Porch951
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Albuquerque, NM
Well, i got tired of searching through this forum and reading "it's been discussed before", and never finding where it was discussed before...so here goes.
What you'll need:
Transmission/transfer case
Front/rear driveshafts
Front axle
Linkage and handle
Vacuum setup (depends)
Transmission/Transfer case:
These can be out of any year, to my knowledge. Obviously lower mileage is better. If you get a newer transfer case, you won't have to deal with the vacuum setup (mine came from a '98 and is vacuum-less). Crossmember is the same from 2wd to 4wd.
Tips:
-Make sure the torque converter is FULLY seated. You should NOT be able to get a finger behind it. Try to drain the fluid out of it while the trans is out of the car as well.
-You will notice there are three transmission electrical connectors. One of them is different between 2wd and 4wd transmissions, the other two are the same. The one that is different has 5 wires, instead of 3 on your 2wd transmission. If you look closely, you'll notice that 3 wires on the 5 wire plug are the same color as the 3 wires from your 2wd connector. The other 2 wires are for the switch that turns your 4wd light on.
My solution was to cut and splice the 2wd connector onto the 3 corresponding wires, and leave the 2 wires that turn the 4wd light on disconnected. You can do it however you want, though
Front/Rear driveshafts:
There are at least two different lengths of these, and two different styles.
Length: There may be a difference between 2- and 4-door models, i'm not sure. There is a difference of 1" between the manual and automatic driveshafts. Make sure you get the right length!
Style: The older transfer cases will use a rear driveshaft that slips inside the transfer case, newer transfer cases use a driveshaft that sits externally and has a rubber boot. Make sure you get the right kind!
Front Axle:
Not much special here. Get a front axle with a ratio matching your rear axle. Older axles are vacuum disconnect and can be actuated via a vacuum switch (search around on here), newer axles are non-disconnect and don't require any extra work (that's the route i took!). Everything is interchangeable between the front 2wd "axle" and the real 4wd axle...spindles, rotors, calipers, everything.
Linkage and handle:
I had at least 3 people tell me it had to be out of the same year, but i don't think it does. I installed '95 linkage in my '93. The only differences are between the auto and the manual--get the correct one for your application. The linkage is adjustable and will need to be adjusted once installed. It seems that around '95 the mount that goes on the
trans tunnel was updated with rubber bushings, so that's the one i chose. All the holes are already in position for the mount and the handle, but it pays to have a buddy on this part.
Adjustment: Once everything is installed, you'll need to adjust the linkage. Loosen the bolt located on the rod coming from the 4wd handle. While pushing forward on the bolt area, press backwards on the rod. This will force the handle "down" into the 2wd area and ensure that you have enough throw on the handle to make it into 4LO. Make sure to snug up the bolt.
Vacuum Setup:
Can't help much here, i went with a newer trans/transaxle and front axle, neither of which use vacuum. If you have a vacuum actuated transaxle, i would recommend picking up an entire vacuum harness from a junkyard. For the front axle, search on here, i believe people have been using HVAC switches.
Good luck, it doesn't get much easier than this! Everything is bolt-in, and the only difficulties are with the sheer weight of some things.
:viking:
~Chris
What you'll need:
Transmission/transfer case
Front/rear driveshafts
Front axle
Linkage and handle
Vacuum setup (depends)
Transmission/Transfer case:
These can be out of any year, to my knowledge. Obviously lower mileage is better. If you get a newer transfer case, you won't have to deal with the vacuum setup (mine came from a '98 and is vacuum-less). Crossmember is the same from 2wd to 4wd.
Tips:
-Make sure the torque converter is FULLY seated. You should NOT be able to get a finger behind it. Try to drain the fluid out of it while the trans is out of the car as well.
-You will notice there are three transmission electrical connectors. One of them is different between 2wd and 4wd transmissions, the other two are the same. The one that is different has 5 wires, instead of 3 on your 2wd transmission. If you look closely, you'll notice that 3 wires on the 5 wire plug are the same color as the 3 wires from your 2wd connector. The other 2 wires are for the switch that turns your 4wd light on.
My solution was to cut and splice the 2wd connector onto the 3 corresponding wires, and leave the 2 wires that turn the 4wd light on disconnected. You can do it however you want, though
Front/Rear driveshafts:
There are at least two different lengths of these, and two different styles.
Length: There may be a difference between 2- and 4-door models, i'm not sure. There is a difference of 1" between the manual and automatic driveshafts. Make sure you get the right length!
Style: The older transfer cases will use a rear driveshaft that slips inside the transfer case, newer transfer cases use a driveshaft that sits externally and has a rubber boot. Make sure you get the right kind!
Front Axle:
Not much special here. Get a front axle with a ratio matching your rear axle. Older axles are vacuum disconnect and can be actuated via a vacuum switch (search around on here), newer axles are non-disconnect and don't require any extra work (that's the route i took!). Everything is interchangeable between the front 2wd "axle" and the real 4wd axle...spindles, rotors, calipers, everything.
Linkage and handle:
I had at least 3 people tell me it had to be out of the same year, but i don't think it does. I installed '95 linkage in my '93. The only differences are between the auto and the manual--get the correct one for your application. The linkage is adjustable and will need to be adjusted once installed. It seems that around '95 the mount that goes on the
trans tunnel was updated with rubber bushings, so that's the one i chose. All the holes are already in position for the mount and the handle, but it pays to have a buddy on this part.
Adjustment: Once everything is installed, you'll need to adjust the linkage. Loosen the bolt located on the rod coming from the 4wd handle. While pushing forward on the bolt area, press backwards on the rod. This will force the handle "down" into the 2wd area and ensure that you have enough throw on the handle to make it into 4LO. Make sure to snug up the bolt.
Vacuum Setup:
Can't help much here, i went with a newer trans/transaxle and front axle, neither of which use vacuum. If you have a vacuum actuated transaxle, i would recommend picking up an entire vacuum harness from a junkyard. For the front axle, search on here, i believe people have been using HVAC switches.
Good luck, it doesn't get much easier than this! Everything is bolt-in, and the only difficulties are with the sheer weight of some things.
:viking:
~Chris