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why do you guys spend so much on t-cases???

scorpio_vette

NAXJA Forum User
i was talking with a couple buddies a few days ago, and ran across some numbers that didn't make sense to me.

i see so many people spend tons of money on the tera 4:1, 2low wide chain upgrade etc.etc..etc.. and end up spending upwards to $1,500-$2,000 to end up with a "modified" 231.

why don't you just go to the dealership and buy a rubicon t-case brand new with warranty for around $1,300??? hell you could still add the tera 2lo if you really need it, and still safe money over the tera 4:1.

just curious...............
 
i know about the other options. i was just asking about this specific one cuz i just couldn't see justifying that kind of money to upgrade a old t-case when i could buy basically the same thing brand new with warranty and it would be 98-100% bolt on. and so i was wondering if i was overlooking something, or if those people just didn't know that you could buy rubicon t-cases that cheap.
 
I just took it as people having too much money to blow on stuff. Since I have a 242, I don't have a 4:1 gearset option, but I'd gladly plunk down $300 for a late-model used 231 and whatever it is for a 4:1 gearset if my 242 ever goes out.
 
i haven't physically looked at one up close, but having looked into some other drivetrain mods in my 97TJ and having read some stuff online, i think the only thing that might/will have to be changed would be the shift linkage and driveshaft mounting.

as far as bolting on, it should be a straight swap. i don't think there would be any spline count differences except with the older jeeps with the 21 spline or whatever those older once are.

actually my wife's ax15 is slowly on it's way, and she is thinking about installing the 6speed manual that they have in the new jeeps along with a rubicon t-case. but the tranny swap is a whole different story.

i'll try to look through my favorites and find the writeups for the rubicon rock trac transfer case install.
 
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found 1 of them:

NV 241J Rock-Trac 4:1
The NV 241J Rock-Trac is arguably the best transfer case to ever come in a Jeep. Its 4:1 low-range, reinforced housing, and bolt-on yokes make it an Atlas competitor, and at price of $1,600 from JB Conversions (337/625-2379, www.jbconversions.com), it's more affordable too. Right now the applications it will work with are limited to Jeep and Dodge transmissions with 23-spline output shafts. But it is a direct swap into any Jeep with an NV231, and it's a lot stronger too.
131_0303_top04_z.jpg
 
not unless you can upgrade the tranny output to the 23 spline. which i'm sure that has been covered around here somewhere on the forum since there have been many posts on swapping newer t-cases in older XJ's.
 
GunmetalXJ said:
Go with a Stak 3 speed for around 1800 for the best performance

Where are you getting the 3 speed for $1800???

Also, I believe there are also speed sensor modifications necessary to run the 241J.
 
oops......i could have sworn i saw a company somewhere that was working on a 2lo kit for the np241OR. maybe i'm thinking of something else. man i spend to much time on the computer. lol

well either way, for the price it still seems like a simpler solution. and i'm sure it's just a matter of time before a 2lo does come out for that t-caseif i can't find it anymor.e
 
scorpio_vette said:
found 1 of them:

NV 241J Rock-Trac 4:1
The NV 241J Rock-Trac is arguably the best transfer case to ever come in a Jeep. Its 4:1 low-range, reinforced housing, and bolt-on yokes make it an Atlas competitor, and at price of $1,600 from JB Conversions (337/625-2379, www.jbconversions.com), it's more affordable too. Right now the applications it will work with are limited to Jeep and Dodge transmissions with 23-spline output shafts. But it is a direct swap into any Jeep with an NV231, and it's a lot stronger too.

Where are you quoting that from?

I ask because I talked with John White of JB Conversions late last spring about the 241 t'case. As of March 2006 the cost of a brand new NVG241 through them was $2200, plus you needed a new rear yoke at $80. At the time he was also looking at trying to do some type of bulk-buy, but even then the retail price was going to be like $1800. Used ones usually sell for about $1000-$1200, if you could find one, last I checked. At those costs for new ones, I'd just as soon spent the money on an Atlas or a STaK MB2 and get a stronger, gear-driven unit that's twin-sticked.

The reason you see a lot of guys with built 231's is you can do it over time. $200 for an SYE here... $200 or less for a 2LO kit there... ~$900 or less for a TeraLOW later on... it's not one big upfront charge.
 
i couldn't find my favorites on that one any more, so i just did a quick search online and found that, but the quote that i personally got was directly from the dealership. their regular price was $1,300 at the time. so if you have a friend that works at a dealership, you could get it even cheaper. now that quote was given to me last summer, and that was also here in milwaukee. from reading here on the forum, prices seem to change from place to place. yeah it's a good chunk of money, but i figured if i save up and put the money aside, then when the t-case finally goes out, i'll have the money ready for it and all i have to do is swap the t-case and install a rear driveshaft.
 
Instead of a SYE on a 231, why aren't people going for a NP208J? It's already fixed yoke and stronger than the 231. If anyone near Seattle has a 231 out we can compare before I put the NP208J into my '87 Comanche with the AX-15 in place of the Pukeout BA 10/5 (which is 2wd anyways)
I won't be installing it till next week anyways (gotta move ALL my stuff from the $$$ old storage to the $$ new storage to have it closer, 24 hour available and save a few buck$)
 
Are NP208J's readily available for order online at most 4x4 shops for about $199 shipped? Can you get a 2LO kit for the 208? or a 4:1 kit for it?

What's the NP208J anyway? I've only heard of the regular NP208... Is there a difference?
 
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