hi i have an 88 gl d/r wagon with a 4 in lift and i red on sjr that you can put a rear end up front and a t case out of a ford ranger for lower gearing has anyone done this hand how is the drivability and how durable is it

Not a ranger usually, use a divorced t-case out of a suzuki samuri, or datsun 720 I think. You cut the rear driveshaft short and run it into the divorced t-case and then make custom driveshafts front and rear.

 

You need at least 6" of lift, as you need to put an extra front crossmember stacked under the one you have. You need to build a subframe to support the t-case, custom shifters, and at the end of that you're putting all your power through the rear transfer gears in the transmission, which I've stripped the teeth off of a couple times running just RWD.

 

All in all, it makes more sense to drop a subaru body on a pickup frame than go through the whole process of transfer case and diff installation. Accept the limitations of the subaru and wheel within them. If you need something more capable, get something with a frame and solid axles.

From everything I've seen of the t-case equipped rigs and my own measurements it takes a minimum of 10" of lift to make the t-case work without floorpan modifications and to clear the front diff under the transmission. 12" is easier to work with. Either way a complete subframe has to tbe part of the job.

 

I don't think 6" would be enough and 4" definitely wouldn't cut it at all.

 

GD

Plus it seems that most of the people that went to the trouble of t-case swapping a subaru ended up driving lifted toyota's before too long. Breaking CV axles gets old pretty quick, and a t-case just puts more torque into them.

Much better idea:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=111709

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=110400

 

Looks like this will make it much easier to get a tough transmission/tcase combo under a subaru. AND probably do it in a more compact package than any other divorced tcase option...which means less lift.

 

If I were building a lifted subaru. I would be all over this!! But I've already made the switch to toyota....

well sounds like thats not the way to go thanks for the info its sounded like it would be sweet but now its sounds like waaay way tomuch work i guess i will leave it the way it is