1st Gen Montero Transfer Case Strength?

[msimmo]

I am looking at using a transfer case from a 1st gen Montero as the basis for a crawl box and wanted to ask the Mitsubishi community about their thoughts and experiences with said transfer case. Are they fairly strong or a weak point in the Montero drive line?

I like the 1st gen Montero transfer case as a base for this project because its low range is close to 2:1 and the front should mount easily to a AX15 transmission in a Jeep. The Montero has a curb weight just under 4k LBS so my thought is that if it can handle that my Jeep Comanche with a curb weight just over 3k lbs should be ok, additionally I always hear that the older Montero's a very reliable.

Thanks for any thoughts

 

[Toasty]

They're pretty stout, standard gearing too instead of planetary. It will bolt up to the ax-15, there are a couple done in south america but pictures are scarce. I think it's a good idea if you can build the backing plate and spud shaft yourself.