Hi Mr.Waraich,
Aint Tempo Excel a Tata 407 type of truck. If its that, why do you want a the Gurka gearbox for it. Although i am not sure, the Excel, since it is a heavy duty vehilce it might have a heavier gearbox that the trax, so why would you want to de-grade it. And if it shares the same engine as the Gurkha, i.e. has the same amount of power, than it is very likely it has the same gearbox, coz they would put the lowest 1st gear ratio gearbox on the truck, therefore it might have the same ratios as the trax or even lower ones, so you dont need to change the gearbox. What you do need for converting it to 4x4(that is if its not already a 4x4), is the transfer case, which in the case of the Gurka,or other familiar force vehicles, is a divorced transfer case unit, so it will fit in almost any vehicle, but you would want to use that only if the excel makes about the same kind of power that the gurka does. If it produces more than 1.5 times the torque of the gurka, then please dont use it as it probably would not be able to handle the torque and break someting. But then you could also use a tata transfer case, which also is a divorced unit and will be easily available in manimajra, chandigarh, and is almost a direct fit, with ofcourse need the mounts to be fabricated to load it into the frame.
Also if the Excel is a Tata407 kind of truck then it certainly uses heavy duty axles, of about 3-ton or more ratings. The Gurka axle(rear one) has a rating not more than 1.2 tons(the front having even lesser), so it would not be axle to take the load at all. Even if you would want to use the diff-locks in a normal trax axle, it would not fit without some very neccessary parts. The diff-locks used in the gurka are of the dog clutch variety,and relys on splines on both the axle shafts and the differential carrier,with a sleave, fork, and shifter, so these certainly will be changed and also would be one full side of the axle housing, that is if it comes apart. If not ,you would have to buy a new housing. The bottom line is even if you would want to change a normal trax axle to the ones having a diff lock, you would almost have to change 95% of the parts so ,you are better off with a new axle. But since you have a heavier axle(than the Gurka) in your truck, you have no choice but to go for a equivalent or bigger axle. The Army Tata trucks have a diff lock only in the rear axle, but they are very big axles. The Tata407 has axles with about the same size ,weight and rating, so they would be the best choice. The Army Tata407 is advertised with a difflock, but so far i have not seen any of them having one(My uncle was a BSF DGP till about 2 months ago when he was promoted to DGP-Himachal, and i saw plenty of TATA 407 with them, but so far i hav'nt seen any with a difflock,fornt or rear, although it looks quite odd to me, coz the primarily role of the BSF is to guard the borders and the India-Pak border is mostly a desert where you do need the diff-locks). Even the Swaraj trucks provided to the BSF have LSD's, so i wonder why TATA 407, which are even advertised that way,do not have it. If you can locate any TATA sales person, then do ask them if you could order a differential with a diff-lock. Also the Front and Rear TATA407 axles have identical differentials except the obvious changes, so the locks made for a rear axle can be made to fit the front axle with a modified front axle shaft(only 1 side , not both axle shafts of the axle, and would be made from a rear axle shaft).
If the diff-locks for the Tata407 axles cannot be located, then you would have to use the heavier axles or you could go in for a mahindra loadking/cabster axle. I am not sure, but the axle used on the mahinda loadking/cabster looks exactly like a Dana60(you would have to find that out before you do anything). A difflock for a Dana 60 is available in the states but an switchable difflock usually costs in the range of about a $1000 dollors, and not only that, there is no vehicle in India that has a similar axle used at the front, so then again you could either use another axle at the front, like your existing axle(if its a front wheel drive) or a Tata407 front axle, but you would then not have a diff-lock at the front. Another choice is to order a dana 60, dana70, dana 80 from the states but a front unit of the abovementioned axles generally costs about $3000 dollors there, and that too without a diff-lock, which you would have to buy seperate. New Tata 407axles would be the cheapest, if you could find the diff locks for it.
Regards,
Bikram |