200TDI Gear Ratio

kurt702 · Monday at 22:28

I have a Defender 90 200 TDI with an LT77 and a 1.4 LT230. I enjoy travelling with it (camping etc) however especially when driving on the highway I feel that it revs too much to the point that it gives me a headache. I'm definitely consider swapping to a short bellhousing R380 with the 0.732 (V8) 5th gear so that I can cruise on the highway more comfortably.

However, my main question is, should I change the ratio of the LT230 to 1.2?

Being a 200TDI I don't want to sacrifice the ability to load it up with camping gear, roof rack etc. Perhaps the 1.3 Ratio would be a good fit instead of a 1.2?

Does anyone have any experience that can help me out as I have no other options to test out.

all help is appreciated thanks

lynall · Monday at 22:46

Welcome to LZ.

I would be wary of over gearing it as you could end up with a 4 speed car as fifth will be unusable on anything that resembles a hill.

Considered an overdrive?

On the other hand ear plugs are dirt cheap.

Anaconda · 2025-06-24T10:14:24+0100

Drive a bit slower on the motorway.
My son has a 200tdi and 1.2 transfer box. It is fine in most situations but it lightly loaded, lots of steep hills can prove a challenge though.
We stopped on a steep road in Wales once and had to use low range to get going again..
I have an overdrive on the TD5 and it's great on motorways etc.

landowner · 2025-06-24T10:29:10+0100

Depends on your wheels as well
If you replace big landy tyres with Disco wheels/tyres will gear it down 5mph or so and the higher geared transfer box will not be as much of a problem.
I once put a disco transfer box onto a V8 110 and it was doing 90 in third

300bhp/ton · 2025-06-24T10:35:37+0100

kurt702 said:
I have a Defender 90 200 TDI with an LT77 and a 1.4 LT230. I enjoy travelling with it (camping etc) however especially when driving on the highway I feel that it revs too much to the point that it gives me a headache. I'm definitely consider swapping to a short bellhousing R380 with the 0.732 (V8) 5th gear so that I can cruise on the highway more comfortably.

However, my main question is, should I change the ratio of the LT230 to 1.2?

Being a 200TDI I don't want to sacrifice the ability to load it up with camping gear, roof rack etc. Perhaps the 1.3 Ratio would be a good fit instead of a 1.2?

Does anyone have any experience that can help me out as I have no other options to test out.

all help is appreciated thanks

Why post this same question on multiple forums at the same time. Do you not believe the answers from one forum and want to play them off against each other or something????

300bhp/ton · 2025-06-24T10:36:40+0100

200TDI Gear Ratio

kurt702

New Member

lynall

Well-Known Member

Anaconda

Well-Known Member

landowner

Pensioner Pete

300bhp/ton

Well-Known Member

300bhp/ton

Well-Known Member

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