Complete Drivetrain Swap/Conversion

'92 XJ Limited - auto 4WD, built . '94 XJ Country, auto, 2WD, stock.

What all would be involved in a complete swap? Looking to swap tranny, transfer case, driveshafts and complete axles over to the '94 2WD XJ. Someone said that the tranny in the '94 would need to go, not just the transfer case. I know zero about doing any of this; I have someone standing by to do the work, but I want to go into the transaction with a little bit of knowledge under my belt.

What can I expect to provide in the way of parts to facilitate the swap? Any pitfalls to expect? Would this be straightforward or could it be such a PITA that I should just look for a 4WD XJ and just have the axles and other aftermarket goodies swapped over from the '92?


Please be gentle and hold the sarcasm. Those of you that do know me, know this is out of my league, but it's obvious I have a problem that needs solving. Thanks

Yes, you will need to swap the tranny and crossmember. Everything else is pretty straightforward.

As said, its a very strait forward swap. You could do it in a long day if you are fast, but it would be easily done in a weekend.

The 2wd XJ may not have the mounts for the transfer case shifter on the body. You may have to add those, or run an aftermarket shifter setup (which is better, and only about $100).

cal said:

As said, its a very strait forward swap. You could do it in a long day if you are fast, but it would be easily done in a weekend.

The 2wd XJ may not have the mounts for the transfer case shifter on the body. You may have to add those, or run an aftermarket shifter setup (which is better, and only about $100).

Click to expand...

TC shifter swaps over too.



OP, everything drivetrain related gets swapped over.........straight forward as it gets.

Great news to hear guys - thanks! On my '92 there is an indicator light in the dash when 4 Low is engaged. Would it be simple wiring to get this feature in the new XJ as well?

And now I'm wondering ... if any of you were doing this job for a customer, what would you charge? As said before, I need to keep both of my axles, basically everything under the XJ including e-brake lines & my Rusty's crossmember. Of course the suspension goes too, but right now I'm curious about just the tranny/transfer case (and related components) swap.

Your XJ should already have the wire harness for connecting to the transfer case. They are probably bundled up on the left side of the existing trans. If you crawl around under there and see a 2-pin connector with yellow and red wires, that should be it. Memory may not be correct.

ehall said:

Your XJ should already have the wire harness for connecting to the transfer case. They are probably bundled up on the left side of the existing trans. If you crawl around under there and see a 2-pin connector with yellow and red wires, that should be it. Memory may not be correct.

Click to expand...

Correct, that harness will need to be extended a bit. I did so on my 94's conversion to 4wd 17ish years ago.. be amazed I remember that far back.

It's an easy swap Mighty..

Another big thanks guys.
So no one wants to throw out a number on doing the work? This is not a solicitation for a mechanic (unless someone here is for hire!). I have a mechanic, just want to see what he might charge me compared with others who might have done this before .... and perhaps use the numbers as a point of reference for bargaining ... maybe ...

Mighty.Mighty_XJ said:

Another big thanks guys.
So no one wants to throw out a number on doing the work? This is not a solicitation for a mechanic (unless someone here is for hire!). I have a mechanic, just want to see what he might charge me compared with others who might have done this before .... and perhaps use the numbers as a point of reference for bargaining ... maybe ...

Click to expand...

I'd do it for myself.........I'd help someone else..........but I would not do it for money.

That's 30-40 hours of ball-busting work for one guy. Yeah, someone will come along and say he could get it all done in 12 hours..whatever.......


Problem is, cleaning and replacement. Cleaning your engine bay may take 4-5 hours. Sorting through your rat's next of wiring and vacuum hoses........that's time.


Decisions here and there......what to replace........bushings.........seals?

You are going to swap a 4.0 and not replace all the seals and gaskets while it's out?.......That's another 6 hours to clean and reseal the engine.

Carpet has to come up to swap the TC shifter.......there's an hour or more.


Time time time

Mighty.Mighty_XJ said:

Another big thanks guys.
So no one wants to throw out a number on doing the work? This is not a solicitation for a mechanic (unless someone here is for hire!). I have a mechanic, just want to see what he might charge me compared with others who might have done this before .... and perhaps use the numbers as a point of reference for bargaining ... maybe ...

Click to expand...

Further, you're assuming that you'll have no hurdles to overcome. What if your guys starts busting bolts getting your rear springs out and spends 5 hours and materials getting to one bolt that is broken?



Foresee the unforeseen and accept that it's not going to go smoothly.


Your guy could be into your for $2-3K..........and I'd hate to be the one to hand you the bill.

Jeep Driver said:

I'd do it for myself.........I'd help someone else..........but I would not do it for money.

That's 30-40 hours of ball-busting work for one guy. Yeah, someone will come along and say he could get it all done in 12 hours..whatever.......


Problem is, cleaning and replacement. Cleaning your engine bay may take 4-5 hours. Sorting through your rat's next of wiring and vacuum hoses........that's time.


Decisions here and there......what to replace........bushings.........seals?

You are going to swap a 4.0 and not replace all the seals and gaskets while it's out?.......That's another 6 hours to clean and reseal the engine.

Carpet has to come up to swap the TC shifter.......there's an hour or more.


Time time time

Click to expand...

You're going on driveway mechanic hours, not shop hours. I also didn't get the impression that the engine would be going anywhere, he's just looking to get 4WD. A skilled mechanic could do the trans/t-case swap in a few hours. Axle in a few more. It's hard to say what a shop would bill though, because shops generally bill based on book rate, which is not actual time. They would probably look up the book hours for a transmission R&R and front axle R&R and add them together. We could all take guesses, but your best bet is really to call a shop and have them look it up.

"She" is looking to get 4WD.

And I am certainly not assuming a trouble-free operation. Just for the sake of planning I was looking for general opinion on pricing - not a serious quote to hang the entire project on. Jeez.

Jeep Driver - who said anything about engine swap? :dunno: Both engines are fine and luckily have similar mileage. Carpet removal will be done by me in advance as I have done this several times before. My bolts (at least in the '92) shouldn't be that much of a problem as my XJ was well maintained, has been worked on fairly recently and PB blaster is already being applied to both Jeeps on the areas I can reach even before they are delivered to the shop.

Yes, I said shop, but the blessing is, this is a retired mechanic who still owns his shop/equipment, and is raring to get at the job as a "winter project". We will discuss ballpark pricing before even 1 bolt is removed so that I can be sort of prepared, but I was trying to get a sort of "pricing preview" if you will.

This won't be a get-'em-in-do-the-work-and-get-them-out type of job. He'll be taking his time, pacing his work and won't be going at it dusk to dawn. I am in no hurry and neither is he. He's retired and the work will proceed accordingly, with me stopping by regularly for any number of reasons including adding my input as work progresses & discussing any issues that might (will!) arise. This is a plan that will allow me to have maximum input, learn some things and most importantly, pay in installments. I actually have no illusions that this will be cheap or trouble-free. Just wish I had the knowledge & equipment to do more of it myself.

Normal trans swap can be done in a day. This kind of thing I would expect a week or so, assuming the parts were ready to go. If things needed to be rebuilt first, probably figure 2-3 weeks

Mighty.Mighty_XJ said:

'92 XJ Limited - auto 4WD, built . '94 XJ Country, auto, 2WD, stock.

What all would be involved in a complete swap? Looking to swap tranny, transfer case, driveshafts and complete axles over to the '94 2WD XJ. Someone said that the tranny in the '94 would need to go, not just the transfer case. I know zero about doing any of this; I have someone standing by to do the work, but I want to go into the transaction with a little bit of knowledge under my belt.

What can I expect to provide in the way of parts to facilitate the swap? Any pitfalls to expect? Would this be straightforward or could it be such a PITA that I should just look for a 4WD XJ and just have the axles and other aftermarket goodies swapped over from the '92?


Please be gentle and hold the sarcasm. Those of you that do know me, know this is out of my league, but it's obvious I have a problem that needs solving. Thanks

Click to expand...

That is what gave me the impression of a FULL swap.

The entirety of your first post led me to think you have a pristine 94 and you want the "built" parts off the 92 that is not pristine.

Complete, to me, means complete.

Jeep Driver said:

That is what gave me the impression of a FULL swap.

The entirety of your first post led me to think you have a pristine 94 and you want the "built" parts off the 92 that is not pristine.

Complete, to me, means complete.

Click to expand...

Not to start an argument, but selecting a tiny part of a long post will lead to confusion. You need context grasshopper. Note the title of my thread. Then read the explanation immediately following your red letters. This provides your much needed context.

Looking to swap tranny, transfer case, driveshafts and complete axles over to the '94 2WD XJ.

Click to expand...

Notwithstanding, thanks for your input. I do appreciate it.

On paper this is a straight forward swap, but there are a TON of details that shouldn't be overlooked.

Make sure the mechanic checks all your u-joints, drive-line angles, bumpstops, driveshafts, fluids, brake lines, alignment, clearances etc.

I'd also use this as an opportunity to add things like a heavy duty track bar mount, an aftermarket steering spacer, and frame stiffeners (these are important). You may also want to trim your fenders, smash down the pinch seam, cut and fold the rear, etc. Also, you'll have to swap over your bumpers and add tie in brackets if you don't already have them. Don't forget rock sliders, hitch, roof rack, and skid plates - those will need swapped over if you have them. Don't forget your CB and antenna. And you'll want a fan override switch on the new Jeep.

Also, you'll want to swap over (or add) an aux trans cooler and maybe a power steering cooler. Did you have an upgraded radiator, alternator, water pump, motor mounts, or power steering pump? Don't forget those.

My point is this .... maybe your retired mechanic friend isn't the best person for the job. I would highly recommend calling around to your local off-road shops and discussing the job with them. They will be WAY more qualified and experienced in jobs like this.

I've seen you wheel - you run some pretty hard trails. You want to make sure it is set up right the first time.

Wow. Altho I was aware of many things that you point out here, this is the one post that I will definitely print & save. Great information MrSimon - Thanks!

As might be expected, all this is going to cost a LOT of money. Although you're obviously right about the shop, an offroad shop here in Federicksburg will cause me to take out a second mortgage on my house! This guy has worked on many XJs before. In fact, I found out about him from an acquaintance with a nicely built XJ and after I put him thru an inquisition about his Jeep, he referred me to the mechanic that did much of the work. This is the guy.

Having said that, I will confess that I am always looking out for someone else that I can be more confident about. Being relatively new to VA is a handicap in this respect because I don't know many people here in the off-road community. I am more than happy to look into any suggestions and recommendations members might have and I admit a name from here would likely jump to the top of my preference list. I'm even willing to trailer the 92 and take it somewhere, but that would restrict my access to the work and I intend to be VERY involved like I have always been.

ROCKTOPUS!! Shannon! Dan Raff!! All you awesome XJ gods in Jersey ... Where are you guys when I need you?!

:tears: :tears: :tears: :tears: :tears: :tears: :tears: :tears:

You asked the general population of this forum a question.......however.......


We do not know you or why you are limited in your ability to do this yourself, we don't know if its a physical limitation or, for example, do you live in an apartment and have no where to do it.........whatever the limitation is.........

Nor do we know anything about either of the XJs you are working with. You have yet to define "built", you have yet to provide pics for us to study.

IOWs, we are blind.

That said-
Let me make a suggestion-


Take it one step at a time.

Have whom you choose, replace the trans with TC and swap the front axle only (assuming the ratios match). Sort out the steering and brakes. Drive it for a while as a stock 4X.

Then- look at the lift/wheels/tires/xxxx as a completely separate project.

This will simplify matters and keep the mechanic focused and keep costs to a minimum.



I can swap a trans with TC in about 4 hours, front axle in about the same time. One of the reasons for my comment earlier in this thread.....I have gone through 4 transmissions in 5 years. You assume the trans from the donor is good...? No, I cannot afford to pay anyone for anything.


Here is what I'm up to- http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1134167

Jeep Driver said:

.....I have gone through 4 transmissions in 5 years..

Click to expand...

Maybe you're the wrong person to be giving trans advice then?

cal said:

Maybe you're the wrong person to be giving trans advice then?

Click to expand...

AX5s new are about $2300 and I don't trust anyone in E TN to rebuild, further, the only rebuilder with parts is in Atlanta, he wants $800, local is about $1200.

I have yet to find a Dakota bell, plus I lose both my custom DSs and the cost of a new AX15 is $1600...........total cost for a AX15 swap is going to run about $2450 with Hurst Core ST shifter.......plus new clutch.....mounts........


This shit is expensive..........so............another $200 AX5 it will be.