XJ buildup advise needed

XJ buildup advice needed

I have a stock 96 XJ, automatic 2 wheel drive, 160K miles, no rust.

Objective:
I am building the truck to handle daily driving activities in central Montana, long stretches of pretty rough dirt roads and some mild wheeling in the summer.
Gas Mileage is a consideration.
Tires would be at max 34”s.
I want to stay with the stock 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern.
Cost is a factor – I want to make changes in the right order 1 time.

I just found a used XJ Dana 44 rear from an 88xj [3.54 ratio], I’am planning to build it up with a TrueTrack differential.

Questions:
Should I go ahead and build the rear D44 with 3.73 gears?
Is a XJ High Pinion Front Diff the best option, or should I be looking into TJ front diffs as well?
Is the TJ readily available in 3.73? Is the TJ front diff from a later model TJ better than an older XJ Hp?

Would the XJ High Pinion Front Diff already be 3.54? I'm thinking this should be my first choice?


I’m thinking about going with the 242 transfer case. This would be great in the winter with the snow for daily driving. Is there a good source for rebuilt transfer cases?

What am I dealing with in adapting my existing auto tranny to attach the 242 transfer case? Tranny tail shaft and output shaft?

Any issues I should be aware of regarding drive shafts?

Basically I’m looking for the cheapest best way to achieve my objectives. I’m willing to spend $$ to do it right.

1. if your going to 34" tires, skip 3.54's go to atleast 4.10's and even 4.56's you want to do it once, so if you can find axles there already, great, otherwise get whatever you find and gear to what you want. I can't do gears, but have found those who do will charge less for an axle they can sit at to set up as opposed to be under a vehicle... so have it set up before it's in the Jeep. mileage will suffer with 3.73 and 34's, unless your doing ONLY long hiway miles, downhill and wind at your back.

2. transfer cases, find a newer 4x4 and grab the tranny & t-case, no need for a rebuild, and again you can work on the SYE (hack n tap or replaced shafts) while out of the vehicle.

3. driveshafts, whatever vehicle you grab the t-case from, grab the shafts aswell.

4. skip TJ front axles, they are LP, stick to the XJ fronts, upto 2000 I think... before that they are HP, stronger and better clearance.

Re: XJ buildup advice needed

ok, I see my error and agree that i need to move up to at least 4.10. Problem is I need to drive cross country on stock sized tires [pulling a trailer]. Maybe 4.10 would be a good choice. I'm worried about to cross country trip w/ 4.56 ratio.