This is an amazing truck! It's a little off topic, but I've been looking for options to turn my vario either into 4x4, or at the very least a rear axle diff lock. The problem is, I live in the UK so no GAZ 66 trucks here Any UK folks on this forum who can think of/recommend a suitable 4x4 donor vehicle? No problem fabricating to fit, just need one with similar track width, and that I could get a bell housing to fit the gearbox/transfer case to the 904.
For a difflock axle I've been looking at the Iveco eurocargos, not sure what I'd need to do to get it to fit tough, or if track width is the same.
Bit of a thread hijack but I've been looking very closely at this.
Very closely indeed. 2wd Vario conversion to 4x4
TRM2000
https://www.google.fr/search?q=TRM2...ved=0ahUKEwjc_pLs68nJAhXHvRoKHQgkApUQ_AUIBigB
They are great little beasties but hopeless for XVs because they're stupidly short.
They have utterly indestructible and lockable ROCKWELL PORTAL AXLES! They sit on 12.5 R20, a very commonly available size. Single rear wheels too. The transfer case is just as tough (can't remember who makes it though)
140hp like the Vario, 8 tonnes MGVW like the Vario.
Portals mean you don't have to have that huge stack of shims under the leaves; which also means the universal joints have less angle and therefore longer life.
Axles can be had under 1000 EUROS a piece; I'm genuinely looking into buying a stock of them because they're amazing (and because the Vario is the ideal size XV, it just needs proper tyres)
Cons:
7.62 total reduction and the crown wheel is already tight on the diff housing so no chance of changing it.
It's on drums, but that's just another conversion kit I must develop
So the conversion needs an overdrive. I'm looking into changing the "high" ratio in the TC into an overdrive; have to do some sums with gearbox ratios as the TRM has a 5th gear of 2:1 where the Vario is 0.75:1.
Sorry about the hijack, if the OP would like to, admon can turn this into a new thread