Atlas II 4.3:1 Review in progress

[Buckshot]

This was a PM response to CG, but I thought it would be good to offer my review of the Atlas. I will say that while I too get caught up in the "ooooo, check out the bulletproof atlas :drool: :drool:" mindset, this is a much more subdued review and one with both pros AND cons to the Atlas, its install, and quirks that are seldom discussed. With that caveat, here goes:

Overall, performance offroad is great - and the 4.3 is good - but I will be upgrading my brake booster - probably with hydraulic assist off the power steering pump because I can imagine some hairy situations where I need faster stopping power.

Contrary to some other opinions on this board, stock brakes WILL stop the 4.3 and hold it stopped as long as your foot is off the gas and you keep the brake mashed to the floor, its just much slower to get to a full stop. But if you are driving with both feet, the atlas wins over the brakes everytime.

As for comparing the 3.8 to the 4.3, I haven't found any problem with the 4.3 - even in a mud hole as opposed to technical rock climbing - but I've only been out once. I just know I have had so many other issues where I modified something and then said, gee I wished I went bigger or built stronger. So I went with the "no regrets" version - or so I feel right now. This was primarily based on Jefe's opinion because I respect it based on many of his other posts.

I'm still working through shifter issues, and for a daily driver, the atlas is not a good choice. The stock control-trac transfer case is an excellent winter driving choice for reasons that have been posted on this board before. But the other issue I have with the Atlas I don't think has been discussed much - it requires you to be moving at 1-5 mph AND in the case of an auto tranny be in Neutral to shift the sticks. It will require practice to get into neutral and shift both sticks before dropping from 5-0. No more hi-speed shifting into 4wd when you see a section of poorly plowed road with long patches of dry pavement. Decide if you want 4hi at a stop, and if you reach dry pavement, suffer the tire wear or pull over to switch back.

The Atlas also retains more inertia in the gears spinning than the stock case, probably because it is so heavy and bulletproof. But in a daily driver shifting the tranny must change a little. Even in 2hi when shifting from drive to park, even at a full stop you have to slow the shifter movement down and make sure you go to neutral first and wait for a second before shifting to park or you get a little grinding in the tranny on the park tooth as if you were still moving.

The cable shifters are going to work well and after putting them in in a temp location, I believe the measurements will work out to have the shifters installed in the center console in front of the cup holders without loosing my rear air duct work - which was the goal. But right now it sucks because I have the whole shifter just hanging sideways in the passenger floorboards. (I wasn't done and just wanted to get it ready for the "maiden voyage" at redbird.) shifting really requires some work and I have a lot of shiftrail small adjustments to get the shifting "just right". The cables have a little too much pressure on them and the front axle keeps wanting to pop out of low. The install manual talks about this being a common installation issue, even with the non-cable shifters - so I know it can be fixed, I'm just not there yet....

I will think of more later and add to this post - and I hope that this will spark some other discussion in the meantime.

As usual, I'll get some pics later. (I heard those groans....I swear I will add pictures this time!)

 

[dman726749]

glad to hear its finally out of the box in you office

 

[Jefe]

I'm still working through shifter issues, and for a daily driver, the atlas is not a good choice. The stock control-trac transfer case is an excellent winter driving choice for reasons that have been posted on this board before. But the other issue I have with the Atlas I don't think has been discussed much - it requires you to be moving at 1-5 mph AND in the case of an auto tranny be in Neutral to shift the sticks. It will require practice to get into neutral and shift both sticks before dropping from 5-0. No more hi-speed shifting into 4wd when you see a section of poorly plowed road with long patches of dry pavement. Decide if you want 4hi at a stop, and if you reach dry pavement, suffer the tire wear or pull over to switch back.

I agree that if you've never shifted an Atlas before it is quite a handfull. You'll get used to it though I'll shift back and forth between low and high and the guy behind me won't even know I've shifted. I can be going much faster than 5 mph to get in and out of low. (probably more like 10 mph into Low, and 25+ mph back to high) I find shifting it now much better & faster than the "come to a full stop, press brake, put in N, cross fingers, turn switch, wait for motor. . ."

As for shifting between 2wd and 4wd, you can do that at any speed you'd like, and without shifting the transmission, so I'm not understanding your problem?

 

[FAT CAT]

Thanks for the write up, let us know more after you've had it out a few more times.

I've been talking to Jefe about the Atlas and I'm pretty sure I'll add one next spring. Right now I'm leaning more towards the 4.3 & the cable shifters, but there are a few used 3.8's out there so we'll see what happens.

I'm also hoping to swap out the no-slip in the front for a selectable locker...if one ever comes out

Both Jefe and Ray Lobato said the Atlas was a huge improvement to there rigs & even now that I've decided to keep the IFS, I think will add a lot.

I think my wife will freak if I spend anymore on the truck this year so it will have to wait till next year.

 

[Buckshot]

I'm with you on the wife thing....after the atlas and all the other mods this year and now I think I've decided to sell the 4" superlift and 3" body lift and have DeFelice Offroad do my SAS next spring.

:eek She's gonna kill me.

 

[dman726749]

you meant to say that you will be giving me the superlift as a graduation present

 

[slravene]

how much would you sell the superlift for? I would be VERY VERY interested in it if the price is right PM me.

 

[FROADER]

I've driven Paul Bredehoft's Ex a few times with the 4.3 and like Jefe said, his is getting easier to shift with more use. It is also easier while moving a little faster. I'd like to eventually get one for mine as well.

 

[hvac man]

I agree that if you've never shifted an Atlas before it is quite a handfull. You'll get used to it though I'll shift back and forth between low and high and the guy behind me won't even know I've shifted. I can be going much faster than 5 mph to get in and out of low. (probably more like 10 mph into Low, and 25+ mph back to high) I find shifting it now much better & faster than the "come to a full stop, press brake, put in N, cross fingers, turn switch, wait for motor. . ."

I can say nothing bad about my AtlasII 4.3 and I've beat the hell out of it in the last year

 

[Buckshot]

hmm...anyone else have AA's new cable shifter option for the Atlas? Maybe that's where my concerns are.

I wasn't trying to make this a negative post on the Atlas. I've only had it out once on the trail, but am trying all sorts of shifts in parking lots and stop lights since this is still my DD. I'm just saying there seems to be a lot of things that I haven't gotten hammered out just yet. On the trail, when I've been able to keep it in low I loved it. And HVAC - I agree - this thing tends to bring out the sadistic tendancies because I feel like I want to abuse the rig more now that I know I have a more capable drivetrain.

Also on the positive side - contrary to the 1st post I read on explorer4x4 about the Atlas, I was able to get it installed without modifying the skid plate. Anyone else have an issue with stock skid plate clearance, and if so why did you choose to not rotate it to a "flatter" position?

And in response to the superlift offers - SPRING '06 at the soonest....slow down a little. I have to be able to afford the SAS first Especially since the superlift has only been on the truck for 3 weeks so far!

 

[Jefe]

You're the first that I know of that went with the cable shift option.
Do you have a 5.0? Because unless they changed the 5 bolt pattern for the A4LD family, it is not clockable. Also, without the body lift you would run into the body trying to clock it up further.

 

[Arnie897]

I would love to see some pictures of the cable shift vs the sticks if anyone happens to have these.

 

[hvac man]

Mine bolted right in and mounted to the factory cross member just fine. I just dented in the under side of the body in one small spot to make about an inch of clearance above the t-case so that it didn't hit when I was going fast over rough stuff The t-case does hang down but no further than the factory one and very rarely hits anything. I haven't even had a skid plate under it for almost a year. That might be the short wheel base of the 2 door vs the 4 door though.

 

[Buckshot]

I found some of my issues with shifting...adjustment of the cable shifters is a little screwy. Since I don't have a permanent mounting spot yet, the shifters move around. Part of the adjustment is rotating the barrel of the cables - so I have some play there. Also the normal shifter adjustments include variables at
1. the brass shift rod ends (maybe too tight)
2. the shift rail detents (maybe too tight)
3. the shift linkage rod position at neutral (must be parallel with the shift tower)
4. Cable barrel rotation adjustment
Looks like any of these things can affect shifting even if off by 1/4 turn. And so far I haven't found the right combination.

Also looks like the cables are so stiff that I cannot bend them to reach the appropriate shifter location to keep the rear air. I'm really thinking of losing the console entirely and putting in something aftermarket and just going back to the non-cable shifter solution.

For those of you who pounded out the floorboard to locate the handles just to the drivers side of the console, if the console were removed entirely, how far to the right would you have been able to move the shifters before binding the shift rods? Is this adjustable on the regular shift mechanism?