Did NP242 XJs come with CV front axles?

Kinda curious - did NP242 XJs come with CV front axles?

My 95 has u joints. I have never seen an xj with cv joints, was any made like that? 270k on the original ones so far although when I did the RF wheel bearing last weekend I checked it and it had the tiniest bit of play.

Why do we ask ? I think I remember that 1984-87 with Full-Time transfer cases had CV axle shafts.

CV axle shaft will fit, and some ZJ Grand Cherokee with Full-Time were built with CV axle shafts. CV axle shafts operate a bit smoother, but are less strong and not very well suited to more than light off-road use.

Thanks. I was curious as to the viability of u-joints for full-time mode on the street. If an OEM if willing to do u-joints with full-time mode, then I guess its reasonable.

No reason it wouldn’t be. It’s only noticed when at full lock with a little back and forth in the steering wheel.

My 91 242 had u-joints as does my current 2000. They work fine and I can't tell the difference in full tim between my 242 ZJ with CV joints

Tim_MN said:

CV axle shafts operate a bit smoother, but are less strong and not very well suited to more than light off-road use.

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I can't comment on the very early XJ CV axle shafts as I don't have any experience with either the V6 or the Peugeot 2.1 diesel XJ. However, modern Rzeppa style CV joints are generally stronger than U-joints in the same application, one constrained by physical size.

With both types strength in service varies with condition. U-joints are usually more tolerant of an occasional degradation of their optimum environment, such as a lack of grease. When they fail, it is less spectacular, reasonably easy to replace with new parts, spares are usually common and cheap.

Rzeppa CV joints do not tolerate any ingress of contaminants, fluid or solid. I have busted a few Rzeppa joints (not in a Jeep) and in all cases the protective boot was split letting in dirt and water which accelerated the wear on the ball housing and caused the ejection of one or more drive balls. It is surprising how much punishment a clicking Rzeppa can take before it fails - a lot longer than a clicking u-joint.

For me, U-joints give me peace of mind. I don't need the extra strength that Rzeppa joints can provide especially if I have to regularly inspect every pleat in a flexible boot for damage to achieve it. Pleated boots are a bad idea on anything that has to drive through forestry mud.

The RCV joint without pleated boots are amazing. If they can truly keep out contaminants from immersion in mud, then I believe they are likely to be a good investment. Your spare shafts can be your old U-joint shafts.

In recent years the cost or replacement Rzeppa joints for cars has dropped so much that in some cases replacements are sold with new shafts already fitted. In my locality, it is now cheaper to replace an axle CV on a Honda than to replace a 760 u-joint on my Jeep.

Slightly off topic: After more than twenty years of using both greasable and non-greasable U-joints, I have finally worked out from my records that the non-greasables have lasted longer. When my current spares stock runs out I will be switching to non-greasables.

Vince said:

Slightly off topic: After more than twenty years of using both greasable and non-greasable U-joints, I have finally worked out from my records that the non-greasables have lasted longer. When my current spares stock runs out I will be switching to non-greasables.

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Unless there's no other option I never run a greaseable U-joint. Spicer Life sealed joints only. Even if the greaseable options lasted a little longer I would still run a sealed joint because why deal with the mess of greasing them? I think Spicer even found the greaseable u-joints didn't last as long as sealed ones. And the factory ones lasted for well over 100,000 miles on all 4 XJs I've ever had.

I found the non-greasables I put in my rear double-cardan outlasted the greasable centring ball and the new rubber dust shield from Spicer that I fitted at the same time.

What were your intervals for greasing the centering ball?

My lubrication intervals vary depending on where I have been. If I have driven in swampy mud I usually check diff oils on the next wash down. If the diffs looks like they are running on chocolate milkshake, they will both get changed and I usually drop the shafts to lube them off the Jeep. If I have not been wheeling then they get done on a 6-month, 7,500 mile interval whichever comes first which is when I do engine oil changes.


I think most of my centre ball failures are accelerated by the rubber dust shield collar wearing out or tearing. When I change u-joints my double cardan is often loaded inside with dried mud. I have started fitting new dust shields and replacing the ball every time the assembly is dismantled. I used to just grease up the ball and hope for the best, but now I buy ball repair kits and try to rebuild old ones to cycle into my spares.


The ball dust shield is Spicer PN. 2-86-418 . For some reason these are not always easy to find for sale. I have located a Land Rover supplier in the UK that carries stock as the 1310 is used on Discovery2.

my son's 88 has a non disco front d30 HP. with u joint axle shafts. the axle housing apears to be stock.. the rest of the vehicle (loaded electric doors windows etc etc) is bone stock. the motor was shot tho. picked up an engine from F n Jeep in Colo Springs for 300 runs like a champ. i have not seen or heard of CV's in XJ but they will fit from the Grands. for street and snow and milder off road should work fine

I think axle CV joints were in the 2.8L GM V6 (LR2 engine) equipped Cherokees built between 1984-1986. They may also have been in Peugeot 2.1L diesel models of the same period.