I'm having him build me one right now. He will tell you the weakness of the J shift D20. Try to find a T shift and use it as a core. Very sharp guy and very interesting to talk to.
Mark

 

[Zed]

Here it is I will call o'brien and and get his input

 

[gddyap]

I'm in Mtn View and I have a j-shift you can have $75. Rear output was disassembled for someone to take along as a spare for a 'con trip but I have all the parts back.

 

[markw]

Jack O'Brien. Tell him Mark from Chico sent you. He will go over the T vs J cases. Nice looking rig you have, serious business, right up Jacks' alley.
Mark

 

[broncomitch]

2x. nice EB

 

[TOOL]

I picked up my T case from Jack two weeks ago.