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Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:15 pm

What years and models of VW buses have gear reduction boxes?

Do these gear reduction boxes will work on a VW Thing?

I know early Mexican ones and German have them.

Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:53 pm

All bus models through 1967 had them.... the split bus and thing forums is where you want to be.

Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:56 pm

Nice question for the split window forum but I'll give it a shot. gear reduction boxes came on all buses up to and including the 1967 model year. from 1968 on was IRS (no reduction boxes.). if you really want to put a G.R transaxle in a thing you could but you would have to get a set of custom spring plates made up for the conversion. the stock thing spring plates won't work, for one thing they are too short.

And the GR bus spring plates will not work either. because the torsion bar splines and the spring plate bushings are both larger than what will fit in a thing. back in the day Sway a way used to make a spring plate that would work with a GR trans in a Type 1/ Type 181 torsion housing. so it's been done before

hope this helps. :D

Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:25 am

lots of type 181's has reduction gears but north american models never had them. i don't know if the RGB housings from a bus and thing are the same.

Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:12 pm

germansupplyscott wrote: lots of type 181's has reduction gears but north american models never had them. i don't know if the RGB housings from a bus and thing are the same.

I would say Yes. Now if the thing models that came with reduction boxes used the large or small stub axle GR boxes I could not tell you. I would think both types would fit because they mount the same in a bus. you would also have to put a Type 1 nosecone and hockey stick on the trans as well to make the conversion work. but having the right spring plates is key!