clarkerussell

Yea, that's what I was thinking. Plus, the truck is 1.5 hours away from me so I'd have to have it towed to me and then I'd have to spend the time to do it myself. My only concern is if just replacing the U-Joints is smart, or is it better to do the whole shaft. Also, I think I'll have him replace the wheel bearings while he's at it.

OK, so he was talking about the Kingpins on the hub carrier. I think he was going to take the axles out by removing the entire steering knuckle and separate the U-Joint from the shafts... From the MadXJ page it looks like it stays in place and you just remove the three hub bots and it all comes out... Regardless, I feel good about the work the guy does, and he said he can replace the U-Joints and the inner seals for under $300. that included the seals and new U-Joints... At that price should I just let him do it? Thanks. Clarke

Yea, That's where I got the last ones ... I was looking to replace the old ones with the newer ones as detailed in the link you posted earlier: http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/te ... dSeals.htm I like the idea of new shafts that won't need to be replaced anytime soon ...

I'm not paying him to shim the Dana... I just have it at his place which is 2 hours away so I'm trying to decipher what he is telling me needs to be done before I pick the truck up. I'm GUESSING he's talking about the axle nut needs to be heated to get it off, but who knows. All I know is that the seals are leaking and he does not recommend I drive it for 2 hours. On this note, where would one recommend getting replacement axle shafts with new U-joints and seals? Thanks. Clarke

My mechanic also suggested that instead of shimming the disconnect, I should just hook it to a constant source of vacuum. The only thing I can see wrong with that is protential problems in the future (vacuum hose leak, etc). Thoughts?

My 4x4 swap is now complete, but the front axle has two problems. 1st, the vacuum disconnect will not fit in the new setup, but I can just shim it and move along. The other issue is that the seals are leaking and my mechanic can't fix it. He's saying "the kingpin has to be heated with a torch and pressed out", a job he can not handle at his place... I've looked at some of the write-ups on converting to the larger U joints at madxj.com (thanks PETE!), and I'm not really seeing what the problem could be here. Now, this guy is a good shade tree mechanic and he's tackled the entire 4x4 conversion as well as adapting the NP242 and the NV3550. I tend to believe him, but I can't understand what the issue could be. Can someone help shed some light on this? Thanks. Clarke

So if I were to replace the axle, what would you guys recommend I use?

What is the downside to having the front axle locked all the time? Extra wear? Worse mileage?

So what is the downside to just locking the axle all the time? Reduced mileage?

Hello all, It's been a long, long time since my mechanic started on my conversion, but it's almost complete. He's transferred the front and rear axles and drive shafts from my donor 1988 4x4 MJ (it had a 4.0L, auto tranny). I complicated matters a bit by using an NV3550 from a 2000 XJ, and an NP242 from a 1998 Grand Cherokee. My mechanic has the tranny and transfer case in but he's having a problem connecting the front axle vacuum connection. He is saying that the automatic system that was part of the donor MJ will not work because it will not connect to the new NP242. He says I need a manual connect/disconnect vacuum switch. Is anyone familiar with this? Thanks. Clarke

Hello all, My mechanic is in the midst of a 4x2 to 4x4 conversion for me. He's saying the exhaust on my 1988 4.0 4x2 will need to be modified so the front prop shaft will clear the exhaust. He's saying it's the down pipe that is between the manifold and cat. Should I modify the one I have, or should I just get a new one from a 4x4? If so, what part am I looking for? Thanks. Clarke

Hello all, Well, my 4x4 conversion if SLOWLY progressing... I'm putting in an NV3550 and I've been told I need to replace the master cylinder in my 1988 to match the slave cylinder in the NV3550. Regardless of whether that's true of not, It's probably a good thing to replace the cylinder anyway. My problem is, I can't find the plastic clutch line between the master and slave cylinder. The dealer says it's included in the slave cylinder and is not available seperatly. Is there another alternative? Thanks. Clarke

I just picked up a set of buckets from a 1990 Eliminator and I really need some new seat covers for them... Does anyone know where I can get new grey factory seat covers (or skins, whatever they are called)? Thanks.

To be honest, I'm not sure. I haven't had a chance to see what's under the donor Comanche. All I know is that it's a 1988 4x4 4.0L with Automatic Tranny.. Other than that, I don't know.

OK, I have dropped off my new NP3550 and NV242 to my mechanic and he is going to start the 4x4 conversion in 2 weeks. My 4x4 donor Comanche's axles and drive shaft's will be swapped into my car along with the new tranny and transfer case. While this is taking place, are there any bushings, etc that should be replaced at the same time? Here is the list of items that I'm planning on replacing (besides the axles/tranny/transfer case/drive shafts). 1) All fluids in tranny/transfer case/axles 2) Rubber brake lines and fluid flush 3) New brake pads/rotors/drums 4) New clutch slave and master cylinder and hose 5) New shocks Is there anything else I need to consider? Do I need to rebuild the brake calipers? Since the donor car has 130K miles, does anything on the axles need to be refurbished? Thanks in advance. Clarke

the AX15 and the BA10 share clutches, i know the NV is an almost direct replacement but I'm only like 99.9% sure you can use the same clutch i can forward you an email i got from high-impact.net drivelines when i was talking to them about a replacement kit, it tells alot of info... PM sent...

Agreed.. That's an awesome link... So it seems like I can use the same clutch kit that I bought for my BX10, right?

OK, I need to order the new clutch disk for my new NP3550... Does anyone know if the spline count on the front of the NP3550 (where the clutch goes) is 10 or 12 spline? Furthermore, is this the same count as the BA10? If it's the same, I'll just reuse my existing clutch since it's never been used. Thanks. Clarke

How do I tell if it's the VC one?

Hello all, I am the proud owner of an NV3550 that will soon be replacing the BA10 that bit the dust in my 1988 4x2 4.0 Comanche... I am also converting to 4x4 and have the option of buying the NV231 that was attached to the transmission, or I can upgrade to a 242 from a 1998 Grand Cherokee for $100 more... I have always wanted the 242, but I'm worried about it actually fitting the other components that I have. So: 1) will it bolt up to the 3550? (Spline count is the same, what about shaft length?) 2) will the stock drive shaft/ft axle from my donor 1988 comanche match up with the 242? Thanks.

I believe it's the NV3500 that has the integral bellhousing. What did the NV3500 come in? *EDIT* Never mind... It's from the Ram... http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmission/nv3500_spec.htm I'm guessing this isn't a valid retrofit for a Jeep, right?

\\ I always get those reversed... Thanks. So, did he get his replacement shaft from Novak?

Wrong. If you're not swapping the engine, you should stick with the clutch pressure plate that fits your year engine. You may need to get the clutch disc that has the correct spline count for the 3550 transmission. That's great news since I just replaced the clutch and pressure plate. I thought that was the problem... turns out the BA/10 was bad. I can just get a new clutch disk.

That's great info. Someone had told me the bellhousing was cast to the body of the NP3550, but I'll make sure I get it if I decide to go that route. What about the tranny mount and the shift tower? Can I use the one from my BA/10? My other option is to just find a good AX15 from a 1988 and be done with it. How would I know if an AX15 came with a 21 spline output or not?

Well my mechanic is 1/2 way through my 4x4 conversion and the time has come to replace the transmission. I've sourced an NP3550 for a good price but I need to know what else I'll need to make it work in my 1988 4.0 4x2 with the BA/10. Does anyone know if the NP3550 from a 2001+ Cherokee will come with a Bellhousing attached, or will I need to buy one of those as well? Will I need the shift tower? What about the transmission mount? Do I need to grab that as well? For the clutch, I'm assuming I'll need to get a clutch that matches the engine transmission for the 2001+ cherokee 4.0 4x4 5-speed, right? Lastly, the donor transfer case (and ft/rear axles and drive shafts) that I have is the normal NV231 from a 1988 Comanche with an Auto transmission. I'm guessing this is a 21 spline input and I think the NP3550 is 23 spline. If this is the case, I might just look for an NP242 as that's what I really wanted. My question is, is there a way to verify the spline counts of the NP3550 and my NP242 without physically removing the parts, and how do I make sure I get a 23 spline NP242 if I go that route? Thanks in advance. Clarke