Doing some crawly-type off road driving has convinced me that the low range on my 1997 5-speed is not low enough. My buddy has a later Tacoma with the 6-speed manual and it has a really low first gear. Has anyone tried fitting one on a gen 3? The alternative of a crawler split gearbox is possible but seems expensive and requires some additional fitting.
Has anyone tried installing a 6-speed RC Toyota transmission to get a lower 1st gear?
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brillo_76
Elite Member
Marlin Crawler group would do dual transfer case in the older toyotas and 3rd gens. That really gears its down.. 
I do like the idea of a 6 speed though verses 5. Probably have to have a custom made bell housing to accomplish this conversion though.
I really not sure about changing the first gear.
I do like the idea of a 6 speed though verses 5. Probably have to have a custom made bell housing to accomplish this conversion though.
I really not sure about changing the first gear.
2TH4IST
Member
I'll be honest, I've done a few manual swaps. They are not cheap at all. You have the trans, bellhousing (sometimes can cost as much as the trans or more), adapter plate, then match a clutch PP/disc, flywheel that works with the PP, clutch pedal assembly, master and slave, nuts/bolts, possibly a new transfer case, new drive shafts. Then if the trans gear ratio doesn't match the diff gear ratio (Yes its a thing), then a regear.
Or do a crawl box, and new driveshafts.
Or do a crawl box, and new driveshafts.
T4R2014
Elite Member
I believe it was the R151F. Found in 1st gens with the 22RET.
I eventually got to the same point with my 5-spd - it's not geared low enough for big ledges and boulders. 1000 rpm and 1st gear/low range is jsut too fast, and your'e either bashing through or slipping the clutch.
I did a NWF case doubler on mine. One advantage it has over the Marlin Crawler is that is uses the planetary reduction gears used in the 3rd gen, not the gear boxes used in the 1st gen that the Marlin kit uses. And even then, I thk the Marlin kit uses an even rarer input shaft for the reduction box? I know for a while they couldn't even sell complete crawler setups because they couldn't source the parts either, they were just selling the adapter plates.
The doubler is game changing (imo) for a manual. When the going gets a little rough, put it in lo. When it gets really rough, put it in double low. 1st gear lo/lo and you are creeping along. Very slow, in control. And it's as much or even more useful going down steep things, just put it in lo/lo and let it idle down, you don't even need to touch the brakes, and all 4 tires are turning and it's less likely to lock a tire and possibly slide a tire.
My wife put a Marlin Crawler on here a couple of years prior to me putting the NWF on mine, and she got the 4.7 gearing with hers. So she does have 3 different low range options, original flavor 2.57, new 4.7, and combined 12.07. With the NWF you just have two 'diffeent' ways to get 2.57 regular lo range, and a combined ratio of 6.6.
FWIW, there's very little practical difference between a 6.6:1 reduction and 12:1 reduction ratios out on a trail. They're both very, very slow.
I did a NWF case doubler on mine. One advantage it has over the Marlin Crawler is that is uses the planetary reduction gears used in the 3rd gen, not the gear boxes used in the 1st gen that the Marlin kit uses. And even then, I thk the Marlin kit uses an even rarer input shaft for the reduction box? I know for a while they couldn't even sell complete crawler setups because they couldn't source the parts either, they were just selling the adapter plates.
The doubler is game changing (imo) for a manual. When the going gets a little rough, put it in lo. When it gets really rough, put it in double low. 1st gear lo/lo and you are creeping along. Very slow, in control. And it's as much or even more useful going down steep things, just put it in lo/lo and let it idle down, you don't even need to touch the brakes, and all 4 tires are turning and it's less likely to lock a tire and possibly slide a tire.
My wife put a Marlin Crawler on here a couple of years prior to me putting the NWF on mine, and she got the 4.7 gearing with hers. So she does have 3 different low range options, original flavor 2.57, new 4.7, and combined 12.07. With the NWF you just have two 'diffeent' ways to get 2.57 regular lo range, and a combined ratio of 6.6.
FWIW, there's very little practical difference between a 6.6:1 reduction and 12:1 reduction ratios out on a trail. They're both very, very slow.
Thanks. Do you mind if I ask how much that ran you, including installation?
$1400 for the NWF kit - looks like prices have gone up a little since 2021 when I bought it: Eco-Crawler VF2
– Northwest Fab
Wait, prices have really gone up, $1400 was including the triple stick shifters too: Trident Triple Shifter Kit - for Toyota
– Northwest Fab
Yeah, that really adds up now. Triple stick is nice because you get all the shifting done through the stock shifter opening, and independent 2/4WD. I actually do use 2WD Low range more than I would have thought, like on slick rock out in Moab where you need to go slow, don't need 4WD traction, and don't want all the binding as you make turns on bare grippy sandstone.
Then I bought a couple of transfer cases form local PnP junkyards, about $100 each. That way I could do all the disassembly/reassembly and have a completed unit ready to install before taking my 4Runner apart. You really only need one donor case though. Although the kits looks like you disassemble the donor (you do) and put it in the new case, then bolt the rear case onto that, you also have to COMPLETELY disassemble the rear case. Odd as it sounds, you take that case apart even more than the middle case that donates the reduction gears. Because you have to take the rear planetary cluster apart and replace the input shaft.
Then a pair of custom length Tom Wood driveshafts. IIRC that was about $800. I just measured the stock driveshafts, then added/subtracted the length of the NWF case. FWIW the NWF case is a couple of inches shorter than the Marlin Crawler case. Not as much of an issue on a manual trans, might be on an automatic where the trans is longer, esp if you have a multimode transfer case with the actuator on the back side, might get into the gas tank at some point. My rear double cardan joints were starting to be a bit work (225K miles at the time) so killed two birds there.
Install was pretty easy, I left the trans on, unbolted the driveshafts, took the stock case off, installed the new double case. Then removed it again and reclocked it because my eyecrometer was off and I have the driver drop too low. The case has multiple holes and stud positions which a bunch of holes and stud locations for options on where to place the front drive drop.
So looks like it would cost a bunch more now. $1700 for the doubler case, $550 for the triple sticks, $900-ish for driveshafts. Not sure what a shop would charge you to do all that work.
– Northwest Fab
Wait, prices have really gone up, $1400 was including the triple stick shifters too: Trident Triple Shifter Kit - for Toyota
– Northwest Fab
Yeah, that really adds up now. Triple stick is nice because you get all the shifting done through the stock shifter opening, and independent 2/4WD. I actually do use 2WD Low range more than I would have thought, like on slick rock out in Moab where you need to go slow, don't need 4WD traction, and don't want all the binding as you make turns on bare grippy sandstone.
Then I bought a couple of transfer cases form local PnP junkyards, about $100 each. That way I could do all the disassembly/reassembly and have a completed unit ready to install before taking my 4Runner apart. You really only need one donor case though. Although the kits looks like you disassemble the donor (you do) and put it in the new case, then bolt the rear case onto that, you also have to COMPLETELY disassemble the rear case. Odd as it sounds, you take that case apart even more than the middle case that donates the reduction gears. Because you have to take the rear planetary cluster apart and replace the input shaft.
Then a pair of custom length Tom Wood driveshafts. IIRC that was about $800. I just measured the stock driveshafts, then added/subtracted the length of the NWF case. FWIW the NWF case is a couple of inches shorter than the Marlin Crawler case. Not as much of an issue on a manual trans, might be on an automatic where the trans is longer, esp if you have a multimode transfer case with the actuator on the back side, might get into the gas tank at some point. My rear double cardan joints were starting to be a bit work (225K miles at the time) so killed two birds there.
Install was pretty easy, I left the trans on, unbolted the driveshafts, took the stock case off, installed the new double case. Then removed it again and reclocked it because my eyecrometer was off and I have the driver drop too low. The case has multiple holes and stud positions which a bunch of holes and stud locations for options on where to place the front drive drop.
So looks like it would cost a bunch more now. $1700 for the doubler case, $550 for the triple sticks, $900-ish for driveshafts. Not sure what a shop would charge you to do all that work.
NachesPass4x4
Member
How did you adjust the pinion angle for this, adjustable upper/lower links?
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