2.5 LWB Single Cab, Swap to 4.0

[bigboi]

So after much deliberation, and much thought, i am going to buy another pickup truck and then use my dakota for a project... The Plan, Remove the 2.5 i just Rebuilt, find another chassis for it, possibly a dakota short box..

The 98 Dakota 2.5 LWB Single Cab AX-15 5 Speed Truck, Drop a 4.0 Jeep Engine, i know this isnt the forum for it, my truck is cross-bred but i am running Dodge Dakota and will be swapping my 2.5 into another chassis, after i find a blown 2.5 dakota on CL

theres one problem, I need at least a bellhousing to fit the AX-15 2wd Transmission, at least i think so, the spline count is the next detail i need to find, i was told theyre the same, all i can find are 4wds, i am totally into doing it, no ones seen a Dakota 4.0 straight 6 5 speed...

 

 

Does the Comanche have a 4.0 5 speed 2wd?

 

[benjy_26]

You can find that set up in MJ's and XJ's.

[gogmorgo]

Beyond rear driveshaft length and rear spring perches, the MJ (Comanche) drivetrain options are identical to those found in the XJ (Cherokee). For the sake of us MJ guys, don't go pulling apart a good Comanche when XJ's are a dime a dozen.

 

Any 2wd 4.0 5-speed XJ after '89 or so should have the drivetrain you're looking for. If you plan to keep your own tranny, then you should be able to make a 4x4 model work as well, just swapping over the bellhousing &c.

 

As far as engine management is concerned, OBD2 ('97+) would likely play the most nicely with your dash and stuff in the Dakota, with OBD1 ('91+) probably being the next easiest to make work. I'd avoid the pre-'91 Renix stuff, but there are those who swear by it.

 

As far as physically putting the engine in there, I don't know if anyone here knows enough about Dakotas to be able to help with that. The 4.0 is a fairly long engine, and you might not have enough room between the firewall and radiator for it... remember a straight-six's cylinder bank is two cylinders longer than a V8's.

[88whitemanche]

If you do rid of the ax15 2.5 bellhousing I'm pretty sure a few guys on here would love to take it off your hands for a 2.5 ax15 swap

[bigboi]

Would the AX-15 i have right now, work on a 4.0??? the bellhousing is the only difference correct?

 

the welding is a non issue, ill take care of the radiator placement and firewall modification, the Cummins 12v engine will fit in the Dakota

 

 

I want a 2wd Tranny.... No 4x4 Anything...... i look up and all i find is 4.0 4x4, or 4.0 A/T

[88whitemanche]

Yeah the bellhousing not sure about the clutch fork, clip, input beating and pilot bushing...but you will have to source out an external slave bellhousing

[gogmorgo]

As far as I know, the input end of the transmissions were the same between 2WD and 4x4.

 

The thing about the XJ/MJ is that they were originally designed as 4x4's, and the 2wd ones just "deleted" the 4x4 stuff, so converting from 2WD to 4x4 is simply a matter of bolting on the 4x4 stuff. As such, not all 2wd's stayed that way. This might make them harder to locate, and I'd imagine a 2WD with a manual would be even more difficult. They are out there though. If you can't find one and you can't get the 4x4 bellhousing and stuff to work, you could always just run a 4x4 tranny and tcase with nothing attached to the front yoke on the tcase, although you'd need to shorten your driveshaft.

 

If we knew what area you were in, we might be able to help you come up with a donor... It seems like there are lots of Craigslist experts here, lol.
Is that a Florida plate? Forgive me if I'm wrong... I'm Canadian and don't get down that way much at all.

[Jeep Driver]

80% of the XJs in FL are 2wd, he should have no trouble finding a 4.0 AX15 2wd as a donor.

[Jeep Driver]

I'm not sifting through all the parts listings.......however.......

 

This is common for FL-

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/4812883096.html

[Jeep Driver]

No, it ain't free....but for someone who is looking for a running donor, it's all there-

 

http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/cto/4795792153.html

[bigboi]

i would love to see this dakota run a 4.0 jeep engine, i know a professional mobile welder, and am up for the project, it may take some time to finish, but id like to see it 

[88whitemanche]

There's a member here selling a 4.0 with a column shift automatic in fortmeyers

 

 

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/col/cto/4779091494.html

 

Here's another

 

http://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/4819339008.html

[dunnc1991]

I'll have a 2wd AX-15 for sale fairly soon. I'm in VA though