The design of the MD4-2D has beefed up all the weak areas of the VW 091 with a completely new heavy duty case and gear set for off-road applications up to 500hp. It includes a 10″ diameter spiral bevel design ring and pinion gear set. When you compare this to an 091 ring that’s only 8″ diameter you’ll immediate understand the value of the Mendeola MD4S-2D transaxle. The ring and pinion tooth set is designed for maximum power delivery to the rear wheels for race applications. It’s the same size gear set currently used by the World Of Outlaws sprint cars, NASCAR Super Modified cars, and the Craftsman Super Truck series, so you know it’s strong. The gear set is also available in reverse rotation sets for Corvair and Honda applications, or mid engine sets.
In addition to a larger ring and pinion in all MD4 transaxles, the MD4-2D includes a beefy transmission gear set from Weddle Engineering which is much stronger than an 091 VW transmission gear set. A variety of gear set ratios are available and careful consideration should be taken to provide yourself with the ideal set-up for your car’s horsepower, weight, and tire diameter.
At a glance the physical attributes of the Mendeola MD4 are similar to VW, but they are as different as night and day when you need extra strength to harness more horsepower. A close look and you’ll see a massively reinforced case. The bell housing mates to air cooled VW motors as normal, but places the starter motor at 12 o’clock instead of the 10 o’clock position on the VW. Adapters and clutch kits for almost any engine you want are available from KEP (Kennedy Engineered Products).
Another nice benefit is the MD4 case is narrower, allowing the axles to be longer, which in turn reduces the angle the CV joints must work. But most important to note are the transaxle chassis mounts. The MD4 added more strategically positioned chassis mounts to absorb all the shear load of more powerful motors. In addition, the MD4 case is physically larger to accommodate the bigger ring and pinion, which affects chassis mounting when compared to a VW transaxle. All reputable chassis makers know how to mount the MD4. If you want a Mendeola transaxle, you need to order your chassis specific for the MD4 case since the mounting locations are different than VW transaxle mounts. If you already have a VW transaxle in your car and need something more, many people have replaced their weaker 091 transaxles with the MD4 by relocating their chassis mounts for the MD4 case (See Summer ’97 issue of Sand Sports Magazine).
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