[Suttmann]

Hey guys, so I have decided I am going to lift my sj40 and chuck some bigger wheels on it, im thinking maybe 30-31s with a 2 inch lift.
Im wondering what is the cheapest/ easiest way to change my gear ratios to fit the 31s.
I have heard the lj80 diffs will lower the gearing but don't really want to be changing diffs because I dont know what I am doing and dont want her sitting around not running for a few weeks while I work it out.
What else will need to be changed with these upgrades to keep her running nice?

Has anyone had the cheap ebay 2" sus lift?
Thanks!

[killazook]

Hi mate all I can tell you about is the ebay lifts they are ok not that great dont flex well and sorta rough but I have had mine in for almost a year now and not a problem although the rear shackles look bent any way go the extra mile and buy quality kit as far as I know efs seem to be the go.

[just_cruizin]

As you have a 1.0lt you are a little limited, only gearing option is transfer gears and probly series 2 4.9's would be the best option.

Suspension wise Old Man Emu is the spring of choice.

[Suttmann]

just_cruizin wrote:

As you have a 1.0lt you are a little limited, only gearing option is transfer gears and probly series 2 4.9's would be the best option.

Suspension wise Old Man Emu is the spring of choice.

Thanks! I was hoping of getting around changing the transfer gears, the only ones I have seen are $800.
Is the only problem when not changing gearing with big wheels loss of top speed?
I dont think it'd bother me if it doesnt go 100km/h as the bush is only 10ks up the road.

[Suttmann]

killazook wrote:

Hi mate all I can tell you about is the ebay lifts they are ok not that great dont flex well and sorta rough but I have had mine in for almost a year now and not a problem although the rear shackles look bent any way go the extra mile and buy quality kit as far as I know efs seem to be the go.

Thanks man, might steer clear of those.

[just_cruizin]

It's worse in the bush, you loose all low range torque. It's like trying to drive up hills in third when you should be in first and you've got all the torque of the mighty 1.0 little block welcome to snatchville

[alien]

save $$$ on the lift, run 30's and do some severe guard bashing / chopping and put the lift money into tcase gears =)

[killazook]

alien wrote:

save $$$ on the lift, run 30's and do some severe guard bashing / chopping and put the lift money into tcase gears =)

X2 or even a virtual lift seems like the go now that I have read this forum a bit

[Suttmann]

killazook wrote:

alien wrote:

save $$$ on the lift, run 30's and do some severe guard bashing / chopping and put the lift money into tcase gears =)

X2 or even a virtual lift seems like the go now that I have read this forum a bit

That sounds like a good idea but I am pretty sure my springs are fucked.
Whats this virtual lift you speak of?

[Gwagensteve]

That's the best kind of spring. Suspension lift doesn't fit bigger tyres.

Steve.

[Suttmann]

Gwagensteve wrote:

That's the best kind of spring. Suspension lift doesn't fit bigger tyres.

Steve.

What? Fucked springs. I can upload a pic tonight. But I think the front ones are inverting, once its starts bouncing on the hills it bounces all the way up.
Yeah, I have read that, although, i dont really understand why, wouldnt it just save me from cutting the guards as much?

[Gwagensteve]

They came out the factory inverted. Many of us with "lift" springs remove leaves to soften the ride, and thy end up just like yours. Lift springs are most often stiffer so they don't ride as well and often don't even flex as well either.

Sounds like you have stuffed shocks as much as stuffed springs.

When you flex the car or bounce it with a 2" suspension lift, the tyres move up just as far as they could with standard springs so they tyres still don't "fit" it just looks like they do when the car is sitting level.

There's a perception that lift always makes a car better and that's not the case. I'd be keeping a 1.0 as low as possible.

[sideways]

I run 30s with no lift in my 1l. I just trimmed down the front bumper mounts and added some bumpstop spacing (I'm not sure if this was really necessary, mine didn't have bumpstops at all when I got it so I installed the ones from my corona which were longer). No scrubbing anywhere. Rims are 15x7 -6 offset iirc. The tyres are 30x9.5 BFG KM2s. Some 2" rubber flares cover all that.

With original super sagged springs it's got the mega lows. It's awesomely stable for a NT. I've never thought "damn, I wish I had some lift" but then I never really wheeled anything that hardcore in my 1l. Arguably, in a open diffed Sierra with minimal flex and crappy gearing you aren't going to be wheeling anything hardcore anyway.

Putting the 30s on with no gearing changes is undoubtedly the worst thing I've done to a car. It went from being able to effortlessly cruise at 110 to struggling to top 90. Trying to drive technical stuff was pointless, not enough gearing or low end power so it was all just clutch torture(not that a standard sierra is a whole lot better....). It kicked arse on sand though.

LJ80 or LJ50 R&Ps (4.556 and 4.88 respectively) with correct the gearing but you'l still be left with basically the same lowrange as standard which is not good enough. The problem with transfer gearing with 1ls is they run such a low ratio in high range to start off with. Even 6.5s wont correct 30s. IMO the best solution is to run LJ80 diff 3rds with 4.16 transfer gears.

If you get the diff 3rds from an LJ80 stockman it's as a simple as dropping the tailshafts, pulling the axles out of the housings, unbolting the 1l 3rds, bolting in the LJ80 ones and sticking the rest back together.

[Suttmann]

Gwagensteve wrote:

They came out the factory inverted. Many of us with "lift" springs remove leaves to soften the ride, and thy end up just like yours. Lift springs are most often stiffer so they don't ride as well and often don't even flex as well either.

Sounds like you have stuffed shocks as much as stuffed springs.

When you flex the car or bounce it with a 2" suspension lift, the tyres move up just as far as they could with standard springs so they tyres still don't "fit" it just looks like they do when the car is sitting level.

There's a perception that lift always makes a car better and that's not the case. I'd be keeping a 1.0 as low as possible.

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. What would you suggest for the bouncing as it is going up the hills? Maybe new shocks, or should I replace the lot with standard height springs?

[Suttmann]

sideways wrote:

I run 30s with no lift in my 1l. I just trimmed down the front bumper mounts and added some bumpstop spacing (I'm not sure if this was really necessary, mine didn't have bumpstops at all when I got it so I installed the ones from my corona which were longer). No scrubbing anywhere. Rims are 15x7 -6 offset iirc. The tyres are 30x9.5 BFG KM2s. Some 2" rubber flares cover all that.

With original super sagged springs it's got the mega lows. It's awesomely stable for a NT. I've never thought "damn, I wish I had some lift" but then I never really wheeled anything that hardcore in my 1l. Arguably, in a open diffed Sierra with minimal flex and crappy gearing you aren't going to be wheeling anything hardcore anyway.

Putting the 30s on with no gearing changes is undoubtedly the worst thing I've done to a car. It went from being able to effortlessly cruise at 110 to struggling to top 90. Trying to drive technical stuff was pointless, not enough gearing or low end power so it was all just clutch torture(not that a standard sierra is a whole lot better....). It kicked arse on sand though.

LJ80 or LJ50 R&Ps (4.556 and 4.88 respectively) with correct the gearing but you'l still be left with basically the same lowrange as standard which is not good enough. The problem with transfer gearing with 1ls is they run such a low ratio in high range to start off with. Even 6.5s wont correct 30s. IMO the best solution is to run LJ80 diff 3rds with 4.16 transfer gears.

If you get the diff 3rds from an LJ80 stockman it's as a simple as dropping the tailshafts, pulling the axles out of the housings, unbolting the 1l 3rds, bolting in the LJ80 ones and sticking the rest back together.

I take it you mean diff centers? Dont think I have ever heard the term diff 3rds, but that sounds easy enough,
I think I will keep it stock height like you say, I have done a bit of research and really like the look of the zooks with big wheels but sitting low.
Do you see many people on this site selling transfer gears? Or where is the best place to buy them? Now that you say 30s fit, I might start with them, and once theyre fucked I will decide whether to do more cutting, I want the body to look unmodified cause I really dont want to be getting it taken off the road, I take it cutting would be making it unroadworthy?
Thanks for all this info!

[303zuke]

1983 SJ40? Does yours have the "4wd" light on the dash? You need a 4wd switch case to install reduction gears. The cheapest place to buy them will be Low Range Offroad.

Note that the precentages listed in their chart will be different for your vehicle as they are calculated for a 1.3 transfer. The 4.16 gears will give you the same Hi range and 63% lower Lo range. The 4.9 set will give you 4% lower Hi, and 88% lower Lo. If you fit either of these gear sets to your transfer case, you will require 1 factory gear from a 1.3 case, so it might be easier to find a 2nd hand case to build your new gears into and swap the whole lot over.

[Suttmann]

303zuke wrote:

1983 SJ40? Does yours have the "4wd" light on the dash? You need a 4wd switch case to install reduction gears. The cheapest place to buy them will be Low Range Offroad.

Note that the precentages listed in their chart will be different for your vehicle as they are calculated for a 1.3 transfer. The 4.16 gears will give you the same Hi range and 63% lower Lo range. The 4.9 set will give you 4% lower Hi, and 88% lower Lo. If you fit either of these gear sets to your transfer case, you will require 1 factory gear from a 1.3 case, so it might be easier to find a 2nd hand case to build your new gears into and swap the whole lot over.

It is a 1983 ute, which I believe was made late '83.
I am not sure as the guy that had it before me had painted everyting, and I mean everything, where is the light located? I may have to scratch some paint off to see it. I think I remember it having a little spot where it could be, my brother has it at the moment so cant check,
But thanks for the reply. I think I may replace the whole tbox.

[Gwagensteve]

The 4wd light is on its own below and to the right of the instruments. Fairly close to the ignition. Most 83 1.0litre SWB car will have a 4wd light.

Steve.

[Suttmann]

Gwagensteve wrote:

The 4wd light is on its own below and to the right of the instruments. Fairly close to the ignition. Most 83 1.0litre SWB car will have a 4wd light.

Steve.

Thanks man!

[just_cruizin]

As its already a 1.0lt light or no light makes no difference. If you're going to get gears buy a 1.3NT transfer and fit them to that leaving your original intact

[alien]

Suttmann wrote:

What would you suggest for the bouncing as it is going up the hills?

I'd suggest that sounds like a sierra driving anywhere, let alone up a hill =)

Get some new shock absorbers though, and make sure they're correctly valved for a sierra.

[Suttmann]

just_cruizin wrote:

As its already a 1.0lt light or no light makes no difference. If you're going to get gears buy a 1.3NT transfer and fit them to that leaving your original intact

Oh okay. I didnt know theyd fit. Would it probably be easier to find one already done on here?
Thanks for clearing up the light thing

[Suttmann]

alien wrote:

Suttmann wrote:

What would you suggest for the bouncing as it is going up the hills?

I'd suggest that sounds like a sierra driving anywhere, let alone up a hill =)

Get some new shock absorbers though, and make sure they're correctly valved for a sierra.

Alright. That sounds a little cheaper
Might go and get some over the weekend. Thanks.

[Marko_SJ]

Suttmann wrote:

just_cruizin wrote:

As its already a 1.0lt light or no light makes no difference. If you're going to get gears buy a 1.3NT transfer and fit them to that leaving your original intact

Oh okay. I didnt know theyd fit. Would it probably be easier to find one already done on here?
Thanks for clearing up the light thing

Definitely easier to buy already done haha.

You are looking at around 800 smacks, on the dear side, 4-500 or so on the cheap.

It costs around the dear price to build them yourself.

[Suttmann]

The_Amateur wrote:

Suttmann wrote:

just_cruizin wrote:

As its already a 1.0lt light or no light makes no difference. If you're going to get gears buy a 1.3NT transfer and fit them to that leaving your original intact

Oh okay. I didnt know theyd fit. Would it probably be easier to find one already done on here?
Thanks for clearing up the light thing

Definitely easier to buy already done haha.

You are looking at around 800 smacks, on the dear side, 4-500 or so on the cheap.

It costs around the dear price to build them yourself.

Thanks man, ill start searching around. Got any advice on how to tell if it has reduction gears in it when I buy it? Whem I first came to this site I seen someone complaining someone sold him one but it was standard gearing

[Gwagensteve]

Put the transfer in low range. Turn an output flange (front or rear, won't matter) one turn and count the number of times the input flange turns. Viola!

To give you an idea of how much better the standard the gearing is with transfer gears, I drove my ute for a while with a shonky 1.0, 6.5 transfer gears and 34" tyres. It was ok on road and pretty awesome in the bush.

Steve

[Suttmann]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Put the transfer in low range. Turn an output flange (front or rear, won't matter) one turn and count the number of times the input flange turns. Viola!

To give you an idea of how much better the standard the gearing is with transfer gears, I drove my ute for a while with a shonky 1.0, 6.5 transfer gears and 34" tyres. It was ok on road and pretty awesome in the bush.

Steve

Hah, ill make sure my brother is with me when I get it cause I have no clue what the output flange is.
Another guy on here was saying to put either4.16 or 4.9 gears in there, whats the difference between them and the 6.5?
I wouldnt mind going a little lower so I can put bigger tires on once I wreck the 30s im planning on getting. How much of the guards dod you have to cut to get 44s on it?

[KEENSY85]

Why cant u just install a Sierra case and gear it ?

[Suttmann]

KEENSY85 wrote:

Why cant u just install a Sierra case and gear it ?

What do you mean?

[KEENSY85]

Well im not very educated on the sj410 ...but a lot of guys fit the 1l case into the Sierra so I was just thinking maybe u could fit a later sj413 case in somehow maybe these other guys know more about it ???