AX5 Info....

[jimmy21669]

How do you get the shift lever housing out of the AX-5 to separate the gearbox?

 

Thanks

[Geonovast]

There's four bolts, 12 mm head. Remove the bolts, and pull the shifter.

[JeepcoMJ]

y do you need it out? if it's to remove it, skip the 4 bolts. pull the boot up on the trans, turn the ring counter-clockwise while pushing down on it (wear gloves so u don't get cut), and the shifter will just lift right out

[jimmy21669]

Ok, let me clarify.

 

The AX-5 is sitting on my workbench. The SHIFTER itself is OFF.

 

I am trying to pull the tranny apart to get at the internals. When trying to pull the gear box from the shifter box, the shift lever housing (that the shifter goes into) goes down into the shift forks preventing me from separating the two.

[JeepcoMJ]

with the transfercase off, remove the plug on the rear. just behind the rod that the shift fork is on. unbolt the 13mm bolt that holds the shift fork to that rail. slide shift rail out, pull out shift fork.

[jimmy21669]

So the shift rail comes out of that plug?

[JeepcoMJ]

yeah. it's not the "shift rail" actually...it's just the "slide rail" that the shift fork rides on...the shift rails are located further forward in the front half of the case, and on through the midplate

[jimmy21669]

Thanks! I was confounded....I will give it a try.

 

First time in a tranny....

[JeepcoMJ]

what's the symptoms it's givin you?

 

here's some pics from when mine was havin issues...well, one of the 4 I've had to redo.

 

[jimmy21669]

Sometimes won't go into first, and get's stuck in second. I will think it is in neutral, and when I go to stop, it is in second gear, and I can't get it out until I roll the truck and physically get it back in to second then out.

 

I have a 2WD AX4 that was perfect in the garage....I was gonna try and use that for parts to rebuild the AX5.

[JeepcoMJ]

it'll work.

 

easiest way...tear apart the 4x4 one so you learn from that, then tear the ax4 apart nicely, and swap everything from the 2x4 output shaft to the 4x4 output shaft.

 

you will need a hydraulic press.

[jimmy21669]

Yeah, gotta network with the guys to find one...and some pullers.

[jimmy21669]

Can I swap my output shaft and shift box from my AX5 (4WD)(bad tranny) into a perfectly good 2WD AX4, thereby making the AX4 into a 4WD AX5?

 

All that is different is the 5th gear on the output shaft, the 5th gear shift fork, and the case....correct?

 

The output shaft is not the problem with the AX5, the gearbox is blown in first and second.

 

I am going to try this af6ter I get some responses in agreement.

[JeepcoMJ]

Ax5 output shaft is NOT the same between 4x4 and 2x4. You MUST use a 4x4 output to make a 4x4 trans.

[jimmy21669]

Ax5 output shaft is NOT the same between 4x4 and 2x4. You MUST use a 4x4 output to make a 4x4 trans.

 

 

Right...I was going to use the output shaft, shifter case housing and 5th gear shifter from the AX5 (4WD), and put it all in the 2WD AX4.....

 

This way, the 2WD AX4 would then have a 4WD output shaft, shift case, and to get it into fifth, the shift fork.

[JeepcoMJ]

you're better off loading the ax4 1-4 gear cluster on the front half of the 4x4 output, and swapping it onto the ax5 4x4 midplate...then you don't have to swap the mid plate over, and you don't have to convert the detent system in the 2x4 ax4 system over to ax5. you *should* be able to tear it apart with a bit of maneuvering, w/o removing the ax5 shift rails from the mid plate.

[jimmy21669]

ok, so the midplates are different?

[Geonovast]

No, midplate itself is identical, however, the AX-4 will be missing the shift rail for the 5th gear, and the rail for reverse is different between the two, since the AX-4 is missing the one for 5th. It's all interchangeable, but swapping the 5th gear rail stuff into an AX-4 midplate is a major pain.

[jimmy21669]

So I got everything done. I eliminated 5th gear, since I don't need it and everything in the AX5 was toast. I used all the AX4 gears on the AX5 shaft and reassembled all the shift rails and shafts onto the midplate and got the shift box reinstalled.

 

I am having REAL trouble though, putting the gear box back over the main and output shafts. I can get the large bearing started in it's hole, but the smaller bearing seems off just a hair, but enough to prevent it sliding into the housing/case. I tried to press it together and roached a bearing (luckily I had another).

 

Is there a trick to this? This is all I have left to reassemble to put my truck back together.

 

Thanks for all your help so far.

[jimmy21669]

Wow....I worked my butt off is what I did.

 

Finished rebuilding my AX4...first time effort and it did NOT come without it's pitfalls. I shattered my cluster gear bearing, but was able to build a new one with parts I had. Once I got the whole shebang reassembled, I reinstalled everything into the MJ.

 

The Purple People Eater is now OFFICIALLY a 4x4 a MAY make it's debut in December.

 

This was a very rewarding challenge. I now know how to rebuild manual transmissions which is a major plus!