Ok I know there is alot of stuff out there but I cant find a clear answer. I hjave a 96zj limited with the 5.2 and quadratrc. I want the 2wd option I had a 242 in my xj with no problem ever with it and I wheeled it alot but What would be better this zj is mostly street if any very little wheeling just camping and stuff like that. Should I go with the 242 or a 231 and what one will bolt right in. What years to look for ,spine count ect. Thanks guys

 

i would go with a 242, just so if you ever want to use 4 full time on the road you have it (pulling a trailer, more traction, etc). i would find one out of a 96-98 ZJ 4.0. would be a direct swap, since all tcases on 96-98 ZJs had the same inputs. i think 97-01 XJs had the same input (.840") but dont hold me to that.

 

will the 242 from a 96-98 zj bolt to my tranny with any problem? not sure what it is yet I have read different things on that. What about the sifter will there be any issuse there?

 

it will bolt up just fine. what i opted to do as far as the shifter, was go to the junkyard and i pulled the whole shifter assembly out of the floor of the donor ZJ. you can use the original 249 shifter and everything, i wanted a more factory look. Finding a selec-trac shifter assembly is the best way to go, because with the 249 shifter, there is a spring that holds the handle to the right, on the 242, the spring holds the handle to the left. this means with the 249 linkage working a 242 tcase, you might jump thru full time into neutral. you can replace just the spring, but its less of a pain in the @$$ just to replace the whole assembly. junkyards usually get around $20 for the assembly (mine was free ) you do need the shorter tab that is bolted to the tcase right next to the front yoke for the 242, the 249 one is longer and wil not work. you can pull a 242 from an XJ or a ZJ, but only a ZJ shifter assembly will work AFAIK.