I'm starting to love mine and I never thought that I would say that.


But I wouldn't be trying to change it to 242 if I had the 231 (which is basically the same functionality as all the 4wd's that I've ever had in my life - all the way back to the cast iron gear driven NP205).




Subsonic, if you want to change it then you will just have to pay your dues


Actually, it seems like the hard-core off-road folks don't like the 242 so you might find someone willing to swap all the parts with you. Or maybe just enjoy what you have for now and look for a Selec-Trac XJ (242) to buy.

 

Problem with wheeling in Full-Time is if you; get into a hole, climbing hills, mud, obstacles, differential will slip and you may have to stop at the worst moment and put it in PartTime.
But great for hotrodding mountainous paved roads, rain, snow, flat-land offroading and go-kart tracks.

 

Probably should have been in low range anyway.


We live off on gravel/dirt roads and the full time is proving great for that, but it's just a convenience. Sometimes we would shift 2hi <--> 4hi several times just getting between our house and the highway.

 

So yall think it should be kept part time? Ill take yalls word for it.

 

^ For that, the convenience of FullTime when compared to the PartTime is increased performance, reduced tire wear, reduced understeer, better traction, no driveline binding.
According to the Jeep manual, the 242 can be remain in FullTime for any length of time/miles with no loss of economy.
And if you use FullTime, the recommended toe setting is zero. For the 231 it is 1/16" to 1/8".

Yes keep it, PartTime is the important one, what makes it a jeep!

 

You lost me there Steve

 

Also on a side note, i dented my gas tank yesterday. are there any plastic tanks for my year and model?

 

Define hardcore. It seems to me that the KJ liberty 242 were the most prone to breaking. I've never had any problems with the XJ one and it seems many people attribute the bad rap from the KJ to the XJ just because the 242 shares the same name. The KJ had design flaws from the start because of its front independent suspension.

In most terms, people like the 231 more because it's more simplistic, easier to repair, and has more aftermarket support due to being a more common transfer case. I have the 242 and I have an SYE on mine despite the fewer options it has. It hasn't let me down yet.

I wouldn't run Full Time out in areas like that anyways. As the manual says, it's mostly made for wet slippery road conditions. It's similar to all-wheel drive. Off road, I would typically use part time, or Lo for crawling. The 242 has both part time and Lo in addition to Full Time, so it's not a weak point in the case.

 

The 231 has more aftermarket support, is of simpler design with less moving parts, less fickle to shifting in/out.
The 242 is just as strong when it comes to driveline torque. A version is used in Hummers. Also used in the WJ Grand Cherokee with the V8. That is what I have, NP242 WJ

 

OP asked about it..
" Full time 4x4 would be the way to go and i figured it would be easier to change it over than replace the one i have when it breaks. Plus im in the National Guard and want to make my XJ as close to our Up Armored HMMWV's for fun. We have them set as full time 4x4 and that is another thing that made me want to change it"

 

Ah I see. I never even thought about the upside of having full time in the heavy rain. If I were the OP I would invest money in lockers though. Single best upgrade you can do for better performance off-road. After that I would decide if a 242 is right for you.

 

^ True.
I'm usually going to fast for low range.

 

Another thing...

If you have an NP242, you will only want to lock the rear differential. You won't want to lock the front because that'll defeat the purpose of Full Time.

 

^ Yea, selectable only, rare for us budget conscious XJ folk.

 

Gas tank skid plate is best. Lots out there, adds a little weight but worth it.