dereknesha

first off sorry for the really long post but the details may help

I have a 93 ZJ with selec trac. I always had 2wd part time 4 hi full time 4hi N and 4 low. That should mean 242, however my transfer case was stamped 249 with 2.72 ratio. ?? anyway Cracked case ( didn't know) and running with no oil problems later I wanted to replace it. Since I like 2 hi but 4awd is great for my wife in winter so she doesn't have to worry about shifting for snowy and dry pavement, I am going for 242 since the 249 would have a junk VC I didn't want to worry about. Supposing I like many others with 200,000 miles would have a bad one anyway and so would a replacement 249 (used).
Went to junk yard got a 242 out of an 88 XJ (75 bucks 150K miles)
Put both together and my "249" is identical to the 242 with minor exceptions of electric speedo sensor and placement of the shift position sensor. 88 has 2 wire on the fork shaft 93 has it on the plate that the fork shaft moves around, 4 wire. I took off the rear output shaft and it was a two piece housing with no viscous coupler.
???? confused
Ok so stamped 249 but the housing and guts of a 242.
Other differences the 88 was a 21 spline my 93 was 23. both 2.72(expected)
I measured carefully and the cases were identical to the millimeter.
I replaced the input shaft bearing and oil seal and then put the input shaft back in ( the assembly with sun gears I believe they are called). I took the bad parts out of that half and replaced them with the good one. (again identical) but I swapped plates that the shift fork moves and the 93 has the position sensor for. That way I didn't lose shift position sensor function. ( so case housing was from old along with input shaft assembly, the main gears, shaft chain and output shafts gears etc from 242 being swapped in)

The back half of my "249" was cracked where the cases split just to the back side half, so I took the good 242 half (again identical) and replaced bearings and seals and put them together.
everything fits since all the internals are from the same case minus the input shaft and seems great.
Now the 242 stamp matches the internals.

Fill it up with mercon III (equivalent) and with the back lifted up and no front shaft on, shifted through each mode and tested.
Seemed fine with the front shaft spinning in each appropriate mode. modes show correct on display. check

Put front shaft on drop it down and go for a test drive in 2wd

GO to back out while turning onto sharp on the street and i get heavy binding. I stopped and checked for front end track bar steering bar binding or anything wierd nothing.
I can power through with wheel scrubbing like its in 4hi part time. (but it's not)
Drives straight great with no problems at all. go to turn, sharp figure 8 tests etc and it has bad binding and wheel hop.

put it in 4 full time ( for all road types)
still the same problem.
no dirt to safely use 4 low at the moment but it is supposed to bind in 4 low since its setup with a 50/50 locked split of power front to rear.
never had this problem before while running the other case. ?????
2wd should have the front spinning independant of the t-case. All hopping in 2wd should be non existant with the normal front diffs accounting for all wheel spin differences.
With the front shaft back off no problems (of course) so that should mean the diff is ok right?
any thoughts im stumped???

Jeep dana 30 up front with hubs that are only 1 year old and brand new front axle u-joints and all new u-joints on the front drive shaft and all the suspensions components replaced within the last year all parts replaced before the transfer case issue.
?
Thanks

95grc

What size engine do you have?

dereknesha

It is the 4.0L inline 6 with the 42re trans.

avandyck

8 years later but I feel the need to reply. Got the same issue just like that. PITA to put it back in 2wd and wheel binding issue.
​​​​​​1: front driveshaft out of balance
2: bad U-joints

dave1123

It's not fully into 2wd. The slider ring is still catching 4 part time. Check your linkage adjustment by disconnecting the link and moving the case lever all the way forward, then test before reconnecting the link, adjust the link as necessary.

BTW, 4 lo is part time.

dave1123

On second thought, make sure you have the short lever on the side of the t/case. The 249 uses a longer lever than the 242 and it might limit the travel of your shifter.