Fitting MQ/MR 6 speed Manual to ML

[Lost1]

After driving my ML Triton for a while I accept this vehicle is over geared running 33's. I am looking for deeper low range gearing and slightly lower 1st gear with closer ratios than in the 5 speed gearbox. To fix this I am thinking about the gearbox and t-case from MQ/MR Tritons.

Does anyone know if the T-case in the MQ/MR Triton are the same as ML/MN Triton. I think the 2.6:1 ratio would suit what I do offroad. Some might recommend the 3.15 crawler gears. But this is to low for what I do. Does the MQ/MR 6 speed manual share a common bell housing with the 4M41 and 4DG56? Having a closer 1 to 2nd gear ratio would also be beneficial off road or when towing at times.

Any ideas?

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

Different bell housing and a totally different design to ML/MN boxes. And transfer cases are totally different too. MQ/MR use electronic control and a separate ECU

[Lost1]

Thanks for that Dibby. Cheers

[Lost1]

To bump this thread again, does anyone know if there is another Mitsubishi 6 speed manual gearbox that will bolt up to a 4M41 engine. The t/case gears will probably end up being a set of 2.7's, crawler gears are not for me.

[NowForThe5th]

Probably nothing "off the shelf", given that 6 speed gearboxes were a rarity in ML days.

However that doesn't mean that something couldn't be made to fit with the right adaptor and some serious engineering. How much money do you have?

[Lost1]

I had started looking for Mitsi light truck gearboxes. But nothing stands out just yet. I could use a 4.6 1st gear with the 33" tyres. I am reaching for low range a bit earlier than I would like at times and the gap between 1st and 2nd is pretty wide. I notice the gap most climbing dunes or steep inclines when a bit of momentum in a slightly higher gear would be beneficial. The 7 speed Jatco auto would change that, but I don't like that an auto will click up a gear when it wants on a descent. Might be time to break out the tape measure and head to a truck wrecker.

[NowForThe5th]

Interesting idea.

There is a Canter engine 4P10-T6 which is very similar to the 4M41 in capacity, horsepower and torque and, at 3.0 litres, about the same size. Comes with a 5 speed manual or 6 speed auto which also has manual mode. Good thing about those gearboxes is that 1st is lower but only 5th in the manual or 6th in the auto is overdrive, rather than the overdriven two top gears in the later Tritons. First gear, at 5.4 would give you a very handy low first and the ratios of the other gears are a bit closer. Even comes with an exhaust brake.

Just change the whole engine and gearbox. Plus computers and various other bits. Wouldn't be cheap (maybe $15K?) but with a bit of tuning would give Pajero like performance. Bit of other engineering to sort out but might be easier than trying to mate that gearbox to the 4M41. Worth it on a 15 year old ML? Probably not, but would make a fun project.

[RHKTriton]

If you had the coin, a diesel electric power train would be the go. Generator and traction motor plonked in place of the gearbox would eliminate clutch, provide high torque across the rev range into the transfer case and you could have foundation for battery electric setup for urban use.

Or, bite the bullet and changeover to a more suitable drive.

More seriously though, even the move to 32" tyres on my ML had made the first two ratios a pain. With the original tyres I virtually just used the top four gears. Now days have to use first to get rolling and then almost change up to second straight away.

An auto under full manual control should be doable.