Towing MJ with a dolly..

[87Chief]

What do i need to do to tow it? Put transfer case in nuetral and transmission...?

[mvusse]

231 Transfer cases before 1995 did not have a true neutral. In the neutral setting the front and rear drive shafts are connected. Do this on a dolly = VERY VERY BAD. At a minimum you would grenade the transfer case.

 

Leave the transmission and transfer case in whatever setting you prefer. Pulling the rear drive shaft is the best and easiest way to dolly it.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

231 Transfer cases before 1995 did not have a true neutral. In the neutral setting the front and rear drive shafts are connected.

Guess I'll never win this battle... :headpop:

 

Sorry Marcel but this is not true. It's been proven time and time again...

[87Chief]

Uh oh. So what should I do? Lol

[knever3]

I agree pull the rear driveshaft and zip tie it up. Easy to do and you don't have to worry about anything. 8mm 6 point wrench and a hammer.

 

 

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

TC in (N)

Tranny is (P) if auto or 1st gear if manual

 

Pulling d-shaft is not necessary but certainly can't hurt anything.

 

Have done it many times...

 

 

[87Chief]

Ok so either TC in nuetral and trans in 1st OR take the rear driveshaft off...? Anyone have a thing to do that? Like take the ujoints off?

[Geonovast]

The U-joint is held to the yoke with two straps that are each held on with two bolts that have a 8mm head. You need an 8 mm wrench to remove the rear shaft.

 

You'll either need to simply tie up the shaft under the bed, or slide the shaft out of the transfercase, and lose all your fluid, or somehow seal the end of the case so you don't lose any fluid.

 

Also make sure you wrap the U-joint with electrical tape so the two now free caps don't fall off.

 

This is a front axle, but it works the same. You can see where the 4 bolts are, remove them, take off the straps, and you'll probably have to shove a prybar between the U-joint and the pinion nut to pop it out of the yoke. Be careful not to pop the caps off.

 

[Eagle]

231 Transfer cases before 1995 did not have a true neutral. In the neutral setting the front and rear drive shafts are connected.

Guess I'll never win this battle... :headpop:

 

Sorry Marcel but this is not true. It's been proven time and time again...

Sorry, but it IS true.

 

The Neutral position of the transfer case on the early 231 cases disconnects the transfer case from the transmission but it locks the front and rear driveshafts together. After you made this claim the last time I went out and jacked up my '88 XJ, which I bought new and which I know is all original. I verified that the driveshafts were locked together and I posted it then.

[Pete M]

I'm still convinced that Jeep is to blame for this confusion. probably used the different types here and there with no rhyme or reason. :fs2:

[Geonovast]

I am going to go test this again on a 93 231 tomorrow.

[87Chief]

Which side of the driveshaft do I disconnect? The one at differential or at transfercase and if at differential, would it still spin even though tied up.. Just thought I guess not since nothing to turn it because front are off the ground and not connected to no matter what

[Geonovast]

You can't disconnect it at the transfercase without popping it off the axle first. And no, it cannot spin if it's not connected to the axle.

[87Chief]

Ok, I think I got it down.

 

Thanks everyone.

[mvusse]

231 Transfer cases before 1995 did not have a true neutral. In the neutral setting the front and rear drive shafts are connected.

Guess I'll never win this battle... :headpop:

 

Sorry Marcel but this is not true. It's been proven time and time again...

 

I have proof sitting in my driveway. Neither my 87 Comanche nor my 94 Cherokee have a true neutral. Come over for a visit and I'll show you.

[Incommando]

When you tie up the driveshaft, make sure that you do it in such away that starting too suddenly will not let it slip bakwards and out of the t-case.

[87Chief]

Ok. Thanks. I'll probably use 100 zip ties lol

[JeepcoMJ]

231 Transfer cases before 1995 did not have a true neutral. In the neutral setting the front and rear drive shafts are connected.

Guess I'll never win this battle... :headpop:

 

Sorry Marcel but this is not true. It's been proven time and time again...

 

 

I have proven to myself that mvusse is correct and you are not.

 

My findings are that the only np231's that agree with you are sealed output np231's. If it has a tail shaft that seals on the driveshaft, it does NOT have a true neutral. It will lock front to rear. Period.

 

All jeep tech from jeep says this, too. All owner's manuals say it. Lead__not_follow, you are wrong. Period

[nameless]

lol i know in my 88 i gots a true nuetral

[JeepcoMJ]

lol i know in my 88 i gots a true nuetral

 

True neutral means that you can jack up one end of the jeep, put the transfercase in neutral, get under the truck, and turn the drive shaft on the end you lifted, without it turning the other driveshaft at all.

[SW86]

i towed mine the other day with the trans and transfer both in neutral. the front driveshaft still was spinning.

[Geonovast]

I checked the 93 231 in the 2.5 MJ today. It does have a true neutral. I also checked the 90 242 in the shed. It does have a true neutral. Twoish years ago, when I tested an 88 231, it did not have a true neutral.

 

Perhaps the T-cases paired with CAD axles aren't true? There's a 91 231 in my 4.0 MJ that came from a 91 XJ, however that XJ did have a CAD axle, and the T-case is equipped with the vacuum switch. I'll check that one, and the 88 XJ's 231s tomorrow.

[mvusse]

i towed mine the other day with the trans and transfer both in neutral. the front driveshaft still was spinning.

 

Forgot about the front axle disconnect saving you. The step by step procedures in my 87 manual will put the transfer case in neutral with the front axle disengaged. I have run a CAD delete for so long I completely forgot about it.

 

I checked the 93 231 in the 2.5 MJ today. It does have a true neutral. I also checked the 90 242 in the shed. It does have a true neutral. Twoish years ago, when I tested an 88 231, it did not have a true neutral.

 

Perhaps the T-cases paired with CAD axles aren't true? There's a 91 231 in my 4.0 MJ that came from a 91 XJ, however that XJ did have a CAD axle, and the T-case is equipped with the vacuum switch. I'll check that one, and the 88 XJ's 231s tomorrow.

 

My 94 does not have a CAD axle, and also does not have a true neutral. Don't know about 242 cases as I never had one (yet). But AFAIK they were never available in an MJ.

[jimoshel]

I towed a 88 MJ over a 120 miles on a tow dolly with both the transmission and transfer case in neutral. Didn't seem to hurt anything. I would have preferred to drop the drive shaft but circumstances made that a non viable option. I think the CAD made it possible.