Transfer case question

DezertXj97 · Oct 21, 2016

Hello IV searched and searched bout swapping my transfer case from a 231 to a 242 since I'm moving to the Pacific Northwest and heard the 242 was a great case for snow and ice now IV got a 242 out of a 92 Xj would that work in my 97?

IslanderOffRoad · Oct 21, 2016

The case will work but the connections may be different. Might have to cut and splice some wires

dan1977p · Oct 21, 2016

The only problem with 231 in snow is you need to come out of 4wd if you get onto dry pavement. Don't even need to change speed if you only use 4h to 2h

POSJ · Oct 21, 2016

dan1977p said:
The only problem with 231 in snow is you need to come out of 4wd if you get onto dry pavement. Don't even need to change speed if you only use 4h to 2h

Is there any fact to this or have you just read it somewhere?. The 10-11 XJ's I've owned have all had 231's and they shift just fine from 2h to 4h, just let off the throttle for a second to unload it...and while not advised for extended periods or high speeds it works just fine on pavement.

Saying that "you need to come out of 4wd" is misleading...there is a time and place for 4wd on pavement, like spotted/patchy snow in shadows around turns and situations like that. 4wd launches at the dragstrip(for those street XJ guys).

dan1977p · Oct 22, 2016

POSJ said:
Is there any fact to this or have you just read it somewhere?. The 10-11 XJ's I've owned have all had 231's and they shift just fine from 2h to 4h, just let off the throttle for a second to unload it...and while not advised for extended periods or high speeds it works just fine on pavement.

Saying that "you need to come out of 4wd" is misleading...there is a time and place for 4wd on pavement, like spotted/patchy snow in shadows around turns and situations like that. 4wd launches at the dragstrip(for those street XJ guys).

I assume you've never had your jeep buck becaus it was accidentally left in 4wd on dry pavement and you had to turn.

Bryan C. · Oct 22, 2016

POSJ said:
Is there any fact to this or have you just read it somewhere?. The 10-11 XJ's I've owned have all had 231's and they shift just fine from 2h to 4h, just let off the throttle for a second to unload it...and while not advised for extended periods or high speeds it works just fine on pavement.

Saying that "you need to come out of 4wd" is misleading...there is a time and place for 4wd on pavement, like spotted/patchy snow in shadows around turns and situations like that. 4wd launches at the dragstrip(for those street XJ guys).

Too many variables come into play when you make a statement like that. Just because it may not be apparent at the time you are still doing something that is not recommended. Yes, it is common knowledge that driving a "part time" transfer case like the 231 on dry pavement isn't a good situation, hence the term part time as opposed to full time. Similar to driving a spool on dry pavement, normally the tires slip and suffer wear when making turns. Differentials are made to compensate for the speed variations in side to side wheel speeds while turning. The same can be said for front and rear axles and drivelines when turning as well. With a 231 in 4h the front and rear drive shafts spin at the same speed. Any difference in tire size or wear, or any type of turns will put the drivetrain into a bind of some kind. Something has to give eventually. If you are lucky it is the tires that will give but prolonged periods of driving in anything other than a straight line will cause unnecessary wear and possible damage to your transfer case, drivelines, or axles.

POSJ · Oct 22, 2016

dan1977p said:
I assume you've never had your jeep buck becaus it was accidentally left in 4wd on dry pavement and you had to turn.

I have in fact, but that was operator error. That was not a xfer case messing up...

Bryan C. said:
Too many variables come into play when you make a statement like that. Just because it may not be apparent at the time you are still doing something that is not recommended. Yes, it is common knowledge that driving a "part time" transfer case like the 231 on dry pavement isn't a good situation, hence the term part time as opposed to full time. Similar to driving a spool on dry pavement, normally the tires slip and suffer wear when making turns. Differentials are made to compensate for the speed variations in side to side wheel speeds while turning. The same can be said for front and rear axles and drivelines when turning as well. With a 231 in 4h the front and rear drive shafts spin at the same speed. Any difference in tire size or wear, or any type of turns will put the drivetrain into a bind of some kind. Something has to give eventually. If you are lucky it is the tires that will give but prolonged periods of driving in anything other than a straight line will cause unnecessary wear and possible damage to your transfer case, drivelines, or axles.

Yeah Bryan I understand, I never said it was a good idea to drive around in 4wd constantly. I said that it is not advised, but the NP231 is a good xfer case and is able to be left in 4wd when/if needed when snow doesn't cover the whole road.

Just to be clear, there is no sarcasm or pompous attitude in my replies. I am just saying that an NP231 works on snow patched roads just fine. As well as peace of mind driving if you are unsure of the conditions on pavement...

dan1977p · Oct 23, 2016

So if we are both saying the 231 is fine but need manual input, what was the point of the previous post?

POSJ · Oct 23, 2016

You stated it as a "problem"...I disagreed...I'm not about internet arguments Dan. I gave my input, simple as that.

ehall · Oct 26, 2016

DezertXj97 said:
Hello IV searched and searched bout swapping my transfer case from a 231 to a 242 since I'm moving to the Pacific Northwest and heard the 242 was a great case for snow and ice now IV got a 242 out of a 92 Xj would that work in my 97?

The case can work, exact answer depends on the transmissions. If your XJ and the donor were both the same trans then yes. If one was different from the other then you might have to replace the input shaft on the 242 (see http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/np-nvg-input-gears and look at then lengths). You won't be able to swap the input from your 97 because the internal gear cut is different from 97 to 92, so if you do need a new input you'll have to buy one off ebay or somewhere.

You can swap the speedo from your 231 to the 242, that will work fine.

The indicator light circuit is different between the 231 and 242. If you want the lights to work, you will need to find the wiring sub-harness for a 242, or build your own (pretty simple). The transfer case will work fine without the lights.

All-Wheel-Drive capability of the 242 is far superior in rain and snow handling. Also great on tight trails being able to make sharp turns without having to backup

Transfer case question

DezertXj97

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IslanderOffRoad

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dan1977p

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POSJ

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dan1977p

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Bryan C.

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POSJ

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dan1977p

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POSJ

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ehall

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