Ford 8730 and TW-35 axle swap

Josh M.

Member
Location
Northeast Ohio
This may be a stretch but I have a 8730 FWA and a 2wd TW-35. The 8730 is getting up there in hours and it?s kinda small for our equipment so it will probably be traded off instead of rebuilt. My question is how hard is it to swap the FWA front end onto the tw35, the 35 has a drop box on it and it?s got a plate where the driveshaft goes. All I can think of is if there is some sort of difference in gearing because the 8730 has a power shift. So if anyone has done this or if it?s even possible please let me know.
 
As long as the axle on the 8730 is a ZF and not a Carraro, I'm pretty sure it will be a direct swap. That said, why in the world would you want to get rid of the powershift and keep that crashbox? If it were me I'd rob the aftercooler and turbo off the TW and put it on the 8730. That would pretty much make an 8830 out of it, the best big Ford you can get outside of a Genesis.
 
Awesome, mine is a ZF. So if I take the plate off the drop box on the 35 will I need to swap any gears from the 8730 or is it completely set up from the factory, my tw-25 doesn?t have a drop box so I?m assuming the 35 is set up for it. I?d rather have the 35, it?s in much better condition than the 8730 and I?d be trading the 8730 in on an 8870 or an 8970. The powershift is ok, I?m sure there?s some things I could do to make it shift better but the cab is kinda shot I?d rather trade it off for a genesis instead of spend a bunch of money on an engine rebuild and probably a trans.
 
I'd swap over the entire dropbox rather than try and exchange the guts. You have to drop the box anyways to remove the front cover. The 35 is using the box just for a handbrake, so the gear on the pinion should already be there. I'm guessing your 35 is newer than your 25, since the earlier TW tractors did not have the handbrake option like the later ones did.
 
Will the gears on the 8730?s drop box be incorrect for the tw35 because it has a powershift? Or will it go right in with no problems? Or 25 is a series 1 so it still has the parking brake in the trans, 35 is series 2.
 
I would be robbing parts off the TW and putting them in the 8730. I'd swap motor, cab interior, entire cab, etc, to keep the 8730 over the TW. Owning both I cant imagine getting rid of a 30 series in favor of a TW.
 
I don't think it matters. The dropbox bolts to the rear axle, not the transmission.

If you want to be 100% certain, go to the NH parts website and start comparing part numbers between the two models. I'm 90% certain they're interchangeable, but I'm not gonna give you the total 100% green light you're looking for.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top