Originally Posted by Basslicks

Thanks man.... see below



That's pretty much the long and the short of it, Doc. Eat/sleep/jeep - (love the name, btw - I have that sticker on my back window) make sure that the input on whatever transfer case you get is 23 spline (and by whatever, I mean NP/NVG 231 or 242... the 247, 241, and 249's are ok, but they don't have as many drive modes and aftermarket support as the other two). Make sure you also get the linkage and shifter gate from the inside of the jeep as well. Getting a 91 & down D30 with the vacuum disconnect isn't the end of the world if that's all you can get your hands on. There are modifications you can do to the disconnect mechanism to make it more reliable. Either a cable mechanism to lock it manually, some have figure out a way to put a bolt in it to keep it engaged all the time - which is fine, and I believe you can pull the passenger side axle shaft (it's two-piece so make sure you get BOTH sections of the shaft out) and replace it with the passenger side shaft out of the 92+ year. Good news is that it's still an HP D30 as well.





Yeah the wheelbase between the 2wd and 4wd is exactly the same. I agree with Doc, if you're already lifted 4.5" you're more than likely going to need an SYE - Slip Yoke Eliminator. Might as well buy one around the time you get your transfer case so that you can just throw the SYE kit on the TC before you get it all put on there. If you were 3.5" lifted or less, you could probably get by without it, but I haven't known of too many that have lifted their jeeps that high without driveline vibrations. You're not having the issue now because your rear driveshaft is longer due to the absence of the transfer case. Keep in mind, if you get the NP242 transfer case, you're pretty limited to a Hack and Tap style Slip Yoke Eliminator which involved cutting the output shaft down to a certain length and drilling a hole and tapping (threading the hole) it to bolt a u-joint yoke on to it. This is a perfectly viable option and many have had success with it so don't be afraid of this if you want the extra drive-mode of the np242. There's also the option to spend the extra couple hundred for the SYE from Tom Woods which comes with an output shaft, yoke, and rear driveshaft all ready to go.



With a 96 model year XJ you MAY have lucked out and gotten a 29 spline 8.25. If so, I'd keep that axle until you go up to 37" tires with a locked rear. The 29 spline 8.25" rivals the Dana44 rear in strength and has many options including a c-clip eliminator kit and plenty of locker options as well as axleshaft options. If it's the 27-splined little brother, you may as well have a dana 35 in it... some argue it's stronger than the d35 some argue it's weaker. Either way. If you're going to go with no bigger than a 35" tire, you should be fine with the 8.25"

Keep in mind, the driveshaft length is different between the d35 and the 8.25" because the housing is longer on the 8.25

By the way, I'm no know-it-all guru about all of this so Lee or anyone else that knows their crap - if I'm wrong please feel free to chime in.

Originally Posted by eat_sleep_jeepXJ

Not to sure which spline it is but if I had to guess it would the 29 if so I would need a 29 spline t case? Or does it only matter with gear ratio and spline with the front driveshaft planning on doing an SYE for sure if doing im going to do it right ..if can give me a list of everything need would be awesome in case I need to get parts separate instead of finding a donor to just swap over ....thank you all again learning as I go

Originally Posted by docmedpros

Seems like your feeding your too fast by the looks of the weld, and not using quality wire. I'm not the best welder as you'll see over the next week on my build thread but mine penetrate deep enough to look good

Originally Posted by Basslicks

No, it's not a 29 spline. The original transfer cases in the XJ had a 21 spline input shaft. Half way through 1990, they switched to a 23 spline. So, make sure the transfer case is a 23 spline input - shouldn't be too hard because this is the most common. The driveshaft splines didn't change. If you're doing a SYE and using a front driveshaft, you don't need to worry about spline count because the slip is in the middle of the driveshaft rather than at the transfercase output.

List for ya:
*Front driveshaft (x2 if you're doing a SYE and not getting a custom driveshaft for the rear)
*Rear driveshaft (unless you're doing SYE)
*4wd transmission
*Transfer case - make sure you match the spline count of the INPUT shaft to the spline count of the transmission OUTPUT shaft.
*Front axle - high pinion d30 is preferred - NON-center axle disconnect is also preferred, but it's not that hard to convert a CAD axle to non-cad... make sure you know what veh it came out of. If it's from a WJ,JK, or a CJ, it's going to have different lug pattern and your current XJ wheels won't fit
*Shift linkage
*Shift gate (the plate that's INSIDE the jeep that keeps the shifter in correct line and makes the shift from each mode more definite-feeling)

That's pretty much it.... everything else converts over. Things you MAY want to consider
*Replace worn out bushings, tie rod ends
*new ball joints
*new unit bearings
*u-joints
*pull the diff cover off and replace the diff lube
*rotors
*brake pads
*WJ knuckles/calipers/brake booster (an upgrade to the dana30... not necessary whatsoever)

^^^all this is easier to do while the axle is off the jeep. if you have the time and money to do the work, it's worth doing it before you put the axle in.

Originally Posted by eat_sleep_jeepXJ

Thank you bro been a great help along with Doc appreciate everything will start the hunt for parts ..keep u guys posted

Originally Posted by eat_sleep_jeepXJ

All ready for 4x4 conversion

Originally Posted by eat_sleep_jeepXJ

Thank you bro it's been a slow and steady build for me as well one step at a time ...im in Fort Lauderdale where coming across parts is difficult lol.. I take trips to the keys pretty often next step taking doors off and enjoying the drive down I will definitely create a build thread I have some pics of the progress I'll keep u posted

Originally Posted by eat_sleep_jeepXJ

Nice I'm from coral springs my self staying in davie now more mud holes then springs lol ..would like to check out Ocala heard some decent places to ride out there ..if u come across any parts that u don't need for the conversion let me know lol I'm down for the road trip if the money's right...im finding stuff online but paying top dollar 500 for tranny plus shipping same for a t case hopefully something pops up on Craigslist

Originally Posted by Basslicks

Nope, nothing new to report. Haven't even had the time to put in the new belt or anything. When you work 12 hour days and you're only getting about 4 days off a month, it kinda puts a damper on the Jeep thing.

Glad to hear you're making some strides at progress though. Keep it up man, you'll find what you need.

Originally Posted by cleenrob

thats aboput how my may-december goes