Tankerblade

Since my rig is getting a very generous upgrade (4.5 RE lift kit), its time to put it under the knife and go a little bit further. Its currently a 2wd and i want to convert it to a 4wd.

Now there will be people who will say, sell it, and buy a 4wd. Yes i can do that. BUT I got this vehicle for free essentially. i know the history of it, how it was maintained, and it has a more sentimental value to it. On top of that i would be loosing money if i tried to sell it and buy a 4wd of same model with the same amount of miles.

With all that stupid stuff out of the way here's my question. What t-case should i get? I plan on this being a DD but also a very capable

The 231 is a very simple rugged, proven design with quite a bit of aftermarket support.

The 242 is a simliar design with full time 4wd for various driving conditions that require it.

I was also looking at and found the new 241 with the 4:1 crawl ratio deal.

I live in AZ where everything is rock. I know doing the 241 would be fab work to make it fit, but would the input shaft count be the same?

Im not too familure with t-cases and what needed and all the things i need to know to make them work so you may have to school me on them. I understand the very vague basics of how they work but not much past that.

School me with your thoughts and wisdom!!

96_xj

You need to get a new tranny first.....


You can not convert your 2wd tranny without complete disassembly unfortunately. Not worth the effort....

But, i would get the 241 (as long as it is 23 spline, which you tranny output and xcase input need to be 23 spline)

And you can find a 242 with 23 spline as long as you get it out of a 95??? or higher

I have seen a few in 98+ models.

Bottom line is 23 spine input.





https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/nvg...er-case-46130/


http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12989
I am happy with my 231 though, but a 241 with the 4:1 would be awesome! it takes a little more fab work to make it clear but it can be done. ( i did alot of research on it infact i have a thread somewhere on here)

93gc40

From what I have read all you need to do to convert the AW4 to run with a TC is, unbolt the tail cone, put the TC in it's place, tail cone then becomes the tail cone for the TC. Although the TC will probably already have the cone on it, so now you'd have a spare to use to make a SYE.

As far as the TC is concerned you will want 23 spline input. 241 would be nice but it expensive, and much more work to install. The 242 is nice for the 4FT function. 4FT is real comforting when driving in snow, AZ does get some snow. Also real nice in heavy rain and such. Not as strong as the 231 but very close. To me it depends on the use you will see. I loved my 242 in the ZJ. If I ever break the 231 in my XJ, I'm not sure which way I would go to replace it. If I could afford a 241 no question. Between 231 and 242, I would lean to the 242, but wouldn't be upset by a 231. 1 disadvantage of the 242 is you can NOT use a auto-locker in the front, must use selectable. If you plan on locking the front with a Aussie or that type get 231, the 4Fulltime in the 242 will not work with an auto locker.

Tankerblade

I know the tranny needs to be replaced. just wanted input with the t-case

bluedragon436

I myself personally would go for a 231... I drove this past year in the 5+ft. of snow we had in DE with my Jeep in 4Hi, and when needed dropped it to 4Lo and it worked just fine for me... but that is just my $.02... I mean you can find yourself a Cherokee in the JY to get the tranny and TC from and grab the crossmember and mounts and such and that will help you out with the install... heck along with all the linkages and such... Not to mention with the 231 you can get SYE/CV conversions pretty easily found, you can also upgrade to the HD chain setup, and do the Tera 2lo, and the other conversion such as that, which are readily available for the 231!! What I plan to do if I can find myself a decent Commanche, as I want to have the 231J in it, along with the front and interior conversion over to a 97+ XJ... but that will be a way down the road..

Tankerblade

What other advantages are there with the 242? I mean AZ is pretty much all rock work. I would probably just be in 4hi or 4lo depending on the situation. i just would like the best t-case for rockcrawling while maintaining street drivability.

As for the tailcone of the tranny, is there any write ups or sites that show this? I havent heard of this before...and im quite interested if i can do this haha

Also is the HD chain set just a stronger upgrade for the 231??

zedpapa

the advantage of the 242 is that it has a differential in so you can run 4hi on not-so-slippery surfaces. it would be most useful in snowy or heavy rain areas where you need the extra traction while driving on the street.

as far as the transmission goes, yours either needs to be rebuilt with the correct output shaft and tail cone or find one already set up for 4x4. this applies to botht he autos and 5spds.

i would suggest the 231. plenty of upgrades you can do to it like a terralow kit(not cheap though). i believe the chain can be upgraded to a wider one from a dodge truck, i'm not sure which one though.

don't get discouraged, i'm about to make my cherokee 4x4 soon and for a lot less than buying another one. it is not as difficult as you might think and can be done rather quickly.

zedpapa

93gc40

242 and 231 bolt up to the Aw4 in place of the tail cone, provided you match input/out put splinecount.

When I had 242 I ussually wheeled 4FT and 4LO, hardly ever used the 4HI position. Spent 2 weeks wheeling in the mountains east of phoenix 3 years ago. @31 does have more aftermarket options, and I am happy with the 231 in my XJ.

Tankerblade

How much helpful would it be to have the 242 on slippery roads. Here when it rains it gets extremely slick and i get extremely cautious and nervous. Seen too many accidents happen because of it. On a scale of 1-10 how much more beneficial would be?

I'll look into the spline count deal. How do i know what spline count shaft i have now? And how difficult would it be to replace it with the correct output shaft?

93gc40

4 Fulltime, in the wet is better than 2wd in the dry, if tires are Good. I would use mine in rain or highwind on the freeway. Litterally shift to 4FT @ 55 and it was like the weather went away and the Jeep was on rails. My ZJ in 4FT handled like a 4000# AWD sports car, nail it in a wet or dry corner and your head hits the window and you have to hold on to keep from getting thrown from the seat. NO Wheel spin unless you wanted it, also great for drifting.

Tankerblade

So it would be worth it then...

Fraser

I wouldnt think so, just keep good tires on your junk and dont drive stupid in inclimate weather

Tankerblade

Well when it rains oil from the road comes up causing very slick roads. No matter how good your tires are you'll slide while driving careful, along with the stupid people who cant drive in the rain. had to dodge too many stupid people.

what kind of prices am i looking at for a decent 242 or 231?

Fraser

well, awd doesnt help you stop