rancho overdrive

Anyone own a rancho overdrive? Your thoughts? Is it dependable? I know it will only OD the rear axle, but I don't care. Just thinking about it for the Willys truck anyway for on road manners. I have enough driveshaft length to play with on it. Thanks for the input

 

A What?

 

I think the Rancho is the same as a Borg-Warner OD used on trucks/wagons. Really short drive line in CJ5. Activated via an electric solenoid.

Remind me tomorrow and I might have some pictures of a true oddity (I don't mean Billy either). :twisted: R)

 

I used to have a Borg-warner OD in a '55 Ford. It worked OK, but I managed to kill a couple of them. They do not live long if they get low on lube. I managed to kill two of them this way. The way you shift them is you have to get above the governer speed (about 30 MPH) and then you let off the gas and they shift. I had a little trick where I would wrap it out in first gear then let off the gas, then just as it would shift, I'd floor it again which would cause the tires to chirp. Great fun for a teenager, but not so good for the OD. I killed one doing this too.

The other quirk it has is when the cable is set to the OD position, it will freewheel. So, if you park your truck with it in this position, it can roll forward even if it's in gear. On my Ford, there was a lever that pushed it into direct when the transmission was in reverse. I simply got into the habit of always shifting it into reverse when I would park. If mounted behind the tranfer case, this isn't going to do it automatically, so you need to remember to always put the OD into direct.

 

This guys' got a Rancho:

http://home.off-road.com/~merls_garage/mdevents.html

 

I guess your right. Borg Warner OD, that rancho made the adapter for. just wondering.

 

I took one off my Jeep earlier this year because it was taking up too much driveline length, my rear drive shaft was only 8” long with it.

Herm the overdrive guy’s web site is a fountain of information on Rancho overdrives, he even sells parts and rebuilds’em.

http://www.hermtheoverdriveguy.com/index.htm

 

Did you sell yours?

 

Yes.
If your look’n for one, Ebay has them from time to time.

 

I'm watching one now. Doesn't seem to be too high yet........yet!

 

Ah, I’ve seen it.
If it goes for under $300 it’s a good buy. Most seem to go for right around that range, mine went for a little over $400.
Good luck, hope ya get it.

 

Can you bypass the relays and just hook it up w/12 volts on a toggle switch? I would rather have control over it then worry about all the adjustments.

 

You can wire it one of a couple of ways. Herm the Overdrive Guy’s site has schematics for them both.
Typically you’ll run power through a switch to a solenoid for kick’n it out but that’s ‘bout it for wiring.
How it operates is you’ll have to install a linkage, I used a manual choke cable, to mechanically engage the overdrive. Then when you are going over approximately 30 MPH, determined by the governor, and let off the gas and it’ll engage, you’ll feel it shift. Then you can get back on the throttle.
Generally, I only used it when go’n down the highway. Then for passing, I’d let off the gas and hit the “kick out” switch, feel it kick down, and get back into the gas. After passing, just let off the gas and the OD will kick in by itself again.
Bad thing is it’ll “free wheel” with the OD engaged so before stopping you’ll have to kick it out, as described before, and disengage it mechanically by pulling on the hand cable or however you run the linkage.

 

I was thinking about it too but I like the parking brake setup on the Transfer Case and it looks like it goes away when the rancho goes on the dana 18. Don't think it fits dana 20.

 

The E-brake on my truck is on the rear axle so that doesn't effect me in that way. We'll see....

 

Good point Mike. Could always just use a 12v solenoid however..... I'll find out.

 

You could, but it's not that simple. You still have to energize the solenoid and then let off the gas for it to shift. It also will not roll backwards when in OD, so you have to remember to take it out of OD and engage the lever before backing up. (you have to remember the lever anyway, but with the governer it's automatic) It does make a great hill holder though.