4-speed Preferences

Depends on what your end goal is. If you want a heavy cast iron truck transmission with a very low 1st gear, then yes, the T18 and NP435 are your top choices. For most of your driving you will never use the 1st gear, it will only be there for rock crawling and towing something very heavy (which I wouldn't do with a CJ anyway). If you're not a rockcrawler then it will be useless most of the time and you'll essentially have a 3-speed transmission.

I have a T176 which offers a decent 1st gear ratio, but not a crawl ratio. It is an aluminum cased medium duty transmission that holds up pretty well behind stock V8 power. If your interests are light trails and street driving I suspect you'll be much happier with a T176 or even a later AX15 or NVG3550 5-speed than you would with a truck 4-speed. The good part about a T176 is that it's a simple swap because it's a stock Jeep setup. Mine is from a 1980 CJ5 and I used the D300 t-case that came with it, so there's no adapters at all and it fits in my 74 like it was made for it. My Scrambler has an AX15 5-speed and I adore it. The overdrive is very nice on highway trips.

 

T18 jeep...if you find the rare 6.32/1 first gear...it's pettry strong one and bolt on amc 304 without any problem

 

You can't fit a 3550 or an AX15 in a 5, can you?

 

I have a buddy who did a 3550 w/ a 4.3 v6 in an intermediate. He ended up with about the same driveshaft length as the 304/t18 combo he had before. Pretty sweet setup, it was almost like driving a new jeep, aside from the CJ handling characteristics.

 

I chose the 465 for one reason It powers up those 90 deg hills with ease and it didnt require a longer shaft

 

That seems like 2 reasons to me

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79 CJ T18. Reverse is right and down as far as I can tell. It's not in the jeep yet.....

 

I've got a T18 out of a 82 F350, and its down and right, which is where reverse belongs...

(My daily is a 2009 2500 Dodge, with the Cummins and a G56, and Reverse is to the Left and Down, and it makes me nuts. I deal, but I don't like it.)