BA-10 5 speed transmission oppinions experiences??

[Ecomike]

About to buy an 88 Comanche truck that is running, working and is lifted with big tires....but has the old BA-10 transmission on it. It would be used on weekends for a high way trip to a ranch and off road for typical light duty ranch work, not for heavy duty rock crawling.

What are the oppinons on the BA-10 transmission here from those with any experience with them? How difficult is it to swap it for ???? if the need arose? Any limits on what can be used on the Comanche truck for the drive train versus a Cherokee?

 

[Wayne Sihler]

Had one in the 87 XJ,lasted over 150,000,gave XJ to son.Did Ok until a down shift on exit ramp locked it up.
Found whole set up out of a 95-bell housing,trans,TC and both driveshafts for a swap.
Pilot bushing and throw-out assm were the only swap problems,both minor,

 

[Ecomike]

Had one in the 87 XJ,lasted over 150,000,gave XJ to son.Did Ok until a down shift on exit ramp locked it up.
Found whole set up out of a 95-bell housing,trans,TC and both driveshafts for a swap.
Pilot bushing and throw-out assm were the only swap problems,both minor,

Which transmission was the donor?

Kids are hell on old rigs, or new ones LOL.

 

[kastein]

There is a good swap thread on it somewhere around here, I don't know offhand what changes over.

89.5-91 Will give you the closest boltin, same pilot tip, same hydraulics setup (internal vs external.)
92-93 are the same as 89.5-91 but with the larger 3/4 pilot tip added
94-95 are the same as 92-93 but external slave. An upgrade, but involves more hydraulic work. Up to you
96-up are a different tcase rear output slipyoke setup.

Don't let the different slip yoke setup change your plans, you need to have your driveshaft length changed and rebalanced going from ba10/5 to ax15 regardless so the fact that the length also changes from 95- to 96+ doesn't affect your choice here.

Make sure it is a 4x4 donor. If the donor is an xj, all the parts but the rear driveshaft will swap over. If it is an mj, they will all swap over, but the donor has to have the same rearend and same bed length for the rear driveshaft to work. Xj donors are obviously way easier to find.

Edit: iirc the clutch disc has to change due to different spline major diameter, as well as the front driveshaft (the one from the donor works) and maybe the trans tunnel blockoff plate but not sure. I would use a new pilot, throwout bearing, and clutch disc as a matter of course because you might as well while you are in there, dropping a trans to do the clutch sucks.

 

[Wayne Sihler]

Which transmission was the donor?

Kids are hell on old rigs, or new ones LOL.

AX15

 

[Ecomike]

Thanks Kastein!! You too Wayne, thanks and wow I noticed you must be one of the early day founders here, # 19, I have not run across before.