TLT CJ7 NV4500 Transmission
Published by Trails Less Traveled on April 9th, 2004
NV4500 OVERVIEW
- Dodge NV4500
- Dodge bell housing/Dodge Ram 3500
- Cast iron main case
- 195lbs dry weight
- 1 1/8" 10 spline input shaft
- 23 spline output shaft
- 14,500lbs GWV
- Gear ratios:
- 1st: 5.61
- 2nd: 3.04
- 3rd: 1.67
- 4th: 1.00
- 5th: 0.73
- Rev: 5.61
A 5.61:1 granny-low 1st gear and 27% overdrive ensured that the Jeep would be drivable at highway speeds, and it also has a better gear reduction than most other transmissions available. The 23 spline output shaft and tail-housing bolt pattern will accept a Dana 300 or Atlas transfer case without any modifications. All of these features in a transmission with a GVW of over 14,000lbs, doesnt leave a person many reasons to consider any other manual transmission swaps.
The NV4500 has been used in Dodge Ram 3500 trucks since the early 90s, and those trucks were available with the 360 Magnum engine. The expensive adapters and conversion parts needed to adapt some engines can be skipped in favor of an entire drivetrain that could be pulled from one vehicle. We purchased a new Dodge version of the NV4500 and then sourced the bell housing for the 360 Magnum engine from a salvage yard.
The installation of such a behemoth required careful planning because our two goals seemed to be in contradiction. First, we wanted to keep the mass as low and centered in the vehicle as possible. Second, and no less important, we wanted to keep the bulk of the drivetrain from hanging any lower than the frame-rails.
What we ended up with is a motor centered in the frame and tucked as tightly as practical to the firewall. This places the transmission very close to the body tub through the transmission tunnel, but it only hangs 1.5" below the framerail at the lowest point and this distance is consistent from the engine oil pan to the back of the transmission. The shifter hole must be a bit larger than other transmissions may require, because part of the shift tower will extend through the floorpan into the cab.
The transmission mount is constructed of 1.5"x.120" DOM tubing and is welded to mounting plates that use the stock skid plate holes. Coincidentally, the stock rubber or replacement polyeurathane transmission mount from a T5 transmission can be re-used because it bolts right up to the NV4500.
The transmission itself is not especially vulnerable to the rocks, but is protected along with the components that are, by a full belly pan skid plate that extends from the engine oil pan rearward all the way to the rear leaf spring hangers. This skid plate is completely flat and hangs only 2" below the bottom edge of the frame rail.
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