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Is my shifter on my AX15 correct after my swap?


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I got an AX15 from a friend, he runs a shop and does lots of work on jeeps.  He says it was from an XJ for sure.  We installed and swapped the Aw4 with his AX15.

 

The car is driving pretty good and shifting great, it feels really nice.

 

I just feel like the shifter is a little too tall.  I use to have an XJ manual a long time ago and feel like it was a little different.

 

Does this have the wrong shifter on it?

 

If so, can you replace the shifter without dropping the transmission?  Just remove the inside cover plate maybe and replace it?

 

He swears it's all from an XJ though, but he's been through a lot of jeeps since he removed this, it's been in the shop for about a year.

 

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Pretty sure it's not right, must be from a TJ? It shifts well, doesn't hit anything like the dash in any gears, etc...

 

I keep reading different things about shifters, like if it's a TJ transmission I cannot put an xj/mj shifter on it? Also, some say on ax15 you can press down on shifter and rotate and it will come out and I can replace it. Others say you have to pull out console and unbolt the 4 bolts from transmission?

 

4wd I pulled from an xj myself in a pull a part, so it should be correct.

 

Not sure on which years on any of this if that makes a huge difference.

 

My comanche is an 89.

 

I plan to try another pull a part today, the one today had no manual in it.

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Here is the 4wd selector.  It also seems like it's higher up than I see in some pictures, but it came from an XJ, the plate came with it and fits perfect in the console.  It's not the newer one with the red stripe and the colors on the face plate, but the older more plane face plate with the full black handle.  Maybe that one sat higher?

 

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That's a YJ shifter. Much too high for an XJ/MJ.

 

 

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one?  Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter?

 

 

You're correct.  No unbolting is necessary.  There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place.  You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off.  It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate.  Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it.

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That's a YJ shifter. Much too high for an XJ/MJ.

 

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter?

 

 

You're correct. No unbolting is necessary. There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place. You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off. It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate. Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it.

 

I keep reading that some say the shifter from an xj won't work, they are different, one is shorter than the other or something, not sure if that is just the yj and not the tj though.

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When you did the trans swap, did you swap crossmembers as well? Otherwise, the AW4 crossmember sits about 3/4" higher than the manual trans crossmember.

Thow wouldn't completely account for why your shifter sits so high, as it is definitely not an XJ shifter.

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That's a YJ shifter. Much too high for an XJ/MJ.

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter?

You're correct. No unbolting is necessary. There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place. You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off. It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate. Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it.

I keep reading that some say the shifter from an xj won't work, they are different, one is shorter than the other or something, not sure if that is just the yj and not the tj though.

Yes you can...there's a YouTube vid on how to remove the shifter like sloride mentioned above...

I switched my shifter assembly over when I did the ax15 swap from my ax5 .....

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When you did the trans swap, did you swap crossmembers as well? Otherwise, the AW4 crossmember sits about 3/4" higher than the manual trans crossmember.

Thow wouldn't completely account for why your shifter sits so high, as it is definitely not an XJ shifter.

 

It's installed correct I believe.  I pulled the cross member myself from a mid 90's AX15 cherokee and it bolted right up factory with no modifications.  Also, all the linkage fit, as well as the clutch lines routed perfectly, so I think it's correct...

 

I was at the pull-a-part this weekend looking for an XJ shifter, no luck, but I did see a couple of XJ's and the 4wd shifters on some of the older models does stick up a bunch, so I think that's fine.

 

I called my buddy and he is positive the AX15 and NP231 are from his personal 1994 XJ, but he couldn't find the original XJ shifter, so he used a YJ shifter.

 

So I think I just need a new shifter and I should be good to go.

 

I wonder if I can get just the shifter like in the video, or if I have to get the whole piece on top of transmission because I read somewhere the XJ and YJ units have to be taken together, they are slightly different as a whole unit.

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That's a YJ shifter. Much too high for an XJ/MJ.

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter?

You're correct. No unbolting is necessary. There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place. You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off. It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate. Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it.

I keep reading that some say the shifter from an xj won't work, they are different, one is shorter than the other or something, not sure if that is just the yj and not the tj though.

Yes you can...there's a YouTube vid on how to remove the shifter like sloride mentioned above...

I switched my shifter assembly over when I did the ax15 swap from my ax5 .....

 

 

 

It's crazy how easily they removed the top part of the shifter from the bottom piece.  I have read that is really hard to remove sometimes.  If it's that easy, I'm betting the shifter might just be from a YJ, but it shifts so smooth I bet the part inside the transmission is from the original XJ, also why it doesn't hit the dash and is just tall.  If it was all YJ parts, I've read 5th gear would be pushing against the dash.

 

That looks like it will be easy to replace once I can find the proper shifter.  I will just separate the top part and slide on the new shifter and be done.

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If it was all YJ parts, I've read 5th gear would be pushing against the dash.

You have to stop reading sources that don't know anything. That isn't true. My '88 Chief has a YJ transmission, transfer case, tranny shifter and transfer case shifter in it -- it was that way when I bought it. The transfer case shifter would have hit the dash, so it was cut off. The tranny shifter doesn't hit the dash.

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