Topic: Mad Rooster’s NP231 Crawl Box

[SMC4WD]

By David Smiley  CRAWL Magazine
http://www.crawlmag.com

CRAWL Magazine is a new magazine published in Tacoma, Washington.  http://www.myspace.com/crawlmag  
Quite a colorful magazine, dedicated to the sport of rock crawling.  Inside this months edition is a 9-page write up on the combination of an NP231 with a Mad Rooster Crawl Box and then a matched Dana 300 T/C.   Giving a 7.1:1 gearing at the transfer case and retained the stock 2.72:1 or 2.6:1 gearing for the easier trails.

It’s a great write up…

“Ever been on the trail trying to negotiate a steep down hill run and praying that your brakes hold out because you don’t have enough gearing?  Or, even worse you’re trying to climb a steep technical rock face and your gearing forces you to feather the clutch and then break traction anyway because you’ve given it too much gas?  Back at the campfire you talk with your buddies about a Klune or an Atlas until you realize you’d be geared too low for most trails and you would have to rob a bank to afford it anyhow.  With gearing, it’s all about having options and they show how to maximize your gearing choices at an affordable price.  
For around $1300 dollars they show how to build a strong, cable shifted four speed transfer case solution that will work in any Jeep.”  
 
Project Measurement      ~~~   Value
Space between shift rails  ~~~   1.5 inches
Centerline of shift rails up from D300 case   ~~~   .5 inches
Length of long housing bars   ~~~   11 inches
Length of short housing bars   ~~~   3.5 inches
Offset to centerline of rail holes from front input end of case   ~~~   6.5 inches              
Case Cover Material   ~~~   .5 inch by 6 inch aluminum
Shifter Housing Material   ~~~   .75 inch by 1.5 inch aluminum
Cable Shift handles and NP231 case patch   ~~~   .375 inch by 2 inch aluminum  
Length of NP231 patch   ~~~   8 inches (approximate)
Lengths of both transfer cases   ~~~   19.75 inches
   

The article is really informative and well written.  There are photo’s and step by step instructions on getting it done.

This magazine is not yet a newsstand magazine yet, but with enough publications it might head that way.

Does anyone remember that Xtreme Off Road magazine?  I think this one has a few of the same parties involved…

[Jeffy]

Crawl is on newsstands.  I've only seen it at on place though.

[SMC4WD]

It's alright...  I feel like a bigger dork since I posted this..  

I spent all this time and effort to make it look alright...   Then I see (via a search), you've already did a write up about this same thing...

At least I realize I'm a dork and admitted to it.  Hopefully other's will have another chance to see and read all about it.

[Jeffy]

Hahah, yeah, I mentioned the thing a while back but I think I got my stuff from POR4x4.

I do like Crawl but their photo's coule be better.  Some are a bit blury, especially when blown up to a two-page spread.  (Look at the SEMA one.)  Articles are nice and technical.  I don't know how they're going to keep up with the nice glossy paper though.  They will need to sell a lot more ad space or else make production cuts.

[SMC4WD]

Have you ever had the opportunity to see that Xreme Off Road magazine?  That fist issue was awesome!!  All pictures...  But that was their demise to.  Advertising was there, but no money.  They advertised on all the circuits and on alot of boards, POR4X4 & SNORT just to name a few...   But they didn't survive.

Dealing exclusively with one thing isn't easy.  Another magazine picking up steam is Dirt Sports.  They cater to all dirt sports.  Speed, rock crawling, stadium and desert racing.  Something like that might cater to a bigger audience.

Primedia guys are still holding their own...

[Jeffy]

I saw Xtreme but then it went *poof*.  I even saw they were hiring, too.

There is a Jeep magazine that's done on a DVD.  I'm not sure how that one will do but I have my doubts.  I like a paper magazine I can take with me.

The only magazine I really like the 4WD & Sport Utility.  They have stayed true to their magazine.  They never went *bling* like Peterson's and Fourwheeler.  And they haven't gone T&A like JP.  It's a decent magazine.  What to I subscribe to, now?  Nothing.  I'm saving my money.

I used to Subscribe to Peterson's & Fourwheeler from 1987-1998. I used to pick up  4WD&SE from 1986-2005.  They used to be Quarterly way back when.

[SMC4WD]

I've seen so many different magazines that's it's hard to keep up with them all.  In one magazine along they've got Lexus, and Nissan Titan trucks, and build ups of axles and locker info.  They've got mountain bikes and quads...  

In marketing the idea is to cater to as many people as possible.  That opens the door to a million more subscribers.  By staying specific, that takes away for other subscribers who just aren't into that specific thing.  

It all revolves around making money.

Two different magazines that I have really enjoyed looking through is (believe it or not) 4 Wheel Parts' 'Off Road Adventures'.  It's informative, and a pleasure to read.

Another magazine isn't here in the US.  4WD monthly is an Australia publication.  
http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/  
How great is it to see what they're doing 'down under'.  The setups aren't for aggressive rock crawling (although there is a lot of that there).  The setups are more for longer distances, 2-3 week excursions.  Trail driving and cross continent traveling.      
It's a pretty cool magazine.  If you you have the chance to find one, check it out!

[Jeffy]

I think I've seen that one along with Land Rover which is the UK magazine before.  I've also picked up the occasional Japanese 4x4 magazine too.

I used to get 4WPW's magazine free for a few years.  It's ok at best.  The only articles I like are from Jim Allen.  He used to write stuff for 4WD&SU when Phill Howell was there I think.  He has two Jeep books out and I like them both.  Jeep Buyers Guide and Jeep 4x4 Performance Handbook.  I like his stull a lot better then Moses Ludel's Jeep Owners Bible. I still don't know what some people on the jeepforums recommend this as a shop manual. :roll: .  I've got the first edition but never bought the second.  It's still biased towards CJ's.  Oh and Moses used to write for 4WD&SU also.