Elwinil,
I actually was concerned about the NP208 being strong enough to handle the 500+ HP I was considering of putting to the rear wheels. While I grant you, it was in a 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban, ANY VEHICLE you put 500 HP through the drive train will break something if it can't handle the loads put upon it by the engine and load in the vehicle, INCLUDING THE DEUCE.
True, but you sort of have to match parts with their intended use.
I was wondering how many GM 25 ton delivery trucks that were built in the 1980's you see in and out of your DODGE service center? That and taxis are about ALL my tranny guy does. He makes his living rebuiling trannies with over 100k miles on them in the delivery trucks and taxis.
None actually. But then we don't see many 25 ton 4WD delivery trucks anywhere these days. At least not in this area. Oh, and I'm not doubting your mechanic. It sounds like he knows his stuff about automatic transmissions, but there are limits to everything.
He told me the NP208 would easily handle the 500 HP I was wanting to put through it. And getting that from the flywheel to the rear (and front) wheels means if the NP208 was not up to the challenge, my tranny guy would be making money rebuilding and upgrading the transfer case as well. HE DID NOT. Because they were tough enough. He told me my weakest point now would have been the Dana 44 axles, which may or may not be able to handle the 500 hp.
I agree that a D44 would be over-matched to handle that kind of HP in a front axle application. It does handle it in the rear of a Viper, but that is a special rear and is beefed up to handle that application. I still think that the NP208 is a weak case compared to much better designs on the market. Overall, a chain drive case is weaker than a gear driven case, a cast iron housing is weaker than a cast aluminum one, and the Dodge NP205s I have all have 32 spline inputs and outputs, which is generally better then the varied inputs on the NP208. I'm not saying that you couldn't design a chain drive case that would take more torque than the NP205, but then again, I can always design a gear case that will handle more than the newly designed chain case. And yes, I can make an aluminum case that's 3 inches thick that will not break, but again I am comparing actual transfer cases that are common and available in the real world.
Are you equating state of the art metalurgy (using aluminum in the casing) as bad? How do you feel about a lot of the even lighter materials that are in use (firearms industry comes to mind) today. Like TITANIUM? Or how about carbon fiber, or kevlar?
Aluminum is not bad in any sense, just a weaker metal in cast form in most case compared to cast iron. A forged aluminum case would be nice, but not cost effective. But going that far abroad is comparing apples to oranges.
DO NOT MISTAKE the need of some wizenheimer needing to thrash his rock buggy who tears HIS NP208 to shreads and then bad mouths the transfer case as either a poorly designed transfer case or a poorly built one. That's not the same as a road vehicle, which my deuce is/was. I know rock crawlers who can just as easily rip up an NP205. Again, anyone can abuse any product to it's demise, yes even in a deuce. OR you can use the proper equipment for the proper task. AND NEVER HAVE A LICK OF PROBLEMS.
Actually rock crawlers, real rock crawlers not the lead footed yahoos, are some of the best designers of all terrain capable vehicles on this planet. The things that a well engineered buggy or truck can do are simply amazing. A lot of thought goes into building them and the metallurgy involved, cryo treatments, torque load ratings and a multitude of other things. They know their stuff because they have the experience from working with it under some of the worst situations. Ask any of them, unless you are in a Sammy or other extremely lightweight rig, a NP208 will just not cut it. Some will try it simply because the NP208 has a slightly lower low range gear, but eventually swap to either a Atlas a NP205, or one of the aftermarket 205 variations. As for the NP208, I myself have broken several, and not abusing them in any way. Just the combination of a heavy vehicle and unpredictable traction situations with a decent amount of power applied. I agree about using the proper equipment for the proper task, I just disagree that a NP208 has any business under something as heavy as a Deuce.
Exactly how well would the deuce transfer case (or manual tranny for that matter) hold up to the thrashing most hard core off roaders put their equipment to? NOT AT ALL, that's how. If for no other reason all the NP series transfer cases were designed about twenty plus years after the 3053 transfer case. So if you are saying that the NP208 is a WORSE transfer case than the 3053, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Can I PUT 500 HP through the 3053?
Actually the Deuce transfer has been used before in off road applications but generally it is considered to big and too heavy and generally overkill in that respect. Would I say the 3053 is a better case? Maybe, but I will definitely say that it is a better case for the application of the Deuce, just as I would say the NP208 is a better case for a light duty, half ton truck, which it was designed for. I personally bought a 1974 model Dodge W100 1/2 ton 4WD because it came with the NP205 stock. They just don't build them like they used to. The 208 came about because the manufacturers needed a transfer case that was lighter and had a lower low range gear to offset the fact that they were having to put higher axle gears in trucks to get better highway fuel economy. A lighter case helped with that, but also the low range gear kept some of the off road ability that owners were used to. It is a good design, but is woefully out classed by the heavier duty 205 which is almost legendary for it's strength and reliability. Yes, you can break anything but I think we can all agree that parts are a lot more easily broken when they are put to work in an application they were never intended for and cannot possibly handle the load put on them.
