WBKrazy Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 hey all, i'm new to the site, i'm from RI and have an 88 2wd 2.5 4 speed... Image Not Found the clutch is due, and while i have the tranny out i would like to replace the ax4 with an ax5.... my question is, what is the difference between an ax5 in a 2wheel drive versus one in a 4x4? i ask because there are many 4x4 trannys available around here, but I'm having a very hard time finding a 2wd donor... i suppose i could always put a tcase in with no front driveshaft, but would like to avoid having to do that.... anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerinmaine Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 hey all, i'm new to the site, i'm from RI and have an 88 2wd 2.5 4 speed... Image Not Found the clutch is due, and while i have the tranny out i would like to replace the ax4 with an ax5.... my question is, what is the difference between an ax5 in a 2wheel drive versus one in a 4x4? i ask because there are many 4x4 trannys available around here, but I'm having a very hard time finding a 2wd donor... i suppose i could always put a tcase in with no front driveshaft, but would like to avoid having to do that.... anyone know? Welcome! :thumbsup: There's a lot of good folk, and a lot of good info here. Someone will be along soon to answer your questions. As for me . . . I got nothing! :rotf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 The 2WD trany has a tailshaft in a long housing. The 4WD tranny ends in a flange, to which the transfer case gets bolted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBKrazy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 The 2WD trany has a tailshaft in a long housing. The 4WD tranny ends in a flange, to which the transfer case gets bolted. ok, thats what i wanted to know.... anyone have a 2wd ax5 theyre willing to part with? and possibly a driveshaft if it's different from an ax4... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have a good 2wd Ax-4... You may not want to do the swap unless you're re-gearing, however. Generally(but there's always exceptions), the AX-4 came with 3.55 axle gearing and the AX-5 came with 4.10 axle gearing. Ax-4 final drive= 3.55:1 Ax-5 final drive= 3.49:1 They did this so that in the final drive both setups would be running the same, but the Ax-5/4.10 setup would have a little better acceleration, and probably better city mileage. Granted, I do have a 2.5 with an AX-5/3.55 combo, and I rarely use 5th. Usually I'm doing at least 70, and nowhere near hills. I also have an MPFI motor, which if yours is stock it's TBI, and not quite as powerful. I put the AX-5 in because I converted to 4wd and it was pretty much free. In a nutshell, I wouldn't bother unless there's something wrong with your AX-4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 BUT, if you get a good deal on a 4wd Ax-5, I would probably go with that, get a T-case in there, and run without a front shaft. Then the harder part of a 4wd swap is out of the way. :thumbsup: And if you get the linkages setup right away(which I would do with the trans already out), it'll give you a 2 LO option in case you need a little extra torque, say, pulling a Buick out of a ditch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepcoMJ Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 what's wrong with your ax4 other than it's only a 4 speed? reason I ask, is that you can get a little creative here... both geonovast and I have converted ax4's to ax5's. he took a 4wd ax4 and the necessary 5th gear parts out of a "junk" trans either he or I had laying around, and combined them. I've done this 3 times now...either combining 4wd ax4's and ax5's to make a good trans, or taking a 2wd and converting it to 4wd and adding 5th gear. it's not bad, so if worse came to worse and you're pretty mechanically inclined, you can buy a 4wd ax5 and combine the two. just remember to use ONLY RTV ultra-black to seal it (normal rtv will deteriorate in contact with gear lube) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBKrazy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 BUT, if you get a good deal on a 4wd Ax-5, I would probably go with that, get a T-case in there, and run without a front shaft. Then the harder part of a 4wd swap is out of the way. :thumbsup: And if you get the linkages setup right away(which I would do with the trans already out), it'll give you a 2 LO option in case you need a little extra torque, say, pulling a Buick out of a ditch. i don't think i'll be doin a 4x4 swap into it tho, don't really need it cause i use the truck mostly for commuting (21 mpg) and occasionally hauling stuff, and there's no rust on it so i keep it garaged over the winter.. i have a chevy 4x4 that i use in the cold months and if i wanna get dirty... the reason i want the 5pd is cause 98% of my driving is done on the highway, and it seems like the motors revving too high when youre cruising at 70-75 mph at the top of 4th.... i think the 5th gear is just what the doctor ordered to assuage my fears of blowing the motor up due to the constant high revs of all-highway driving lol... anyway, how much would you want for the tranny and to ship it to RI? i'd come pick it up but WI is a bit too far of a road trip for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have a good 2wd Ax-4... I was being ironical.. lol Don't worry about the motor blowing up. It's not revving dangerously fast at that speed unless you do, in fact, have 4.10s. You should also take into considersation, and I wish some people I know IRL would listen to me too, but; Lower RPMS does NOT always mean it's getting better mileage. If the motor's dogging at all, or doesn't quite have the torque to turn that much gear, it's actually going to get worse. But my recommendation still stands... If you find a good deal on a 4wd one, I'd say go for it. Even if you don't need the 4wd, the 2LO is still there, and if you do ever change your mind, it's there. Or if you ever sell it, you can bump the price up because the swap is half done already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WBKrazy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have a good 2wd Ax-4... I was being ironical.. lol Don't worry about the motor blowing up. It's not revving dangerously fast at that speed unless you do, in fact, have 4.10s. You should also take into considersation, and I wish some people I know IRL would listen to me too, but; Lower RPMS does NOT always mean it's getting better mileage. If the motor's dogging at all, or doesn't quite have the torque to turn that much gear, it's actually going to get worse. But my recommendation still stands... If you find a good deal on a 4wd one, I'd say go for it. Even if you don't need the 4wd, the 2LO is still there, and if you do ever change your mind, it's there. Or if you ever sell it, you can bump the price up because the swap is half done already. lol sorry at a quick glance i though you said you had a good ax5... shoulda read more carefully... anyway i think that's probably what i'll have to end up doing, i was just trying to avoid all of that extra hassle and parts hunting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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