And then suddenly there it is!

View from the back. Note engraving showing that it's a right-hand drop 4-speed Atlas.

This is a layout of all the parts for the twin-stick cable shifters (for shifting the main case) plus the lubricant-level sight tube and the studs and nuts to mount the case to the transmission adapter.

All the parts here, along with the supplied lubricant, Torco MTF, form the kit: part no. 303009. This kit is sold with the Atlas-4SP (included in the price) if you specify "cable shift" as an option.

The parts key is below:

This shows all the parts of the cable-shift mechanism for the planetary reduction box.

This kit, for right-hand drop cases, is sold as part no. 344020R. It is sold separately from the Atlas-4SP, presumably because a differently priced electronic-shift kit is optionally available.

Parts key below.

This picture shows the complete adapter kit part no. 50-9808. This kit is sold as "GM Truck 4WD 4SP Model SM465 10 Spline to Jeep NP231 23 Spline Transfer Case (short design)"

As you can tell from the name - it was originally designed to retrofit the SM465 4-speed tranny into a Jeep.

Recall that the Atlas-4SP is only available in input splines 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 32 and 34 - essentially NVG input spline counts because of the NVG 6-planetary design reduction box on the front of the Atlas 4-SP.

That's why this SM465 to Jeep 23 Spline transfer case adapter kit is the ideal kit to fit the Atlas-4SP behind my 10-spline SM465 and is also why I ordered the Atlas-4SP with 23-spline input.

Because I'm using it to fit an Atlas-4SP behind an SM465 as opposed to using it to fit an SM465 into a Jeep there are a few parts I didn't use. These are identified in the parts key below.

The kit also includes a number of gaskets that aren't strictly needed (unnumbered in the pic at left) - a full set for overhauling the SM465 - but they're nice to have in case you're rebuilding your tranny at the same time.

Now, just to confuse things ever-so-slightly. This is a pic of the spacer adapter that I used instead of the one that came with kit 50-9808.

The spacer adapter goes between the Atlas-4SP and the tranny-to-Atlas adapter, for reasons we shall cover shortly. The point to be made here is that you could use the spacer adapter that comes with the kit (part no. 51-0404, identified as item #2 in the preceding picture).

Or, as I discovered (with the help of Vic at Advance Adapters!) you can substitute the spacer adapter pictured at left. It is part no. 51-8603 which normally comes with the "Jeep AX15 5 Speed to Jeep Dana 300 Transfer Case" adapter kit (kit part no. 50-8603).

The advantages of using 51-8603 (left) instead of 51-0404 (above) is that it is 1/4" shorter and, more importantly, has five (5) different bolt patterns drilled in it. Since this goes between the tranny adapter and the Atlas it provides a number of different clocking options that wouldn't otherwise be available.

This picture shows the side that mates to the tranny adapter...

Close-up of part no. 52-9700, the 10-spline internal x 23-spline external spud shaft that connects the SM465's 10-spline output to the 23-spline input of the Atlas-4SP.

It is a "floating" design, mounting between transmission and transfer case within the transmission to Atlas adapter casting.

The next four pics show the transmission-to-Atlas adapter, part number 51-9808.

It is cast aluminum, machine finished, and measures 5.25" long.

In this pic the the transmission would mount on the right, and the Atlas transfer case on the left.

The adapter includes a machined-flat bottom for mounting along with a threaded hole (red arrow) that can be used for a "torque control arm" (more on this later).

As you can see in this picture, the adapter's flat bottom has four pre-drilled and threaded holes - doubtless useful for mounting in stock vehicles for which the part was originally designed - i.e. for when it is used to swap an SM465 into a Jeep.

The holes are 3/8"-NC16. One pair are approximately 4.25" apart and the other 4-7/16" apart.

I ended up not using either and fabricated a different mount system as we shall see a little later.

This next series of four pics shows a comparison between the new Atlas-4SP and my old NP203/Dana 20 doubler.

The new Atlas-4SP is about 4" shorter, 70 lbs lighter, and provides a lowest gear ratio of 10.34:1 vice 4:1 for the doubler.

With the old stock Chevy adapter removed, the back of the SM465 looks like this.

Make sure to give the mounting surface a good cleaning.

The 10 x 23 spud shaft just slips on the SM465 output shaft.

The instructions from AA don't mention it, but I smeared a good coating of lubricant inside the female splines before slipping the spud shaft in place. I used good old Permatex anti-seize - the gray"high temp" grease. I just feel that any dry metal-to-metal contact should be avoided if possible and there isn't a good technical reason to exclude lubricant.

The adapter is held in place with seven of the twelve 3/8"-NC16 x 1-1/2" hex head cap screws (bolts) (pn 723723) and the 3/8"-NC16 x 2" stud (pn 723711) with the 3/8"-NC16 hex nut (pn 723701).

Eight 3/8" lock washers are also used (pn 723704)

This pic illustrates why the stud is used. Due to the shape of the adapter, the top-most hole (the one at "12 'o'clock" doesn't have sufficient clearance for a bolt to be inserted.

Instead, the stud is inserted into the top-most hole first, before the adapter is fitted in place. I used some blue Loctite thread-locker on the stud before installation, as well as on all the bolt threads.

Before fitting the adapter in place I also "glued" the gasket to the transmission using Permatex spray-a-gasket sealant.

Fit the adapter in place and secure with the remaining 7 bolts and lock-washers. Use blue Loctite on the bolt threads and tighten to approx. 30 ft/lbs.

Don't forget to install the nut on the stud, use a little Loctite on the threads, and also tighten it to 30 ft/lbs.

This picture illustrates why the spacer adapter is required between the adapter and the Atlas.

You can see that the tip of the spud shaft protrudes just a fraction beyond the mounting face of the adapter. The Atlas-4SP CAN NOT accept any kind of positive "stick-out" like this. Installing the Atlas-4SP to any output shaft with positive stick-out will cause the shaft to bottom out in the Atlas input and damage the transfer case.

Many other transmissions and/or adapters also have positive stick-out and, in most cases, any required spacer adapter can be obtained free from AA when the Atlas is purchased.

The first task is to install the oil-level sight tube.

The tube itself comes crimped onto two 90° AN-6 JIC swivel fittings, and there are two 1/4" NPT to AN-6 male adapter fittings. On these fittings, the tapered threads (to the right in this picture) are the NPT threads that thread into the case.

It fits in place behind the rear-cover of the front output shaft.

The swivel fittings of the sight tube are then tightened in place on the adapters. No Teflon tape nor pipe sealant is required nor should it be used on these JIC fittings.

Because the next task is to fill the case with oil, and you do that through the upper sight tube fitting, you actually want to attach just the lower fitting first, despite what this picture shows. Remember what I said about cocking up anything and everything possible along the way? I swear, it's a God-given talent of mine!

The recommended lubricant is the supplied Torco MTF. However, AA also recommend initially using one of the alternate engine-oil lubricants for the first 500-mile break-in of the transfer case.

I chose Castrol Syntec SAE 5W-50, but you can also use Valvoline Synthetic 20w-50 or Mobil 1 Synthetic 15w-50.

I will probably continue to run the Castrol Syntec even after break-in as the Torco MTF isn't available locally whereas the Castrol is available everywhere. Also, if I ever suffered a partial lubricant loss, especially somewhere where the Torco MTF isn't available, I'd rather not have to drain and flush the case before topping up (mixing different lubricants isn't a good idea). If I stick with the Castrol I'll be safe.

Because you need to tip the case onto its front after filling (or fill it while it's on its front) the first thing you need to do is install the twin-stick base mount because the mounting holes pass through into the case and if the bolts aren't installed oil can leak out of them. This would be a particular nuisance because we're adding a specific volume of oil in order to establish the right level on the sight tube. If you were to begin filling the case with the carefully measured 2.36 liters of fluid only to find some has leaked out during the process you pretty much have to drain the case, re-measure 2.36 liters and start again. Imagine how I know this!

The twin-stick base mount (pn 302051) along with its three 3/8"-NC16 x 1" socket head cap screws (pn 723731) are shown in the foreground of this picture.

Stand the case on its front so the rear output shaft points straight up as shown in the pic and block it in place.

In order to fill it I disconnected the upper end of the sight tube and installed a short length of rubber tube connected to a funnel with a small-diameter neck over the fitting in the case. Add the correct volume of oil.

At the other extreme, if you were to install the case clocked perfectly flat you can see that the oil level barely shows in the sight tube.

When the case is installed in the vehicle a permanent marker or small zip-tie will be used to mark the "full" level on the sight tube.

Slide the extension tube (pn 303308) and extension tube bracket (pn 303307) over the all-thread and tighten in place with the 1/2"-NC13 serrated locknut (pn 303120).

Make sure the tube butts completely up to the case and hold the extension tube bracket level when you tighten the locknut.

Remove the red plastic end-cap and one jam nut from the end of the shift cable (pn 303309) - it doesn't matter which end, they are the same.

Thread the remaining jam nut towards the long end of the cable, just past half-way on the threads...

... so that when you install the cable in the bracket it's approximately in the middle of its range.

Insert the cable through the hole in the extension tube bracket, then slide the other jam nut back over the cable.

Sandwich the bracket between the two jam nuts by tightening them against one another.

At the other end of the cables (the shifter ends), remove the red plastic end-cap, one jam nut, and the lock washer and discard.

Thread the remaining jam nuts to about halfway along the threads.

Slide the Heim joints over the ends of the shifter handles and insert the cotter pins (pn 920026).

Do not bend out the legs of the cotter pins yet - you will have to disassemble the shifter handles to install in the vehicle.

... and then the shift knobs.

Looking at the shifter body from the end where the cables enter, the left stick shifts the front axle and the right stick shifts the rear axle.

Before beginning the shift test and cable adjustment procedure, it's a good idea to back off the shift-rail detent set-screws a quarter turn. They are the large brass set-screws located on the underside of the back of the shift-rail housing - illustrated here by the red arrows. This will allow for easier initial shifting.

As the Atlas is operated and breaks-in, the shift detent components will seat and the set-screws can be re-tightened to their original position.

This is the "low-range" position.

In this position the shift rail is retracted into the case, and there is virtually no gap between the shift rail adapter and the base mount.

This correlates to a shifter-handle position of "away from the cables"

Assuming the shift cables run in a straight line to the shifter body, this would correlate to the shift lever in the "front" or "forward" position.

This is the "neutral" position.

In this position the shift rail is extended mid-way out of the case, and there is a gap between the shift rail adapter and the base mount. About half an inch of shiny shift rail is visible between the shift rail adapter and the base mount.

This correlates to a shifter-handle position of "in the middle of the throw"

Assuming the shift cables run in a straight line to the shifter body, this would correlate to the shift lever in the "middle" position.

This is the "high-range" position.

In this position the shift rail is extended all the way out of the case, and there is a bigger gap between the shift rail adapter and the base mount. About an inch of shiny shift rail is visible between the shift rail adapter and the base mount.

This correlates to a shifter-handle position of "towards the cables"

Assuming the shift cables run in a straight line to the shifter body, this would correlate to the shift lever in the "back" or "rear" position.

Now that we know what the shift positions are, we can set up the case and shifters on the bench to test and adjust the shifts.

I set the case on the bench, stretched the cables out straight away from the case and clamped the shifter body in a vice so I could operate the shifters.

Essentially, what we want to check (and adjust to achieve if necessary) is that the throw of the shifters achieves a complete, positive shift, from L to N to H, without any interference between the Heim joints and the inside of the shifter body.

Here we can see that on my initial setup (the jam nuts about halfway on the threads at both ends of the cables) the Heim joints contact the front of the shifter body when the levers are to the rear - i.e. when shifted to "High".

The other possible condition would be that, with the shifters in the "Low" position, the little jam nuts on the cable rod would bottom on the shifter body.

In extreme cases, there may be interference early enough in the shifters travel to actually prevent a complete shift. Regardless, the solution is to adjust the cables so that the shifter throw is limited only by the completion of the shift, with no interference inside the shifter body.

At the transfer case end:

To move the sheath towards the case:

- Loosen the inner jam nut (A)
- Thread the outer jam nut (B) further onto the cable (in the direction of the red arrow).
- Push the cable further into the extension tube bracket until the outer jam nut (B) bottoms.
- Thread the inner jam nut (A) back up against the bracket
- Re-tighten the jam nuts.

First loosen the button-head cap screws holding the barrel retainer plate to the shifter body.

It is not necessary to remove them - just loosen them enough to allow the cable barrels to rotate in the barrel retainer plate.

To move the sheath towards the case:

- Back the nut off and thread it further onto the cable
- Thread the barrel further onto the cable until it bottoms on the nut
- Push the shifter body back up against the cable barrels and re-tighten the cap screws

To move the sheath towards the shifters :

- Back the jam nut off
- Thread the barrel away from the cable
- Tighten the jam nut up against the barrel
- Push the shifter body back up against the cable barrels and re-tighten the cap screws

With the shifters in "High", and the levers to the rear, there is plenty of clearance between the Heim joints and the shifter body, illustrated by the red arrows.

Obviously, you want to have both cables, front and rear axles, adjusted approximately the same so the two levers are not way out of synch.

While I was adjusting the cables, I decided to test the minimum bend radius of the shift cables.

That is - I wanted to see how tightly they could be bent and still deliver a nice, smooth, positive shift.

I was pretty amazed at the results.

As long as you don't actually kink the cables you can achieve some pretty tight bend radii and the shift is still smooth and positive.

I was really quite impressed with the results.

The last thing to do before test-fitting the case into the vehicle is to assemble and adjust/test the shifter for the reduction box.

Begin by tapping the bushings (pn 340612) into the shifter handle (pn 340611) using a mallet.

The next step is to connect the other end of the cable to the Atlas.

This pic shows the placement and orientation of the cable shifter bracket (pn 340517-R).

Remove the red plastic dust plugs from the three holes on the top of the case and prepare the three 3/8"-NC16 x 3/4" bracket mounting bolts (pn 723720) and flat washers (pn 720015).

Place a dab of blue RTV on the threads of the bracket mounting bolts to seal them as they pass through into the case.

One of the very few problems I had during the project was the fact that the holes in the bracket didn't quite line up with the holes in the case, preventing all three bolts from being able to be installed.

To remedy this I drilled out the misaligned hole in the bracket until I could insert and tighten all three bolts.

Remove red plastic dust cap, the first jam nut, and the star washer from the free end of the cable.

Thread the remaining jam nut about halfway along the cable's threads then thread the cable into the bracket by turning the whole shifter/cable assembly...

Thread the 1/4"-NF28 female Heim joint (pn 303313) completely onto the shift rod until it bottoms out.

Align the Heim joint so that the bore in the spherical bearing is centered in the race and vertical, then hold the Heim joint in place with a wrench and tighten the jam nut.

Hold the shifter housing upright and move the stick through its full range of motion.

Check that there is no interference between the stick and the housing where the stick passes through the oval slot (red arrows) and ...

... that there is no interference between the ball joint and the inside of the shifter housing.

If there is any interference, loosen the button head cap screws and the large jam nut on the cable. Rotate the barrel independently to adjust the shift handle / ball joint position. Recheck for interference and continue adjusting the barrel as necessary. Once you are satisfied with the adjustment, securely re-tighten the jam nut and button head cap screws.

Recall that when the shifter is aft (back towards the cable) this is the Low Range position and when it is fwd (away from the cable) it is in the High Range position.

In this pic the shifter is in Low Range position.

The pivot lever on the case, just behind the planetary reduction box, moves fore and aft to mechanically shift the reduction box.

When it is aft (towards the back of the transfer case) the reduction box is in Low Range - as in this pic.

Move the shifter and the pivot lever to the High Range position. Check that bore in the Heim joint is forward of the tapped hole in the pivot lever.

In this picture you can see that it is not, and so further adjustment is required.

Adjust the cable so that the bore in the Heim joint is forward of the tapped hole in the pivot lever by threading the cable/shifter assembly into or out of the cable shifter bracket, as before.

Move the shifter and the pivot lever back to the Low Range position and double-check that, in Low Range, the Heim joint is still behind the tapped hole in the pivot lever.

In this case it is, so adjustment is complete.

If it is not, you will have to continue to fine tune the adjustment by threading the cable/shifter assembly into or out of the cable shifter bracket until the pivot lever travel is centered within the cable travel.

The front of the Atlas-4SP's reduction box is equipped with four different spacings of the 6-bolt round pattern. This alone would offer you four different clocking angles, however many Advance Adapters' adapters will also have more than one bolt pattern, meaning that eight clocking options are often available.

Typical clocking options might be:

Left drop case: 7, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31, or 38 degrees.

Right drop case: 4, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, or 35 degrees.

In my application, because the adapter spacer itself has five different spacings, and it can be bolted to any of the four spacings on the Atlas I have a "theoretical" total of 5x4= 20 different clocking options.

In reality, not every combination ends up being different, in fact, many are the same but at the very least I had 5 or 10 different options. In my case I wanted the case to be clocked fairly flat for clearance, but without causing too many clearance problems with frame, floor, etc. The next section details test-fitting the case at different clocking angles and selecting the best fit.

And here is the tunnel where it will be installed.

Before you hoist it into place it's a good idea to spend some time with the tape measure doing some preliminary clearance checks - once you get it up into place and ready to slide onto the splines it's pretty heavy and a little cumbersome and that's not the time to find out the exhaust is in the way.

Remove any offending components, place the transmission in neutral, and fit the case onto the adapter. The use of a proper transmission jack is highly recommended. I have intentionally omitted pictures of my old-drywall-compound-pail-couple-of-4x4s-and-wobbly-floor-jack method!

With the case in place, leave a tiny gap between the face of the adapter and the mounting face of the case so that you can just see the bolt holes in the mounting face of the case.

Tilt / rotate the case around the input shaft while fishing a bolt through from the front of the adapter, through one of the mounting holes in the adapter, until you get it engaged in one of the threaded holes in the case.

You can now rotate the case to different "clocking angles' and check for clearances etc. in order to determine your preferred clocking angle.

I used a floor jack and piece of square tube to support the right side of the case in different positions as I checked.

This is the view from the rear with the case clocked at 11°.

View from the front at 11°.

At 11° I measured 28-7/16” clearance between the floor and the lowest part of the case.

The next hole in the pattern on the front of the case allowed me to clock the case to 5°.

This is the view from the rear at 5°.

View from the front at 5°.

At 5° I measured 29-7/16” clearance between the floor and the lowest part of the case.

In other words, I gained a whole inch of clearance.

It was a tighter fit at 5° than at 11° (in the pic at left you can see where I had to cut the exhaust) but I settled on 5° for the improved ground clearance.

Using the alignment marks made during the test-fitting procedure, install the six Atlas Mounting Studs (pn 302069) finger tight into the mounting face of the Atlas / Adapter Spacer (as applicable).

Thread in each one, inserting the end that has the pre-applied thread locking compound.

Make sure you get each one in the correct position relative to its neighbors (i.e. that there are the same number of holes between each pair).

You can always slip on the gasket to check before tightening them.

The studs are a special tapered-fit aluminum design and so must be installed carefully and tightened securely without over tightening.

Getting them properly seated and tightened is a bit of a trick. The procedure I used is as follows:

First I threaded on two nuts back-to-back...

Then with a wrench on the inner nut to keep the outer nut from turning I used a socket on the outer nut to turn the stud into its hole.

It's a bit tricky as you have to hold the inner nut fast against the outer while rotating the whole assembly together but you will soon get the hang of it.

Install the case into the vehicle, sliding the input over the splines of the output shaft and inserting the six mounting studs through their holes on the adapter.

Apply pressure from the rear of the case until the mating face of the adapter and case are together with no gap. Do not use the fasteners to draw the components together - if they do not readily mate without a gap, disassemble and investigate the cause of any interference. Make particularly sure that the transmission output shaft / stub shaft is not bottoming inside the Atlas input.

With the Atlas securely in place at your chosen rotation, it's time to mark the correct oil level on the sight tube.

I first drew a line with a permanent marker, and then attached a small zip tie to mark the level of the oil within the sight tube.

With the case in place, it's time to install the shifters.

The single-stick shifter for the reduction box installs from under the rig and so can remain attached to its cable.

On the other hand, the twin-stick assembly is installed down through the floor and so must be removed from the cables for installation.

Pull the cotter pins (remember I said not to spread the legs earlier!) and slip the Heim joints off the shifters, then remove the cap screws securing the barrel retainer plate to the shifter body. Remove the cables from the shifter body and keep the cotter pins and cap screws handy.

The instructions state that the shifter body bottom cover plate (pn 303302) is to be secured to the shifter body using the four small #10 x 1/2" self-drilling screws (pn 722542).

Since I knew the shifter body would be installed in tight quarters up under the rig where it would be difficult to get to with a drill, I pre-drilled the holes in the shifter body to match the bottom cover plate. This way I would be able to install the self-drilling screws with a small 1/4" ratchet and socket.

Before installation I drilled out the mounting holes in the shifter body to accept a 1/4" bolt.

This required that I first remove the shift knobs, jam nuts, and twin-stick shift boot.

Using the bottom of the shifter body as a template, make a rectangular cutout in the floor where you want the shifters located. When you choose the location, make sure you have clearance under the floor for the shifter body.

Stop and pause to admire my sparkling clean interior...not!

Pull the cables up through the cutout in the floor and insert them into the shifter body. Slip the Heim joints over the shifters, re-insert the cotter pins, and spread the legs.

Fit the barrels to the shifter body and secure in place by bolting the barrel retainer plate back onto the shifter body with the three button-head cap screws.

Ummmm...make sure you connect the correct cable to the correct shifter (don't ask!)

And to drill the three 1/4" mounting bolt holes.

NOTE: In this pic I have the plate the wrong way round. Of the two bolt-holes behind the slot, the front-most should be on the LEFT to properly match the shifter housing - not on the right as shown! Doh!

From underneath the vehicle, pass the shift lever up through the floor and position the shifter housing under the mounting holes you drilled (note the proper orientation of the holes in this pic). It's quite helpful to have a helper to hold the shifter housing from underneath at this stage as you get everything lined up.

Sandwich the floor between the shifter housing mount plate and the shifter housing using the supplied 1/4"-NF28 x 1" shifter housing bolts (pn 722543).

It was here that I found another of the very few gripes with the kit. The mounting bolts supplied are 1/4"-NF28 but the three holes in the top of my shifter housing were not tapped to this. I didn't measure what they were tapped to, but thankfully it was smaller than 1/4"-NF28 so I was able to drill them out and re-tap them under the vehicle without having to disassemble the cable/shifter mechanism.

From underneath the installed shifter housing looks like this.

Curiously, no bottom cover plate is provided for the reduction box shifter as it is for the twin-stick shifters?

The extreme low range of the Atlas-4SP means it will compound your motor's torque output to phenomenal levels. As a result - a sturdy mounting system for the transfer case is vital.

I liked the big, heavy-duty, steel-impregnated rubber mounts used in my original setup - they are transmission mounts from a 1980 CHEVROLET K30 PICKUP V8 5.7 Liter 4BBL.

In this pic you can see the original piece after 26 years of abuse on the right. On the left are the new pieces I ordered online from Advance Auto Parts for only a few bucks each.

If you look closely at the first picture of the mounts above, you can see that the larger half (top, center of the pic) has a protrusion in the centre that fits through a slot in the crossmember and into the recess in the smaller piece.

You can see the recess it fits into clearly in the left slot in this picture.

The only reason the two slots are different sizes in the crossmember here is that my fab skills are legendary in their suckeyness!

Opposite the slots are two round holes cut large enough for a socket to fit inside and onto the bolt heads.

In this case, the right hole is intentionally larger as it needs to be big enough to insert the washers through because the ends of the crossmember will be welded closed.

In order to get the crossmember positioned vertically in the vehicle where I wanted, I had to use a rectangular 3/8" steel spacer between the rubber mounts and the bottom of the transfer case adapter.

You can see it in this pic under the nuts and washers.

Crossmember installed.

It's mounted to the frame with eight 5/8" fine thread grade 8 bolts using red Loctite.

Final view of the crossmember and mount where it supports the transfer case adapter.

This simple setup should provide excellent vertical support to the drivetrain.

This is the kit.

The main component is the support ring (top left) that clamps around the tailshaft housing of the Atlas.

The ring is then supported by bushings and clamped between weld-on tabs.

Some very nice flanges are also included for use with tubular crossmembers. They are sized for those using 1.75" OD tube.

This is how the support clamps to the tailshaft housing of the Atlas.

It fits both the regular and the "short" competition tailshaft housing.

This is a trial-fitting picture - note that there is plenty of clearance, even with the short housing like mine, for the Roark support to sit flush with the end of the housing.

If you are using yokes on your Atlas the Roark mount will slip right on. If you are using a flange, you will need to remove the flange to position the mount over the tailshaft housing.

With the mount in place, tighten the small Allen screw that will clamp the mount tightly to the tailshaft housing.

You can install the mount in any orientation.

Once you have the position selected, you can tighten the long bolt through the bushings and weld the tabs in place.

If you don't already have a crossmember in the right location, the supplied flanges can be very handy in fabricating a tubular crossmember to support the mount.

I was lucky and the mount lined up perfectly with my 4-link suspension crossmember.

Even with the Roark Fabworks mount, I was still concerned about rotational stability, especially with the extreme torque multiplication of the Atlas-4SP, the aluminum transfer case mount, and reports of mounting bolts either stripping loose or breaking.

There is a small threaded boss on the side of the transfer case adapter, on the side of the transmission-side flange.

With a kick-ass, one-of-a-kind new 4-speed transfer case installed, I wanted bulletproof driveshafts to match.

For my new shafts I turned to one of the most highly respected names in the business - High Angle Driveline (HAD).

While I was at it I also decided to upgrade the puny stock 1310 joint of my front Dana 60 to this 1410 monster from HAD.

I had already been running one of HAD's 1-ton 1350 CV shafts in the rear, with a 1410 joint at the 14-Bolt pinion.

Since the Atlas-4SP is actually some 4" or so shorter than my old 203/D20 doubler, I sent the rear shaft back to HAD to lengthen and asked Jess to make me a front shaft to match - 1350 CV joint at the 'case and 1410 joint at the axle.

I also needed two of HAD's patented CV flanges to install in the Atlas. They come with flange-to-CV bolts and new locknuts to secure the flanges to the Atlas output shafts.

Before installing the new driveshafts the first step was to install the 1410 yoke on the Dana 60 pinion.

Start by jacking up the front wheels and placing the front axle on jack stands so you can rotate the pinion freely.

Before disassembling anything, use a dial-type inch-pound torque wrench on the pinion nut (1-5/16") to measure the torque required to rotate the pinion, and record this value.

You must measure the torque it takes to rotate the pinion by the nut while it is in motion. If you simply measure the torque it takes to start the pinion rotating you will get an artificially high reading. This is why a dial-indicating torque wrench is best as you can start the pinion rotating, then read the indication from the dial while you continue to rotate the pinion.

In my case it was about 25-30 in/lbs

Install a new flanged lock nut and tighten to the minimum torque spec for the axle (220 ft/lbs for a D60).

Reinstall the inch-pound torque wrench on the pinion nut and again measure the torque required to rotate the pinion. Compare this value to that which you previously recorded.

If the second value is approx. 1-5 in/lbs more than the first you are done.

If not, continue tightening the pinion nut in small increments until you reach a point where the torque-to-rotate is approx. 1-5 in/lbs more than it was originally. Do not exceed the maximum torque value for the axle (280 ft/lbs for a D60).

The next step is to install the flanges onto the Atlas.

A note on the flanges. If you are planning on using HAD 1350 flanges and driveshafts with your Atlas, you actually need to order your Atlas with 1350 non-cv yokes. This is because the HAD flanges use the same seal diameter as the Atlas non-cv yokes.

Of course you could always order your Atlas from HAD and get it with the flanges installed.

The next six steps apply to both front and rear flanges.

1 - Smear a little blue RTV on the inside to prevent oil from leaking past the splines.

Hold the driveshaft in place and and start the bolts into the threaded holes in the CV joint flange with your fingers.

Because of the limited clearance, there is insufficient room to get a wrench on the bolt heads until they are threaded partly into the driveshaft.

You may find that you have to use needle-nose pliers or vice-grips to tighten the bolts sufficiently to get enough room to get a wrench on the bolt heads.

The 12-point bolts are tightened with 12-point 12mm box-end wrench.

The bolts come with thread locker pre-installed so you needn't add any.

You want to tighten the bolts to about 35 ft/lbs. It's impossible to get a torque wrench in there, so you'll have to use a "calibrated hand". Unless you're a gorilla, almost as tight as you can get them with the 12mm wrench is probably pretty close.

Front shaft installed.

Doh! I think I just made the Dana 60 R&P the weak link.