BroncoII4x4.com

hello I have been enjoying this site for awhile now and like what you guys have done with your toys I have an 83 ranger short box currently it is in vancouver Wa. getting an external cage built for it when it comes home I will put my 5.0 in it and a d44/9in . I wnated to go with the ford 3.03 three speed and a d20 t-case with the twin sticks but also thought about an np205. Is it a harder swap then the d20 ? is the fitting of it an issuse because of its size ,and how about the drive lines I am having a square tube driveline made for the front but want to keep a stock style for the rear just in case I need to go to town or someting like that any thoughts would be very helpful

np205 will fit might have to do some grinding on the frame though. the np205 i imagine is a crap load heavier than the d20 t-case. the d20 i believe is geared lower as well. np205 is only 1.96:1 ratio and if i remember right d20 is something like 2.40:1 ratio. i'd run the d20 just my $.02

if you are running either of the t-cases above you will need at least a new yoke on the t-case side of you drive shaft. the ranger t-case has a flange style and the np/dana has a yoke style on the out put of the t-case.

I don't think the 205 will bolt to the 3.03 with out an adaptor but I don't think it would be a good combo for off roading anyway. the 205 was put behind NP435's and that is a good combo for one reason...it has 6.69:1 for a first gear ratio. personaly if you go 205 for the strength I would go NP435 for the gearing.

if you are going to keep every thing in stock form and you don't want expencive adaptors I would either go:

RAT 3.03/D20
or
NP435/205

I wouldn't mix and match the two unless you go NP435/d20 Nobody can give you some input on that one because that is what he runs.

also LoMax is working on a 3:1 low range gear set for the 205 but they only got the chevy stuff on the market right now and they have been working on it for a while.

Personally the only reason I would run the 3 speed is because they are cheap as dirt. And weaker than also.
A 435 or a T18 and a D20 would be my choice for a standard. Personally I like an auto better for the rocks.

I'd stay far far away from the 3 speed, especially with a 205, your gearing would be horrible. I don't think you can get an adapter for the 205 anyway. You can't beat the granny gear on the NP435. I also like the dana 20. It will cost a few bucks to mate it to the NP435, but it's worth it. The D20 isn't nearly as strong as a NP205, but it's a lot lighter, and in my opinion plenty strong. The Np435 is a big tranny though and will require some hacking to get it to fit.

For driveshafts, I usually get something long from the junk yard and have it cut down. I wouldn't be happy with the square tube shafts.