Billet gears for 6spd T-case

[anyonebutme]

Cover looks great but I don't get it. How is a billet 6061-T6 cover stronger and less flexible than the stock cast iron cover? Or is it just to increase the pre-load on the bearing?

The cover is cast aluminum on the stock 6-speed xfer case.

[Broomfield Racing]

The cover is cast aluminum on the stock 6-speed xfer case.

It's cast iron/steel.

[Jimvr4]

It's cast iron/steel.

Pretty sure that's right. Going to check whether a magnet sticks to it when I get home.

If it is cast iron/steel then why would billet 6061-T6 be an upgrade?

[Broomfield Racing]

The stock cover is quite thin. Could have some flex, but it's likely the fact that the gear face is about 20% smaller. Hopefully the thicker cover works out for him though. I wish I still had a 6 speed tcase, I could see if the stocker flexs easily.

[2fnloud]

Magnet did stick, just checked.

[Jimvr4]

Indeed it is cast iron. A few googles and I found the tensile strength of malleable cast iron is 52 ksi while 6061-T6 is 40 ksi. So I guess if you make the billet cover 30% thicker then it has the same strength as the stock cast iron. Sorry if this is just rehashing what everybody already knows.

[TurboSinceBirth]

The stock cover is quite thin. Could have some flex, but it's likely the fact that the gear face is about 20% smaller. Hopefully the thicker cover works out for him though. I wish I still had a 6 speed tcase, I could see if the stocker flexs easily.

It does flex. I already experimented with a friend on his 97 VR-4. I'd have to ask him again how many thousandths of an inch it deflected under load. We made the stock cover thicker, beefed up the transfercase to transmission mounts, added a bell housing brace, and made the transmission end case thicker. So far no issues but he is still going through RPS C-C clutches. I think the thicker transfercase cover will go a ways to helping the gears stay together.

[2fnloud]

It does flex. I already experimented with a friend on his 97 VR-4. I'd have to ask him again how many thousandths of an inch it deflected under load. We made the stock cover thicker, beefed up the transfercase to transmission mounts, added a bell housing brace, and made the transmission end case thicker. So far no issues but he is still going through RPS C-C clutches. I think the thicker transfercase cover will go a ways to helping the gears stay together.

Please share details

[TurboSinceBirth]

Please share details

He basically welded/epoxied more material around the two outside bolt holes around where the axle goes through. We didn't think it was absolutely necessary but he wanted to make sure there was no movement or shock in that area if the transfercase stripped gears causing everything to rotate before failure.

[2fnloud]

Agreed Not seeing how more material would help...anyways what is the estimated torque your friend has, and just how rough is he on launches? Would guess straight up violent If he is ripping through C/C clutch kit.