FW: TOY: Rumors of Marlin's Axles

[a.dickenson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hey folks,

Just forwarding the below message on for a friend who is not zubzribed to
the list.

Thanks,


Allen Dickenson     TLCA #6318   http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Trails/8895/
1995 4Runner UnLimited - "Fort Knox" - Lifted, Locked, Geared, Warn'd &
Dented.



-----Original Message-----
From: Williams, Lance [mailto:lwilliams@cov.com]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 1:43 PM
To: 'a.dickenson@SportsMEDIA.com'
Subject: RE: TOY: Rumors of Marlin's Axles


Hey Allen, if you would please post this response to the minitruck list
since I'm not currently zubzcribed.  Thanks.

People, I called Marlin last week looking for gearsets to fit a high
pinion electric locker from the front of a 94 FZJ80.  He said he has in
stock both 4.88's and 5.29 reverse cut gears to fit the FZJ80 high
pinion diff.  I asked him if the gears would fit just the standard or
the electric locker high pinion unit, he replied that it would fit both,
no difference in gearsets.  I asked if he had ever installed the
gearsets into an electric locker high pinion unit and he said yes,
that's what he had in his truck right now. I asked, "you mean you have
electric lockers in your truck" he said "yes."  I asked him the same
thing several times and he said yes every time.  (I think this is what
the fuss is all about) I asked if it required any axle change, he said
no.  I asked if there was any housing change and he said both front and
rear housings would need to be modified to fit the electric chunk.

This met with my research of the same so I asked about gear strength of
running a reverse cut gear in the rear where it's on the coast side of
the gear most of the time.  He said, yes, it's weaker, but only to the
point of being equivalent to running a standard V6 diff in the rear.  I
said, but I heard you broke a set?  He told me that he did chip several
teeth off of the ring gear (not a snapped pinion) and he thought it was
due to axle wrap which he said he had major problems with.  (doesn't
make sense to me, but I was not going to argue with his assesment of the
problem - his truck, not mine)  I asked if the strength of the electric
was different than the non-electric high pinion.  He said yes, in his
opinion the electric was a stronger diff due to (his estimate only, no
testing) 20% stronger carrier bearing.  (larger carrier bearing with the
electric locker units)  So he said in his opinion it was the strongest
of the 8" diffs.  YMMV

He was very tired, said he was working all the time and needed to bring
in some money.  [read: call to place orders not gossip about his diffs]
He could have misled me, though I'm not sure what he would gain from it
and quite honestly that's just not like Marlin at all.

I don't call him all the time.  I don't claim to be his personal
confidant. I don't stop by to chat with him while he's trying to work.
I know what it's like to be interrupted when you've got orders waiting
and in that interest I kept my conversation very short and only asked
about the product I was buying.  I'm sure you would all want to give him
the same respect.

If you are desperate for a real world reference from someone who
actually is running electric-hi's at both ends and no one currently
zubzcribed can provide it then ask me in two months.  I'm not as much
fun to gossip about as Marlin but I will be happy to relay my
experience.

Hope you'll accept my apologies if there's been some misunderstanding, I
was merely relaying my conversation with Marlin to a friend when  it
found it's way to the list.

Respectfully submitted,

Lance Williams     lwilliams@cov.com
President, Capital Land Cruiser Club
77 FJ 55, The Rock Lobster (and a few minitrucks)
Alexandria, VA

>
> On Wed, 8 Nov 2000, Randy Burleson wrote:
>
> > Geez. This is one of my pet peeves on the internet -- misinformation
> spreads
> > when picking up the phone is so easy to do. Karl, I'm not
> chewing you
> out --
> > any of us could have picked up the phone.
>
> I agree with this. Lance Williams (FJ55) said he called Marlin to ask
> about 5.29rc gears. Lance said Marlin was running electrics with 5.29s
> himself. I then asked Lance if he was 100% certain that was
> what Marlin
> said. Lance said he asked Marlin multiple times and Marlin said he was
> running electrics. So, I then asked this list to confirm this,
> specifically someone who has seen Marlin's truck recently.
> Lance was real
> sure of it. So, I was just trying to confirm what Marlin was
> running. I
> really didn't want to call Marlin since I don't know him and
> never bought
> from him. So, now I got two conflicting stories from two
> people that both
> claimed to have talked to Marlin. Neither have actually seen Marlin's
> truck recently.
>
> >
> > >Anyway, someone called Marlin today and he confirmed that
> > >he is running dual hi pinion electric locking diffs with
> > >5.29RC gears.
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
>
> Karl Bellve, Ph.D.                   ICQ # 13956200
>