LS to AX15 swap coversion parts..."QuickdrawBrand.Com"???

marty79

marty79

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
Location
Newton, NC
Hey anyone heard of "QuickDrawBrand.com"...They offer a $695 Kit for bellhousing and adapter stuff for bolting a AX15 to an LS motor using other Jeep stock parts and chevy stock flywheel. It's about half the cost of Novak but was wondering if anyone has used them (since I've never heard of this company nor haven't done this particular trans with any LS motor).
thanks for any input guys
 
It's a 91 YJ AX15 going on 02 4.8. He has 2 trannys so it's what he wants to run and so far all other LS swaps I've done have been using factory chevy LS drivetrain.
 
I ran the Novak setup and bought a new AX15 from them as well. This Novak system uses a GM bell housing and an adapter plate. The original kit uses an external slave cylinder. In my application the external slave cylinder was hitting the trans tunnel and created a host of issues. They switched me to an internal slave cylinder which proved to be problematic because the bleeder valve was at 3 o’clock position and I played hell getting the air out. This setup looks pretty slick and the fact that this is a YJ you can always do a body lift for more room where I couldn’t with the XJ. This far the AX15 has held up nicely to spirited 0 to 60 runs and childish burnouts. :lol:

I like that there is no conversion plate on this setup. And you have an external slave cylinder VS an internal one.
 
In the picture below you can see the adapter plate between the trans and engine.

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QuickDraw is cheaper than advanced after you include flywheel and QuickDraw is better integrated with stock flywheel from 350 nbs trucks. Advanced uses custom flywheel $$$ that you can only get from them. Novak uses stock bell housing and adjustable throw out bearing (sketchy). Plus the QuickDraw and AA use a tj clutch slave you have to account for about 4 dead presidents to adapt Novak for hydraulic slave cylinder


QuickDraw is the best value and benefits from being designed 10 years after AA and Novak neither of which have made any major changes
 
Mac5005 said:
You can use a factory bell housing clutch and flywheel combo to get 4.8 to ax-15.

Gm used several versions of the ax-15 in different applications on engines with LS bell pattern 🤷‍♂️
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You could also swap in something greater than a 4.8 and AX15, but some people prefer the hard way.
 
Mac5005 said:
You can use a factory bell housing clutch and flywheel combo to get 4.8 to ax-15.

Gm used several versions of the ax-15 in different applications on engines with LS bell pattern 🤷‍♂️
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They are rare, and use internal slave cylinder. The gm version of ax15 was the ar5 and how many manual trans h3’s or v8 manual Colorado’s do you see in junkyards
 
jeepinmatt said:
You could also swap in something greater than a 4.8 and AX15, but some people prefer the hard way.
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4.8 has 350 lb ft with a mild cam, plenty for a crawler and run cooler than 5.3 but are the same weight as 4.0 there is a point where more Woopow does not gain anything when traction is limited. In a mud bog hell yeah. On muddy rocks, not so much. The reign of rocks series from flex rocks and rollovers saw more 4.8 than other ls
 
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Shreddinlettuce said:
4.8 has 350 lb ft with a mild cam, plenty for a crawler and run cooler than 5.3 but are the same weight as 4.0 there is a point where more Woopow does not gain anything when traction is limited. In a mud bog hell yeah. On muddy rocks, not so much. The reign of rocks series from flex rocks and rollovers saw more 4.8 than other ls
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You're not wrong, but if I'm LS swapping something, its gonna be at least a 6.2 and have 6 gears and be able to handle some torque.
 
I used AA adapter and chevy BH.
I do *not* recommend the ax15 behind an ls swap. You are essentially losing first and second gear. I could start from a read light on a hill in 3rd gear with that swap. It turned out to be a horrible choice. Maybe more sense if I had crawled it only - but in that case there would are much better trans choices for crawling only
 
Shreddinlettuce said:
They are rare, and use internal slave cylinder. The gm version of ax15 was the ar5 and how many manual trans h3’s or v8 manual Colorado’s do you see in junkyards
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Don’t need the whole trans just Input and bell.

Put the input into the ax15 and done.

Doesn’t have to be 4wd ar5 either. Can swap outputs and rear housing to go to 4wd with a 2wd ar5.

Can literally almost bolt any engine and tcase with an ax-15 and off the shelf replacement parts or junkyard parts.
Toyota, Saturn, jeep, Lexus, hummer, dodge all used variants.

www.pirate4x4.com

ax-5 swap alternative

www.pirate4x4.com www.pirate4x4.com

Sure the ax-15 isn’t the best, but they will handle the torque of a 4.8 fine.

Yes the internal slave models are less desired than the external, but really Isn’t a deal breaker. They last about as long as a clutch disc 🤷‍♂️
70CE743F-F6E3-407F-A7AB-A83864D16D95.png
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Go drive a rig with a 6.2 in it, guarantee your mind will change.
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Way off topic, but no it won't. No doubt it would be better, or even more fun. But mine went from ~14 second 0-60 to 7.4 seconds and I bought the full swap drivetrain for $1k. It just bugs me to hear it ain't worth doing if it ain't a 6.2 with a stage 3 cam and 600 wheel hp... it was definitely worth it.
 
This had 45hp due to the restrictor requirement and went 0-60 under 3 sec. I would have a blast driving a cj2a, a 6.2 would be fun, but it would take a lot of beefy parts to lay those ponies down and be reliable. Depends on what you want from your rig.

Would I love to drive a trophy truck, he’ll yes. But I can be happy with a lesser vehicle too.

I used to work for schaeffler (makers of luk clutch which is oem jeep) the internal slaves on the aftermarket or post production had a high incidence of warranty returns. Plus a stock Bellhousing and input are not always easy to find when 90+ percent of a model come in auto. The ar5 had 2 Bellhousing a. 1 for Isuzu ecotec 4 cylinder and vortec 4,5,6 and one for the v8, different input length and bell pattern on the 2. As far as I know, Colorado and and h3 were the only ones available in a pattern that fit behind the ls. Not saying unicorns don’t exist, but you have to get a hold of one, and factory bells are thin aluminum. I’d much rather trust a beefy aftermarket unit

Another thought is the Toyota trans had a steel mid plate capable of over 450lb ft and the jeep ax15 and ar5 used aluminum to save weight which isn’t as strong so they are rated at 300lb ft mixing jeep tail housing with Toyota mid plate (front cases are the same) and whatever internals give your preferred ratios would be a sweet unicorn!

That being said, I’m using a 4l60e with internals from an Escalade to match the power of a 4.8 since that’s what came behind it factory and I know parts availability will be there. Plus I don’t wanna look like a tool when I can’t figure out how to feather clutch in the rocks

4.8 QuickDraw ax15 is a good combo as long as you leave that ls stock
 

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LBarr2002 said:
Driving my LJ before and after junkyard aluminum 5.3 would change your mind on that.
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Doubt it. I have a 4.7 stroker in my TJ, and my neighbor has a 5.3 in his TJ, and they are not worlds apart on power. But I'd love to flog yours like I flog mine just to be sure :D
 
jeepinmatt said:
But I'd love to flog yours like I flog mine just to be sure :D
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Just gunna leave this here for everyone 💁‍♂️


paradisePWoffrd said:
Looks like you have your answer but @Croatan_Kid has an AX15/NV3500 in a truck, so maybe can comment.
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My stuff just bolts together...sorta like factory....because it is :D It was originally a long crank 4.8 (sticks out past the rear main .400" more than normal) and is now a short crank 6.0. Just changed the flywheel and bolted it back together. That said, I like the later model NV3500s. They fairly stout. It all depends on what transfer case you plan to run. They're 32 spline outputs.
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Go drive a rig with a 6.2 in it, guarantee your mind will change.
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I don't know bro, I got a customers TJ here with a Gen V 5.3, factory 3.08 gears on 35s and it down right scary as hell, stupid fast and way fast enough for a TJ short wheelbase street rig. If this had 3.73 gears like he wanted, it would literally be undriveable, as he already has mentioned in the rain, it is almost impossible to get traction. It was tuned for highest power output, running no cats (factory had 3), upgraded intake and like I said, who the hell would wanna go faster than this TJ is personally just asking for trouble...as in wreck lol. 400+HP in a car is one thing, 400+HP in a short wheelbase jeep on 33/35s that probably lifts front end off he ground half inch (lol) when slammed in the floor outta first gear....it's the most insane thing I've ever driven!
 
thanks for all the replies everyone, going to order the Quickdraw stuff for simplicity of install, I'm trying to stay away from making these complex hahaha (been there twice with the Gen V, and I need a break so this regular LS 4.8 needs to be a breeze)
 
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