Upgrades for a 242 Transfer Case?

I have searched before someone tells me to do that.

What upgrades are available for a 242 transfer case?

I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ about 5.5" of lift, recently installed 4.10 gears, Detroit Tru-Tracs front and rear and have bee getting nasty vibes on deceleration and over 50 miles an hour. I added about 1" of lift with all the other parts i installed to get to the 5.5 and I assume that has what has lead to the vibrations.

Now because of the vibrations I ordered a Tom Woods SYE kit and new Double Cardan axle. So i figured while I have my T-Case apart I could do some upgrades to it if they were available.

On a secondary question is it necessary to remove my T-Case in order to install the SYE? If so I am gonna drop it all off the jeep this weekend in preparation for receiving the parts mid week so I can reinstall next weekend.

thanks!

What do you mean by upgrades?

There aren't any off the shelf mods for a 242 beyond an SYE, that I'm aware of. Even then, just because you're working on something doesn't mean you should change everything about it. If you have no reason for a change, why bother?

And no you do not have to remove the t-case to install an SYE. In fact I pulled the hole back half of my 242 off twice in the last month, all while it was still under the rig. Granted, my rig is lifted high enough and on big enough tires that I can sit under my rig cross legged fairly comfortably though.

Upgrades are just because. If I have it apart I would rather upgrade it then to have a weak link to break later on. It is in my nature having raced turbo buicks for over 10 years I tend to overbuild so I do not break things.

Unfortunately I can not sit comfortably under my jeep, but also don't want the hassle of pulling it out if I do not have to. If it is simpler and easier to pull it out and do the SYE install then thats what I will do.

Suggestions appreciated!

It's easy to remove the case. but isn't the only sye available for the 242 a HNT. So i don't believe you have to even pull it apart. just cut the output shaft down, drill and tap, then put your flange on.

I did my 231 sye on a bench before I swapped for my broken 242, very easy. My brother did his sye under his rig and he got it done pretty easily as well. Next sye I do, I will likely pull the case and install a novak shifter as well.

There arent too many upgrades for the 242, mainly the 231. Which sye did you get?

The complete setup is coming from Tom Woods. It is not a HnT, it is their full replacement.

For the full sye, I'd say pull the whole case.

Unless your young and limber like myself, doing it under the rig would be a pain in the arse. As far as other mods the only thing I can think of that you might look into is the cable shifter. But honestly, unless you're looking to just blow money...it may not be worth looking into right now as that can easily be installed under the rig too (I believe).

Maintenance wise, while you have the case off I'd look into replacing the vent tube o-ring, and pump filter (they tend to harden and eventually can go loose in the case).

FWIW, I have a hack n' tap SYE on my 242...which I did under my rig.

the only upgrade I know of is a 4:1 low range from teraflex

I installed my Tom Woods SYE in my 242 case. I did not remove the "T" case to install it. The install is fairly easy if you have the Tom Woods instructions and an excellent pair of external snap ring pliers with the flat tips. The other tools needed are a good chisel, hammer, some large common screw drivers, 12 point metric sockets, metric wrenches, locktite, and some good case sealant. The hardest part for me was reinstalling the parts. The shaft went in easy but keeping the back case half, case pump, the pump suction line aligned and not get sealant everywhere was a challange. Instructions are on his website.

Good luck, if I can do it you can also.

There aren't really any off-the-shelf upgrades but if you are willing to do some work there are upgrade paths available. Specifically the 242 came in a few different configurations for different vehicles and you can mix and match some parts. We have the weakest model with the 242-J, then there is the Dodge 242-HD used for the Durango, and there is also the 242-AMG that is used on military HMMV (no 2WD, just 4WD PT and FT). The -HD and -AMG have bigger chains and I think they have different planetary gears too. The -AMG has a cooler option. You can also do a real SYE instead of a H-n-T from Woods if you can get the shafts. It may be possible to simply move the entire -AMG innards to a -J case and get the strongest setup.

You can buy an -HD from a junkyard. The -AMG shows up on ebay periodically or you can buy them in lots at military govt auctions

RNMedic said:

the only upgrade I know of is a 4:1 low range from teraflex

Click to expand...

For the 242 ? Got a link?