Converting stock 2wd to stock 4wd

[faraiwe]

In that case - Full Steam Ahead!!!

You were talking about wrenching, right? Not mud-wrestling in grease with your guy friends?

No tool on tool! :nono: :looney:

It's tradition. Gotta have a few guys whenever a car is being worked on. Who else would you blame if something goes wrong?! Besides, I am betting that transmission is not feather light. I am not a small dude, but it might take more than a pair of hands to put that in place. Whew.

Will start part hunting this week. Already secured at least one sucke... FRIEND to help with the whole thing. Might even manage to make that a handful of folks curious to see how a Jeep comes apart.

 

[lawsoncl]

Just remember to spring for the pizza and beverages!

I'm a lightweight myself so I prefer a transmission jack for getting the trans in. Mine is just a floor jack with a 12" square plate bolted to the jack saddle. I do have enough room underneath so I can sit indian style and heft the xfer case into place though.

 

[faraiwe]

Hell, we'll go for BBQ and beer!!! :woohoo:

This may have to be done in increments - after the parts are secured. We're all military, so our schedules are hectic to say the least. Luckily, the post has a nice auto crafts center with hydraulic lifts and whatnot, and I *think* they can store my vehicle for a couple of days, while work is being done.

We'll see. I can hardly wait. Finding a complete assembly (AW4 + x-fer + shaft cover) is being a bitch, though.

 

[kastein]

You might consider picking up a junker off craigslist and stripping it as you install stuff on your jeep. Having the donor sitting next to the recipient makes everything easier. I've seen crashed XJs go for 300-400 on craigslist, just choose the right year range, make sure nothing you need is broken, buy it, drag it there and have a party.

 

[faraiwe]

Holy guacamole. I think I've secure the front axle + shaft and the AW4+Xfer case+tailshaft cover for just over $600, shipped, from a '00 XJ.

Quickie: is the 2WD rear shaft same as the one used in the 4WD? It looks as if the waaaaay longer tailshaft cover in the 2WD (that thing is about a mile long) makes for the length of the xfer plus shorter cover in the 4WD.

If that goes forth, and I don't need the rear shaft, then all I am missing is the shifter plus bezel, which I can get this weekend online.

SO... STOKED!!! :yelclap::woohoo:

t3h w00t!

 

[kastein]

rear shaft is different 2wd vs 4wd, unfortunately. The 2wd shaft is indeed about a mile long :roflmao:

The only thing you can't use from the donor parts you are getting is the rubber transmission mount and the crossmember, if it comes with that - no worries, your mount and crossmember will bolt up just fine. They just changed the rubber mount and crossmember for some stupid reason for 00-01 so that the mount has the bolts centered instead of offset.

Downside is that the front axle you are getting is going to be a low pinion d30. If you can avoid getting that part and save some money I would, you can pick up a high pinion one instead somewhere else for about the same price probably. This should only really matter if you are going to lift the jeep and put big tires on it at some point, a low pinion is perfectly fine for stock vehicle purposes.

Stick up a want-to-buy listing on the NAC Classifieds subforum for a rear 4wd driveshaft for a 96-01 with the same rear axle as you (do you have a d35 or a chrysler 8.25?) and you will probably pay no more than 20 dollars for it, or even get it free. A lot of guys scrap the rear shaft when they do a slip yoke eliminator kit install so there are plenty of them sitting around unwanted. I got lucky and a friend of mine had one sitting around he didn't care about.

 

[faraiwe]

I don't have any immediate, nor future, I think, plans to lift her. The 4x4 conversion is due to snow, light mud, etc. I am NOT going rock crawling nor mud-diving with that. I'd buy a Wrangler for that purpose! :gee:

So, lift aside, the low-pinion would be ok? I am about to tour the local scrapyards. Lacking any competition for the deal, I am taking it.

(do you have a d35 or a chrysler 8.25?)

Huh... I will check. Never bothered much to check before now. Figured it would be a common part across the model. Serves me right.

P.S.: When we go to serious mud we bring these:

 

[tykby3]

HELL YEAH!!!!

 

[faraiwe]

Update.

Lucked out! First junkyard, BAM! '00 XJ 4x4, even same color as mine. Crashed about six weeks ago. Parts seem to be in working order (still attached). There are two others - 97 and a 98 - that may provide miscellanea the '00 may not have. Better yet, estimated $150 less than the one online. W00t!

IF that '00 sucker is still there, and not harvested by this Saturday, I think I can get the necessary muscle to go in there, tear the parts out, and help me carry it to my garage. Then another weekend can be the slam-it-all-together time.


:woohoo:

 

[kastein]

I don't have any immediate, nor future, I think, plans to lift her. The 4x4 conversion is due to snow, light mud, etc. I am NOT going rock crawling nor mud-diving with that. I'd buy a Wrangler for that purpose! :gee:

So, lift aside, the low-pinion would be ok? I am about to tour the local scrapyards. Lacking any competition for the deal, I am taking it.

Huh... I will check. Never bothered much to check before now. Figured it would be a common part across the model. Serves me right.

P.S.: When we go to serious mud we bring these:

yeah, it'll be fine for that.

Update.

Lucked out! First junkyard, BAM! '00 XJ 4x4, even same color as mine. Crashed about six weeks ago. Parts seem to be in working order (still attached). There are two others - 97 and a 98 - that may provide miscellanea the '00 may not have. Better yet, estimated $150 less than the one online. W00t!

IF that '00 sucker is still there, and not harvested by this Saturday, I think I can get the necessary muscle to go in there, tear the parts out, and help me carry it to my garage. Then another weekend can be the slam-it-all-together time.


:woohoo:

I would pull the front axle from one of these rigs and only pull the tranny and transfer case stuff from the '00.

Not because you have plans to lift (since you don't) but why not get the absolute best part when you're paying the same either way? Just make sure the gearing is right (probably 3.55, check the tag on your rear diff, should read 3 07, 3 55, 3 73, or 4 10, probably 3 55 which is 3.55s) and get an axle that matches.

 

[tykby3]

my rear end had two tags said 6066 and the other said 3.5, thats it. what does that mean?

 

[kastein]

You are missing some numbers... clean it off and check again. I would bet there is another 5 after the 3.5.

 

[tykby3]

i read that after i cleaned it off, but your probably right, to me it looked like they didn't center the tag when they stamped it.

 

[tykby3]

I figured out that there is a jeep grave yard near where I live, so I figured I'd go snoop around there this weekend. I forget the name of the place though.

 

[faraiwe]

Leaving in 15m to harvest parts needed :woohoo:

::cue Jurassic Park overture:: :music:

 

[faraiwe]

Frustrating setback.

Saturday, ended up going there with one friend (we were supposed to be four, but two fell to too-much-drinking-last-night-itis.:cheers: Because of - ahem - certain side issues (trying to get two hung over idiots off bed is like herding cats, I tell you...:twak: we left them after a while, but it consumed precious time), we ended up doing the bulk of the work two of us.

However... the one '00 donor had disappeared! Apparently she caught not only my eye. The '98 back up was in pretty good shape, but popular, with people sniffing at it. Had to bark a little, actually. Unfortunately, the rear drive shaft has a 2" long dent, which makes me weary about it, and I did not take it. Got the linkage for shifter, shifter, front drive shaft, and assorted little stuff I needed for my vehicle, including a few niceties I can use.

BUT!

We were working for about 3hrs on it, when we hit a stubborn bolt, tucked away, and the they closed the place earlier that day. No biggie, we'd come back Sunday... WHEN IT POURED NON-STOP THE ENTIRE DAY. :flamemad::smsoap:

Ended up going. There were two big bolts (sides of clutch housing) and a handful of bolts, holding it to the engine. We were having the hardest time, given the angle the vehicle is (we're using jacks to prop the AW4), and I am still puzzled as to were the sogging heck is the one bolt we can not seem to reach, nor find. 30minutes of struggling with the seemingly unreachable bolt and the increasing dripping and muddying, we gave up and RTB-ed.:banghead:

Since I am on leave, but friends are on full-swing work schedule, we can only go back Saturday. I am wondering if I should go back on my own to fish that sucker out, but I am wary of ending up in 1000 Ways to Die ("Clutched!!") if that entire assembly (AW4, Transfer, crossmember) falls on me. I'm apprehensive. I want that sucker, and they seem popular, going fast. I need to find a schematic of the clutch housing, and what are the attachment points to the engine. The joys of newbieness.. :confused1

The front axle seems intact, if a little rusty. Wondering if it's worth the trouble. Anyone knows if the suspension linkage is any different? I could save a lot of time if I used mine, already on the vehicle.

 

[kastein]

That's actually the torque converter housing or bellhousing in the case of an automatic.
- there are 2 E12 inverse torx bolts at the top of the housing holding it on, along with the two big ones at 3 and 9 oclock, plus assorted 10 (or is it 12?) mm hex heads from the front of the bellhousing holding the inspection plate and bellhousing blockoff plate on, as well as holding the dipstick tube in place. There are also 4 15mm hex heads on the torque converter to flexplate mounting area, when you pull the inspection plate off you'll find them, you will have to rotate the thing to get at the other 3.
- suspension linkages are all exactly the same. When I pull an axle I bring a cordless sawzall - I cut the adjuster in the drag link, the 4 control arms, unbolt the shocks, cut the brake lines, and unbolt the track bar (might want to do that first actually) then either cut or unbolt the sway bar linkages. Takes me about an hour working alone but I've got a bit of practice.
- like I said you can probably get the rear driveshaft for 0 to 20 dollars, just post up a WTB listing on the NAC Classifieds here and see who's got one hanging around in your area.

 

[faraiwe]

That's actually the torque converter housing or bellhousing in the case of an automatic.
- there are 2 E12 inverse torx bolts at the top of the housing holding it on, along with the two big ones at 3 and 9 oclock, plus assorted 10 (or is it 12?) mm hex heads from the front of the bellhousing holding the inspection plate and bellhousing blockoff plate on, as well as holding the dipstick tube in place. There are also 4 15mm hex heads on the torque converter to flexplate mounting area, when you pull the inspection plate off you'll find them, you will have to rotate the thing to get at the other 3.

The reverse torx explain the weird stuff we could not identify. Hah! We got the big 9 and 3 o'clock bolts.
Wait. "rotate the thing" >> Huh?
So, when I remove the torx, and the myriad of small hex bolts, will the whole thing FALL OFF, or a hearty yank will be necessary, and then it would give me access to the flexplate mount?

 

[Shorty]

there are 4 bolts that connect the torque converter to the flexplate that you will want to remove before you remove all of the bellhousing-to-engine bolts.

To get to all four, you'll need to rotate the engine and bring them in line with the inspection cover one-by-one. This is MUCH safer (and easier) if the transmission is still attached to the engine.

 

[faraiwe]

In that particular donor, the engine is still in place, transmission is obviously STILL attached, much to my chagrin. You mean I'd have to crank the engine to align the four bolts, so as to remove them?

::hunting for the inverse torx sockets::