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SYE installed...need drive shaft help

S

spacedoutxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
williamsport PA
It seems like hours of researching is getting me no where. All I'm trying to do is figure out what drive shaft I need. I wanted to use a stock front shaft, but it looks like it may be too short. I'm running only 3 inches of lift and that is where she is staying for a while. All over the internet I've seen people are using stock front shafts, but now I may not be able to? I saw somewhere that you can only use one with a C8.25 rear, I have a Dana35. Length aside...where does bearing cap and u-joint size come into play with all of this?? All that being said, I'm coming up with a drive shaft length needed at ride height is 33.5 inches, meaning about 32 inches collapsed. Where do I go from here????????????
 
AFAIK, you want a front shaft from a 4.0L auto cherokee,Same 1310 U joint is used in either drive shaft so bolt up that way should not be a problem. whether or not your drive shaft it going to be long enough to fit your dana 35 rear end is beyond me though, if you find out, please let me know, as i also have a yet to be installed SYE and a dana 35 rear end, and like you, i found lots of info about using the front shaft with a 8.25 rear, but nothing about the front shaft and a 35 rear, and AFAIK the D35 requires a slightly longer drive shaft than a 8.25 rear end would. anyone on here running a front shaft with a D35?

i have also read that there are some grand cherokee shafts that are even longer and could be used to cut to length. i have yet to pull this job off yet so the info im giving you is not 100% for sure information, just internet crap i have been reading before i take my conversion job on
 
Last edited:
Simple solution: take your front drive shaft off and put on the rear axle. Does it fit ? Depending on your your Jeep, and your SYE, it may or may not fit, but you won't know until you try.

Some Grand Cherokee drive shafts are longer. Bring your tape measure to the junkyard and consult the info at the link -> http://www2.dana.com/pdf/J321-CV.PDF

Any clutch and u-joint shop can lengthen or shorten and re-balance a stock drive shaft for about $75-125.
 
Lowrange2 said:
I tried to tell dude the same thing on a different forum but he don't believe me. ;)
Click to expand...

Oh I believe you alright. Why lie about your setup right?;) The SYE world is new to me so before I render myself unable to get to work I like to run my ideas by a few people to see if its possible. Plus if I screw things up I've got other people to point a finger at besides myself ;)
 
I just did 6.5 lift with SYE on my D44, turned the front drive DL around, it was too short. For about $130 at the DL shop it fits perfect, not one vibration coming from either the front or rear DL. While at the DL shop I got 2 sets of strap kits and new bolts to install. Out the door it was $251 for 2 drive lines and hardware.
 
Not to be redundant, but I too did about 6" of lift, grabbed the front drive shaft and it was just a bit too short. I took a tape measure and measured from yoke to yoke...then went to the JY with the tape measure and and the known length...crawled under about 5 XJ's till I found one long enough.

As I recall, auto tranny's are slightly shorter than the manual, so if you can find a front ds off of a manual, I believe it's about an inch longer or so...but GCs are another option.

If you're going to get a new shaft, however, I would personally recommend a local shop over Tom Woods...my experience with his customer service on two occasions has left me with a rather foul impression of his business and quality of his workmanship. Not to mention, if the local shop has crappy stuff and won't stand behind their work, at least you can toss your DS through their front window....mighty long toss from CA (or the side of the freeway in the middle of Texas) to whatever hillbilly backwoods town Tom Woods is at.
 
You will probably get by with any front ds from an auto XJ at you lift height but it you wanna be precise, here is the list....


BigC9164 said:
I was in the same boat as you. I had a 3" lift with the ax15/231/8.25 combo. I went with the JB CONVERSIONS SYE, it is the best on the market. And is still only $199. That company has very close ties with new process gear(the company that produces the np231)http://www.jbconversions.com/products/sye/np231j_std_sye.php

Here is a chart that lists all the drive shaft length for the xjs and zjs. You WILL need a longer one! I went with one of the longest ones available...33"... And I still only have about 2" of slip left in the driveshaft. I found one on eBay for $30 and repainted it and put new u joints in it. For a grand total of $250 for a full SYE and DriveShaft! And it has given me nothing but smiles!!!!

These are measurements UJOINT TO UJOINT

BOLD ONES ARE LONGEST

XJ 87/88 2.5 Automatic 27.950 53003912
XJ 89/93 2.5 Automatic 27.970 53005540
XJ 89/01 2.5 Manual 25.310 53005541
XJ 89/01 4.0 Automatic 30.660 53005542
XJ 89/01 4.0 Manual 29.250 53005543
XJ 89/00 4.0 Manual 27.080 Export 53005544
XJ 89/00 4.0 Automatic 28.620 Export 53005545
XJ 87/88 4.0 Automatic Export 53005260 *
XJ 95/01 Diesel 27.640 Export 52098208

ZJ 1993 4.0 Automatic 30.530 52098341
ZJ 93/95 5.2 Automatic 32.870 w/o CV 53008427
ZJ 94/95 5.2 A500 30.625 w/o CV 52087805
ZJ 94/95 4.0 A500 w/o CV 52098790
ZJ 93/96 4.0 Manual 52098344
ZJ 93/96 4.0, 5.2 31.875 w/ 231, 242 52087805
ZJ 93/95 4.0 Manual 30.000 w/231 52088090
ZJ 93/96 5.2 33.000 w/ 231 53008427
ZJ 96/98 5.2, 5.9 31.250 w/ 249 & Model 30 52098379
ZJ 1996 5.2 Automatic 32.875 w/ 249 & Model 30 52098501
ZJ 96/98 4.0 33.000 w/ 242 52098707
ZJ 96/97 4.0 Automatic 31.250 52098850
ZJ 1996 5.2 Automatic 30.750 w/ 249 & Model 30 52099246
ZJ 96/98 4.0 33.500 w/ 249 52099260
__________________
Click to expand...
 
does a Np231 have a shorter or longer prop shaft than a NP242??

im hoping to use a standard front prop shaft in my XJ 4.5 inches of lift , 8.25 rear extended shackles, and a NP242
 
The 231 and the 242 case size and overall length are the same to within 1/4" .
 
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