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Tranny swap

Indwind

NAXJA Forum User
Is the AW4 tranny the same in a two wheel drive and 4 wheel drive XJ. I have a 90' and I'm looking to swap in a complete drivetrain of a 92'(motor, tranny, fuel management etc.) and I need to know if the trtansfer case will bolt up. Also would it be worth swapping out the rear end from the same 92'?? Thanks....Bruce
 
The transmission is the same, but the tailpiece and output shaft are different in design and length from the ones designed to hook up to a tranfer case. Also, 1991 is supposed to be thyear when AW4 tranmission output shaft went from 21 spline to 23 spline. In other words, you may have to swap the input gear (23 splien) on the 1992 transfer case to accept the 1990 21 spline AW4 output shaft. I cannot remember which year is the break between the cable-drive speedometer used on your 1990 and the later systems: have a look at this part on the 1992 to check, and look at the wiring harness- you may have to match the connections across the years if the connector changed (and lots did when jeep went chrysler parts). The wire colors never seem to match, Renix (1990) to HO generation.
Edit: I just found an old message I saved about this: author (not recorded) stated he had an 87 Cheorkee with the stock renix motor and he swapped trannys from a 91 jeep to get the 23 spline output. "All wires were the exact same on both trannys so I just swapped everything, it was plug and play" His only problem was accidently knocking the vaccum pipe of the MAP sensor- easy fix! Sorry I can't verify this.
 
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Thanks for the reply Bob, that info helps alot. My XJ has a ton of miles on it and I just scored the 92' from my sister-in-law tonight. It's only two wheel drive though but for free I can't complain. It runs and drives but wont pass smog, I figured I would pull the motor and tranny and rebuild them bullit proof then when the need arises just swap them out, anyway thanks for the post...Later...Bruce
 
Is your tranny acting up or just the motor?
It is a lot easier to just swap in a motor than try to get everything from the newer system into the older jeep. What electronics/emissions system are you planning on running?
 
4xBob said:
The transmission is the same, but the tailpiece and output shaft are different in design and length from the ones designed to hook up to a tranfer case.
I was interested in doing a Tranny Swap as well, from Manual to Auto.

I've got a 2WD / 2.5L / AX-5 in a '95 Cherokee. So if I want to swap in an automatic, the donor car must be a 2WD like my own. I was hoping that it was possible to swap the tailpiece, but that won't work because the output shaft is different as well. I'm betting it would be cheaper and easier to find a new donor transmission than it would be to change out the output shafts to make it compatible with 2WD. Am I correct in these assumptions?

What about driveshafts? Do all 2WD have the same driveshaft, regardless of transmission? OR are there different length driveshafts and/or prop shafts for manuals and automatics, even different manuals and automatics?

Axle Ratios? Are they the same between automatics and manuals?

I saw a reference that stated all the 93-96 Cherokees with 2.5L I4 came with a 4.10 axle ratio, with a 4.56 option. But, yet there was a 3.55 available as well, and since the top gear of the 30RH (well any 3spd auto) is 1.00 and the top gear of the AX-5 is 0.85 OD, you work the numbers for the final drive ratio (FDR) in top gear and a 30RH with a 3.55 rear end, gives the almost the same FDR as an AX-5 with a 4.10 rear end. I've would "THINK" the automatic came with a rear end ratio that was at least close to a FDR as the manual.
 
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