[1978ramcharger]

I saw a truck for sale(ramcharger), it said it had converted a p203 into a free wheeling transfer case and installed locking hubs. How the hell do I go about doing this to my 203? wouldnt this save alot of gas? would it be worth it? how much should I expect to spend? what do i need?--plz help

 

[DODGEBOYS]

you need the milemarker kit / dont know price / its a good kit and not that hard to do / maybe somebody with more info will pipe up with price and part numbers

 

[CLRracer]

its a kit from mile marker, and no it doesnt help with gas milage, and if ur happy with the full time set up, then its not worth it. if u like part time better, then its worth it.

Duane

 

[MudFlap]

I prefer my full-time 203 setup, and fuel mileage isn't any better with 2wd on mine (i drove it with the front driveshaft out for a while)

 

[loosewheelbob]

I just put lockouts on my '78 with a 203, and I noticed a wierd clunking sound along with the truck not driving smooth (like something was slipping) while in 4-hi with the front hubs unlocked. I then locked the hubs, and the noise and odd driving went away. Now doesn't the 203 basically have some kind of open differential that sends power the whichever end is lacking traction when its in 4-hi? If that's the case, having the front hubs unlocked or the front drive shaft removed would simulate a total loss of traction for the front end, making the transfer case try to send more power to the front end. Would this explain the way it drove and the noise it made? Or have I been misinformed about how my transfer case works?

 

[loosewheelbob]

So then in order to get full advantage of the lockouts, would I need to either convert my case or find a part time case?

 

[CLRracer]

ur description is correct lwb, and yes to get full advantage (whatever it may be) from the hubs u need a part time tcase.

Duane

 

[loosewheelbob]

Well to me the advantages are better handleing on the street, and the "fun-factor" of 2wd for playing in light mud and gravel

 

[MudFlap]

Better handling on the street? you should put the part-time kit in your TC if you want 2wd. You could go with a different TC, but you will need a transmission to match it, as the 203 required a different input shaft from the tranny. With your current set-up, you should hafta lock your TC in order to move your truck with the hubs unlocked. Your understanding is correct about the 203 basically having an open diff that sends power to whichever end is lacking traction.

 

[RXT]

I just put lockouts on my '78 with a 203, and I noticed a wierd clunking sound along with the truck not driving smooth (like something was slipping) while in 4-hi with the front hubs unlocked. I then locked the hubs, and the noise and odd driving went away. Now doesn't the 203 basically have some kind of open differential that sends power the whichever end is lacking traction when its in 4-hi? If that's the case, having the front hubs unlocked or the front drive shaft removed would simulate a total loss of traction for the front end, making the transfer case try to send more power to the front end. Would this explain the way it drove and the noise it made? Or have I been misinformed about how my transfer case works?

Actually having the hubs unlocked and the transfer case in Hi would cause the differential to send power to whatever had the least resistance (In this case it's the front drivetrain). It wouldn't try to send more power to the front end, it simply would send all of the torque to the front axle.

You may or may not get noise depending on the condition of your t-case. If you want to run with the hubs unlocked you need to eliminate the differential action in the t-case by shifting it into Hi-Lock. This will cause the t-case to turn the front axle and driveshaft, but with the hubs unlocked, power will not reach the front tires. I wouldn't suggest running the t-case like this for long

Ed

 

[RXT]

I saw a truck for sale(ramcharger), it said it had converted a p203 into a free wheeling transfer case and installed locking hubs. How the hell do I go about doing this to my 203?

Mile Marker sells a conversion kit for this t-case. It consists of a geared ring which replaces the spider gears in your t-case. So it will require a tear down of your t-case and if you need a chain, now is a great time to replace it.

wouldnt this save alot of gas?

It has the potential to save some gas. Some here swear that they do not gain any increase in fuel economy, but I've seen small increases in fuel economy on a truck I used to own which I did this conversion. Even though you'll turn less drivetrain with a part time conversion, your t-case will still have the same amount of internal friction which is alittle high when you have an NP203

would it be worth it?

It depends on what you place worth on. The part time conversion should save you some gas, but at the cost of less traction in inclimate weather. It might be of higher value to have all weather traction especially if you live where it snows or rains alot.

how much should I expect to spend?

Unfortunately Dodge trucks tend to be more expensive to convert compared to Chebby and Furd trucks also using Dana axles and 203s. Not only do we need to convert the t-case but Dodge in their wisdom used crappy unit hub Dana axles which cannot accept lock out hubs. To get lock out hubs, you need to convert the unit hubs to regular hubs which accept lock outs, which adds to the expense.

what do i need?--plz help

A desire to do it

Ed

 

[auwing]

I would not convert to part time it does not make a diff on gas mileage and if iI remember right you have to run the thing in 4 wheel once in a while or it screws up the t case