Hence why he said if he got a 92 or newer.
Shift rods? It's 2wd. The only thing that hooks to the trans is the speedo cable and reverse light switch. Shifter sits in the top of the trans.
I'm assuming you have a Pukey now? As Pete said, the 4wd ones are the same length, I'm also not sure about the 2wd ones. You will, however, need an AX-15 crossmember.