raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 i don't know much at all about converting to 4x4 other than that i want to do it. ive got the 2.5 with a 4spd....now I'm wondering (because ive heard of the 2.5 with a 4spd and 4x4) is there a Tcase that just bolts up to the AX-4, making it an easy conversion for me? what all do i need? I'm a noob here but I'm sold on keeping my freebie and converting :help: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 You will need a 4x4 transmission,either an ax4 or you could go to a 5spd and get an ax5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 let me rephrase my original post... i have a 4spd 4x2. that is an AX-4, correct? or is the 2wd 4spd transmission different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Yes its an ax4 but its different from a 4x4 ax4, yours won't accept a transfercase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 okay thanks thats what i thought, but upon research, the only 4 speed i could find was the AX-4. i thought there would be two different names if it was 4x2 and 4x4 sooo..... hypothetically, if i had a 4x4 tranny, Tcase, and front axle, what else would i need? i already wasted space with my thread....why bother with a search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 the 2 and 4 wheel drive trannies are the same other then the tail section so they are both ax4s,the ax5 is also the same except it has a 5th gear. Also keep in mind that you most likely have 3.55 gears so if you want bigger tires or a 5spd your gonna want to change gear ratios. The easy way is to find a 2.5l w/5spd and take both axles as they would have 4.10 gears,if you want real big tires you will most likely have to spend some money and regear the axles(I'm going 4.88 with mine),once you have the trans,tcase,and axle only other big thing is drive lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 yes yes now my brain is working again....i can feel the burn through reading around on the forum, ive heard that the 3.55 gears are pretty much garbage for any kind of wheelin. well here's my situation...I'm trying to get my mj to be pretty reliable (not perfect, but a dd) so that i can paint and sell my GMC so i can afford to move to Ohio to be with my gf. this is just temporary. once I'm up there and settled in, i will find a new dd and start turning this into my weekend toy (thats when ill be concerned about 5spd and bigger lift). though since i am moving up north, it wouldnt be a bad idea to have 4wd before the first winter (if i can afford to do the swap here in fl). I'm thinking only a budget lift and 31's for the snow (whether its 4x2 or 4x4). spacers and shackles i guess is all i need? but is that too much for 3.55s? i wouldnt be beating it up in the woods, just wanna be able to get through the snow. though i might be tempted to hit some trails :brows: ...i won't be surprised if none of this happens. my gf gets around fine with her mini cooper and i got to drive it the whole week i visited. had no problems at all...even with hardly any ground clearance. but i would like to have an idea of what lies in the jeeps future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dechion Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 For what it's worth (likely not much) in terms of tires and such, I am running 235/75/15's on my 4X2 MJ up here in Wisconsin. They fit in the wheelwells, are cheaper than the 31's, and handle the snow just fine. Biggest thing I would reccomend is putting some weight in the bed once it starts getting nasty. Yes, I know, not the answer to your question about a 4X4 swap, but it is at least somewhat on topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 What we are saying with the 5 speed swap is that if you need a different trans anyways, go for the 5 speed right off the bat, they seem to be more common anyways too. And if possible get a matching set of front and rear axles to go with it. That will make life easier for you. 3:55 gearing will suck donkey balls with 31" tires and the 2.5, so really try to get a set of 4:10's all ready to go from a donor. Your engine will thank you, and youll feel more power from it through the entire rpm range. I bought a donor MJ with the 5 speed 4x4 trans and 4:10 axles in it already for $125.... the motor was shot (2.8 V6 suprise suprise) but it was everything I needed to convert to 4x4. And Just for your info.... when looking for donors, the 2.5 and the 2.8 use the same transmission and bellhousings, so don't rule out 2.8 donors. Good luck, and let us know if you have any more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 you think 31s with 3.55 suck,I've been running 33s. My poor engine is gonna thank me when it gets 4.88s,although it does better then I expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 lol wow youre still runnin 3.55s? ..my poor engine is going to thank me when i do as little as an oil change :rotf: my girlfriends dad doesnt really take care of his vehicles (he was going to scrap it but i saved it) although he has kept it up and running for a while. its got 267XXX miles on it. I'm really really hoping that i can change filters, plugs, wires, and vacuum lines and won't have to do any internal work for a while. like i said, once i get to ohio, thats when the real work begins, but my plan is to just give it a major tune up and sell my primary source of transportation so i can fund the move. it runs and drives great now but i have my doubts. it was parked for at least a year before i towed it home. brakes are terrible though...i need to look into that before driving it anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 for some reason when i responded to mnkyboy, i didnt see the responses from Dechion and dasbulliwagen :dunno: @ Dechion: any info is good info. I'm running 235/75s on both my mj and my gmc jimmy. and like i said, my girlfriends mini cooper got through without a problem when i was up there. i was pushing through parking spaces with at least 6 inches. i will need new tires once i get it on the road (whether in FL or OH) and i just want it to look a little bigger. ill probably look into 31s or 30s but i might just end up with 235/75s again which is no biggie. and while i was up there and saw trucks fishtailing (mostly for fun) i decided i would end up putting weight in the back anyways @ dasbulliwagen: i figured i would look for a 5spd in the future. i just wasnt sure if it was possible to keep my AX-4 and convert. at least until i found a 5spd. I'm just going to stick with 2wd until I'm settled in and have money to buy a donor. and well, i guess now that i think about it, i probably should just get 235/75s again. I'm really not worried about getting stuck in snow. my girlfriend always told me stories about how her dad had to pull her s10 out when she got stuck. and how the jeep pulled through sand and mud when 4x4s were getting stuck. I'm mostly just concerned about making it reliable transportation. its got 267k right now. I'm gonna change the oil, air and fuel filters, change vacuum lines and plugs, seafoam the hell out of it and see where that gets me :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 You could budget boost your truck and get 30s or 31s Here's mine when it was stock with 31x10.50s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 thats what i was thinking of doing but if the 3.55s and the 2.5 will take a beating turning the 31s then its not worth it to me. i need to take it easy since this motor is tired looks good tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I could still burn the tires when I had 31s, the 2.5l pulled them around pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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