Advance Adapters AX15 Transmission and Bronco Dana 20 Adapter Kits

Advance Adapters offers an AX15 5-speed transmission retrofit adapter kit for 1966-77 Bronco Dana 20 applications. The adapter kit comes complete with the conversion components required to retrofit your early Ford Bronco with the Aisin AX15. Kit includes: * New AX15 transmission * Transfer case adapter and transfer case shifter linkage bracket (T-style shifter only) * Transmission to engine adapter * Clutch disc * Crossmember mount kit * Shifter handle * The Transmission: This transmission is manufactured by Aisin Warner. The overall transmission case length is 24.000 in. The output shaft on this transmission is 23-spline and protrudes approximately .400 in. This transmission is normally found coupled to the AMC 4.0L 6-cylinder engine and seems to be one of the better transmissions Jeep used—very capable of handling the horsepower and torque of a V8 engine. * The Vehicle background and specs: The early Ford Broncos have always been a popular vehicle for conversions. These vehicles were normally equipped with a 6-cylinder or V8 engine up to a 3-speed transmission. On this transmission, Ford used two different lengths of adapter housings when coupling this 3-speed to the stock transfer case. The adapter housing is either 6 1/2 in. or 9 3/8 in. Vehicles equipped with a V8 had a 9 3/8 in. tailhousing which set the bellhousing further into the engine compartment. Vehicles with the 6-cylinder had a 6 1/2 in. tailhousing. This shorter adapter compensated for the longer engine. In 1973, Ford began offering the C4 automatic. A special tailhousing and output shaft was manufactured to couple this transmission to the stock transfer case. Ford no longer makes the C4 adapter. The 1966-77 vehicles were equipped to a Bronco Dana 20 transfer case. This transfer case, unlike the Jeep Dana 20, has the front driveshaft on the driver's side of the vehicle. The input gear of this transfer case is 6-spline. Ford always used a spud shaft that coupled this 6-spline transfer case to the transmission 28-spline. The transmission-to-transfer case adapters used both a dowel pin and alignment retainer. The spud shaft is supported in this retainer with a bearing. Advance Adapter adapter kits utilize this type of design. In some applications, the stock spud shaft is also retained. This transfer case has a 2.46:1 low gear ratio. In early 1973, Ford switched to a 2.34:1 low gear ratio. These transfer cases used two different shifter designs known as either the "J" pattern or "T" handle. The "T" handle was used from 1966 to 1972, and the "J" pattern from 1973 to 1977. The "T" handle shifter is a fairly simple shifting mechanism; and to retain it with an adapter only requires a pivot point for mounting. The "J" shifter requires the shift handle to be mounted in a location relatively close to its stock position. Retaining this shifter is hard to accomplish when adapting the various transmissions to the Dana 20. Vehicle owners with a "J" shifter are advised to either change the transfer case shifter rods and go to a "T" style shifter, or to contact one of the Bronco specialty shops that offer a twin stick replacement for the "J" shifter. A twin stick shifter replacing the "J" style should work with most of Advance adapters. Advance Adapter housings normally utilize the stock Bronco crossmember with the stock rubber supports. On new transmission assemblies longer than stock, this crossmember may need to be relocated. There are a few adapters that require this crossmember to be modified. These modifications are noted in detail on the specific adapter instruction sheet. Show Less