Export RHD front driveshaft length

Anyone know why the front driveshaft on the export XJs are 2" shorter? I'm about to head to the JY to go pull one in a couple days and wanted to confirm that it's true.

It would be pretty convenient if it is, since I need a shorter front driveshaft in the front since I swapped to the AX15. And somehow it's easier to find a RHD automatic in the junkyard than it is to find a 4WD 5 speed XJ.

I would kill to find a rhd in the junkyard!! It's too cold for me to go out and measure but I dont see any reason why the driveshaft would be shorter. The engine, trans, and axles all mount the same. The way the engine accessories bolt on is different and the track bar is different, but all the major components are in the same place.

Grab me an impossible to find heater core and 350 dollar right hand drive specific electric fan while you are there, lol.

This is my reference:

https://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1118885

Says that when it's compressed it's about 2" shorter.

I might grab the fan if it's easy to pull, but I'm not pulling the dash in a junkyard. I've already got a long list of parts to get, including a windshield for my J10.

Don't worry about it, I have adapted an 01 lhd fan to to it, it works. I see that different parts are listed. I just don't understand why. But whoever engineered the rhd was weird anyway. They switched the trans cooler to the other side of the radiator for absolutely no reason. It actually makes more sense to have it in the lhd location on the rhd. I have adapted a lot of lhd parts to mine.

I know you probably already took care of it but if anyone in the future is looking I compared my two front driveshafts today. One from my Japanese spec 95 with a 242 and hp axle, and the other from my 01 American lp front axle with a 231. Not only were they both the same length, all the part numbers that I could read were the same too. If there is any difference in length it would be in the splines of the slip yolk because I didn't want to bother taking them off but the bodies of the driveshaft were the same length. Interestingly although the part number was the same for the slip yolk the casting was different, numbers were cast into a completely different spot!

Agreen said:

Anyone know why the front driveshaft on the export XJs are 2" shorter? .

Click to expand...

Likely that is for the factory installed South America Dana 44 front axle.