AX-15 -> AW4 swap?

I've got a '90 XJ with an AX15. It's set up pretty much exactly as I want, so I don't really want to replace it.
However, my wife will need to start driving it in order to haul some gear, and the clutch too heavy for her to handle. I'm thinking of swapping in an auto so she can drive it. I did some searching, and it seems that the swaps are always auto to manual, and not the other way around, so I wasn't able to find much. Is this a do-able thing, or should I not even contemplate it?

It's doable, but there are so many auto xj's out there that most who want an auto just buy an auto

Understood, but say I want to keep this particular Jeep...
As I understand it, the transmission is all electronically controlled, and the NP231 should bolt right up to it. So it should just be a matter of finding the appropriate sensors and wiring harnesses? I put a/c into this rig in a similar manner, so I'd think the auto should be similar?

Look at raddesigns. Talk to rory, you may be able to swap in. A aw4 without having to swap in the tcu and the wiring harnesses.
http://www.radesignsproducts.com/#2709

were about to do this exact swap...we'll be using a stock shifter with the RAD designs baja shifter to eliminate the tcu...its a crawler so full manual control is preferred


if you want to maintain the tcm then its just as simple as swapping in the harness as well as the control unit...having a wrecked donor would be optimal


or save a ton of money and time and teach her to DRIVE a car... it will get better mileage and have a much longer life with a 5 speed

Thanks for the raddesigns link. With it, it sounds like I just need the flexplate, TC, cooler lines, shifter, and trans. I was worried that swapping in the TCU would require a lot of sensors and increase the effort.
It sounds like this rad designs shifter really just sends a signal to the transmission to to control what forward gear to be in, while the stock shifter controls whether the tranny is in fwd/rev/neutral/park?

My wife actually does (did) drive a stick very well. She now has a med condition, and the clutch is too heavy for her to operate. Otherwise, it'd be fine....

You need different driveshafts as well, and in a '90 that came with an AX15 you're going to need a 23 spline AW4. If you want an OEM level install it'll be pretty in depth and annoying, but if you can do fine without the TCU and don't mind using an RADesigns shifter or similar, you get a lot more leeway and the swap's much simpler.

Stuff you need, off the top of my head, probably forgetting some things:
* RENIX flexplate
* tranny, torque converter - make sure the throttle valve cable on the trans isn't damaged and has the ferrule to clip onto the throttle linkage. You may need a RENIX era specific throttle valve cable, I'm not sure. Aim for a 91-97 trans (since you need 23 spline output shaft) if doing an OEM level install with the TCU, you can use up to an 01 trans if you are using a manual shifter like the RADesigns one.
* cooler lines (dorman 624-300, 624-301, 624-334, and 2x 800-714)
* possibly an automatic radiator (if yours is getting corroded badly anyways) or a large external cooler
* front and rear driveshafts from an auto 4.0 with the same rearend (8.25/d44 vs d35) and 4x4 if you have 4x4, from a 95 or earlier donor
* transfer case shift linkage and the bracket that bolts onto the transmission/transfer case from an auto 4.0, any year should work I believe but stay 96 or earlier to make sure
* you can just unbolt the clutch pedal from the pedal box. Or leave it in place to confuse thieves.
* shift bezel, linkage, shifter cable, etc as well as the sheetmetal blockoff plate for it that bolts into the floor opening
* trans crossmember from an automatic 4.0 XJ made 87-99 - this may be optional, the standard trans crossmember is like 1/2" to 3/4" different in the height of the mounting bolt pattern for the trans bushing but is otherwise the same. Expect to get this for free or cheap locally, most people pull em off to put an armored/upgraded aftermarket one on.

If you want to do a perfect OEM level install you'll also need a significant portion of wiring harness, an auto TPS (probably best to buy this brand new) from an 87-90, a TCU from an 87-90, and some other stuff I can't quite remember. I wouldn't bother - the RADesigns shifter is pretty nice, it's a few wires to set it up, then you use the factory cable shifter to select P/R/N/D and the RADesigns shifter to select the gear you want while driving.

Save all the nuts and bolts when pulling the parts off the donor, may need them. And make sure you remove the pilot bearing and its bushing before trying to install the transmission (mate the torque converter to the trans, then install them as a unit.) Also, bolt the flexplate up, then have a helper crank the engine over with a breaker bar while watching the CPS tone ring at its edge for runout, there was a bad lot of RENIX flexplates made a while ago and I've had friends have issues with them from the excessive runout. Better to discover that BEFORE getting the transmission in.

id say its worth it as far as overall reliability goes if you want to keep the vehicle. manual trans = clutch replacements. Im a tech at chrysler and one of the veteran guys told me hes never seen an aw4 fail or need rebuilding, they are bulletproof and he swears by them. from what ive seen the ax15 is a great transmission but in the year ive been a tech ive seen 4 or 5 need replacement due to output shaft problems among other things. Just something to keep in mind if you plan on keeping youre xj

I've nuked 2 AW4s and I'm working on a 3rd.

That being said, one was slipping and lurching into gear already when I got the jeep, and all 3 have been subjected to extremely abusive usage that I wouldn't expect any auto trans to stand up to. None of the people I know who treat their AW4s well have any problems with them.

Thanks; that listing was exactly what I needed.
From the sounds of it, I'm going to try and find a wrecked auto XJ and gut the pieces that I need, rather than try to put it together peicemeal. I can check a manual transmission, but not sure how to test an auto in a non-working rig though.

No real good way to do so without driving it or at least putting it on jackstands and starting it, then seeing if it shifts through all the gears and maybe testing it with the brakes.

Aim for a rolled or rear-ended XJ I guess.