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Has anyone installed an Advance Adapters "Ranger torque splitter two-speed overdrive" in a two ton with 4 speed and two speed rear-end?

16 forward speeds- - - -4 reverse- - - -gotta be a bunch of unnecessary overlap between ratios there. You'll be rowing it with the shift lever(s).
Jerry

It looks like you only need the OD, which is fine, since the two speed rear only gives you slow and slower ratios, no other rear ratios are probably available, so go for if that will get you down the road. Another option would be to replace the rear end with something modern, didn't say what your bolt pattern is, but 10 on 7.25 (GM) and big 6(also GM 2 ton) are suitable and easily found.

Ed

I've been thinking about doing the same thing on my 58 Viking 60. (big 6 lug). I would probably leave the OD unit in straight through until I got on the freeway so, it should not add many more shifts than what I have now. A more modern rear with taller gears would work as well (especially if you found one with the right bolt pattern, and possibly a 2-speed!) and also may give you brake drums that you can still buy if worn out! The one advantage the ranger unit would have is your speedo will still be correct (assuming it is now).

There are lots of modern axles, big 6 pattern.

Ed

I can't comment on the ability to mate the ranger to the 4 speed, but if you do, there is nothing wrong with not using every possible ratio every time you accelerate. I rarely use all the ones I have under my arm in my '46.

You'll find that there will be a combination of about 3 to 5 shifts that will get you moving to highway speeds from a stop in normal conditions with most loads, much as you already have with perhaps a little better top end speed. The rest of the 16 total combinations will be for "fun" if you can manage to memorize the sequential pattern and get coordinated enough to move the 3 controls in concert. (Offer someone a ride and hit them all in order on the way up the street and see what kind of goofy reactions you can get-I find this to at least be as entertaining as a mediocre B movie) There is a good chance though that the spacing between the 16 possible speeds will not be even, and some might even be so close together as to be effectively the same as mentioned above.

At least, you'll have a gear near the one you're in for pulling a hill or passing, or while pulling into a parking spot at 3 mph and 3500 rpm to create a scene at the grocery store.

I have a 5 speed and a 4 speed auxiliary for my 1 ton, 20 gears. After doing the math it's more like 13 useable well spaced and without using overdrive with lower gears in the main per Spicer's recommendation.

My long range plan is to remove the low range from the 2 speed rear and end up with 8 forward gears. I plan to only use the torque splitter as an overdrive at highway speeds. I am replacing the small block that came in the truck with a 292. Other plans include removing the front drive shaft and shorting the truck frame by about 24.5". I wish I could figure out how to upload pictures.

On the left side of this page is a place to click for info on posting photos.

How usefull is a overdrive? I have drove alot of trucks in my life time and most almost needed to be down shifted on climing hills unloaded.

In my experience the overdrive has usefulness in many situations. I still have to downshift on some hills, and once and a while I've had to downshift into a headwind. With a load I don't get into it much in the highest gear in the main transmission. It can be useful with a load as well, but not very often. It shines, however, when driving unloaded. I don't really use mine to gain top speed, more to drop engine rpm while cruising. Being able to split some of the lower gears is where the aux box really helps getting moving in traffic with a load, although I tend to stay out of the overdrive portion of the box until 3rd in the main with a load.
I'd also leave the available ratios in the rear end functional. Nothing wrong with leaving them in one place for most of your normal driving, but if its there, there will be a situation somewhere where it will be nice to shift into the other, even if its only creeping around a tight parking space or into the back corner of your garage.

I agree with 2ton46, I am not looking at overdrive for more top end speed but to lower the RPM. I drove my 58 2-ton to church and back the last 4 days (20 miles each way, 17 of it on the freeway). 60mph is 3600 RPM, 70mph is 4200RPM. I sure would like to drop the RPM as it is a lot quieter down around 3,000 RPM. Quiet is good when you are on the way to run sound and want to hear something when you get there! LOL. If I get a bit better mileage, it won't hurt my feelings either.

I recently changed the final drive ratio in my '50 4100 from 6.17 to 5.43. Now it'll run 55-60 without any trouble and it didn't affect the power, just changed my cruising speed range. Best bang for the buck if you ask me and it didn't require making any major modifications to the truck.

mechanic58,
I have a '46 2T that has the 6.17 rear end. My research says that a 5.43 gear set exists for my 6000 series truck. Would any of the "guts" from an AD series truck fit? How about whole units: do the AD series use the same 20" wheels? Thanks, Mike.

The early iterations of these big Eaton axles used a torque tube driveshaft setup if I'm not mistaken. If that's what yours has then I know someone who has several 5.43 gearsets for that application. I am not sure what the year model ranges were for the torque tube design, but I suspect a '46 might have that style.

I do believe though that an open driveline style hogs head from a later axle will still fit in the early housing, however I am not sure about axle shaft compatibility. And of course you would have to convert your transmission to an open driveline setup.

Edit - there were two different lug bolt patterns. The 1.5 tons used a 10 lug on a 7.25" circle, the 2 tons and larger used a big 6 lug pattern on a larger circle, not sure of the size. My truck for example is a 1.5 ton and has the 10 lug axle with 15" brakes on it.

Actually - I have seen some 2 ton trucks with the 10 lug pattern, but I am sure that all the 2.5 ton trucks used the big 6 lug pattern.

User marvin_ribbich has several 5.43 gearsets for the early 12.25" Eaton axles with the torque tube driveline. I do believe he would part with them. To be sure they are rare as hens' teeth.

Thanks for the info. I'll try to find Marvin and ask him about details.

PS: I also got the information you posted on my "rear end swap" post...Thanks

Mike