wheelin'

dont feel like spending the money for a tom woods, i know the manual trans are shorter than the autos and that the 8.25(which i have) has the longest housing. all the threads and builds ive found are either auto or D35 rears. can i pull a shaft from another models front to run in my rear?
thanks
-mike

xj_maniac_newb

Just try your front shaft in the rear. If its too short get one from a grand cherokee. They're a little longer IIRC

sreeb

It is going to be way too short.

The 5 speed is shorter than the automatic by quite a bit so the transfer case sits forward a few inches. The front drive shaft is shorter and the rear needs to be longer.

I'm just installing my sye/drive shaft and have it apart over my service pit so I just took some measurements.

Front drive shaft fully extended 32" center to center.

sye output yoke to axle input yoke 35" with C8.25 and my 6" lift. His will probably vary some depending on his sye kit and lift. Some extra extension is needed for any suspension extension.

I couldn't identify any front axles that were long enough so I went new.

The_ocho

I have ax15 231 with sye and I run a ZJ V8 front shaft(you want the V8 because it has a Double cardan joint and not a CV joint like the I6 does) I did so with my D35 and now my 8.8. works great. If you have a 8.25 your yoke is a different length and I can not be sure it will work or not but worth a try

FWIW. ZJ front shaft is WAY longer than a 5spd XJ front shaft. haven not compared it to a Auto XJ front shaft though

EDIT: A lil research has learned me that the 825 has a 1 inch longer yoke. so your shaft will need to be 1 inch shorter than a d35 shaft. going down stairs and looking at my jeep I have about 2 inches of exposed slip with my 8.8(same length as D35) on 4in of lift pinon pointed straight at the T-case. I only have a few inches of up travel and a whole bunch of droop so Im not worried about bottoming the shaft out but depending on how your lift is set up I would venture to say you will need to shorten the shaft if you use the same one I do. but hey shortening a shaft is CHEAP compared to a new shaft or lengthening a existing shaft(essentially a new shaft with old ends) I paid $30 for my shaft at the JY

xj_maniac_newb

Found this list with a quick search. Might help you some.


These are measurements UJOINT TO UJOINT

BOLD ONES ARE LONGEST

XJ 87/88 2.5 Automatic 27.950 53003912
XJ 89/93 2.5 Automatic 27.970 53005540
XJ 89/01 2.5 Manual 25.310 53005541
XJ 89/01 4.0 Automatic 30.660 53005542
XJ 89/01 4.0 Manual 29.250 53005543
XJ 89/00 4.0 Manual 27.080 Export 53005544
XJ 89/00 4.0 Automatic 28.620 Export 53005545
XJ 87/88 4.0 Automatic Export 53005260 *
XJ 95/01 Diesel 27.640 Export 52098208

ZJ 1993 4.0 Automatic 30.530 52098341
ZJ 93/95 5.2 Automatic 32.870 w/o CV 53008427
ZJ 94/95 5.2 A500 30.625 w/o CV 52087805
ZJ 94/95 4.0 A500 w/o CV 52098790
ZJ 93/96 4.0 Manual 52098344
ZJ 93/96 4.0, 5.2 31.875 w/ 231, 242 52087805
ZJ 93/95 4.0 Manual 30.000 w/231 52088090
ZJ 93/96 5.2 33.000 w/ 231 53008427
ZJ 96/98 5.2, 5.9 31.250 w/ 249 & Model 30 52098379
ZJ 1996 5.2 Automatic 32.875 w/ 249 & Model 30 52098501
ZJ 96/98 4.0 33.000 w/ 242 52098707
ZJ 96/97 4.0 Automatic 31.250 52098850
ZJ 1996 5.2 Automatic 30.750 w/ 249 & Model 30 52099246
ZJ 96/98 4.0 33.500 w/ 249 52099260
__________________

sreeb

My front does measure 29" (could be 29.25") so those are probably the compressed lengths. It only has a 3" extension range so you can't be too far off.

xj_maniac_newb

They're the compressed lengths.

wheelin'

thanks guys, i guess theres no way of measuring until i acutally install the SYE right?

wheelin'

how do you shorten the shaft? ive never messed around with the drivetrain real good. when i did the lift it came with tcase drops. only a 3" BDS is currently on it and i want to run 2" spaces up from and shackles in the rear...long arms will be way later

1998xjspt

right. you have to install the lift then SYE, THEN, measure for your driveshaft. usually any front ds from a 4.0 auto XJ will be plenty long enough.

xj_maniac_newb

NORMALLY yes, but not in the OP's case. Read the first part of the thread.

1998xjspt

...dont see anything

xj_maniac_newb

A 4.0/ax15/np231 combo has different length DS's than a 4.0/aw4/np231 combo. The rear requires a longer driveshaft than a front aw4 DS (supposedly) because of it.

1998xjspt

(supposedly), how much of a difference is the length?! and if the aw4 ds is good enough up to 10" lifts, then why wouldn't it fit a 4.0/ax-15/np231?? got me stumped!

thanks for the teachin btw! greatly appreciate it!

xj_maniac_newb

Well the difference in lengths of the trannys is around 10" IIRC. The ax15 is much shorter than the aw4, so it requires a longer rear driveshaft.