Liberty Owner, Crack Smoker
I have an '04 Liberty Columbia Edition. How easy is it to find and/or swap the Comand-Trac part-time transfer case for the Selec-Trac full-time system? If its possible, how much are you looking to spend? Can an "average Joe" like me make the swap, or is it a job for a professional Jeep guy?
What about the transmission? Can I make it a five- or six-speed manual or does it make more sense to just trade it in for a stick shift?JeromeSterling, New York
Honestly, you'd be ahead of the game by just trading it in by the time you're done with the five- or six-speed swap. You'd need to swap the brake-pedal assembly, mount a hydraulic clutch master cylinder on the firewall, tweak the floor for the shifter, install the hydraulic lines to the clutch, install a flywheel and clutch assembly, and so on. And then there's no guarantee that your engine's crankshaft will be drilled for a pilot bearing.
As for the Selec-Trac in place of the Command-Trac, it's a relatively simple swap. Both T-cases share the same six-bolt mounting pattern and 1-inch x 23-spline input shaft. The driveshafts will bolt back in place. Some areas of concern: the Selec-Trac may have a slightly different clocking and it's case is slightly larger. Also, because the Selec-Trac has five shift positions (2WD, 4WD Full-time, 4WD Part-time, Neutral, 4WD Low) and your stock transfer case only has four, your shift indicator won't light up and the range indicator won't point to the right label. Otherwise, your T-case shifter will have enough free movement to engage all the T-case functions.
Mopar to Ya
I have a '67 Jeep J-3000 1-ton that I put a 440 Dodge in with 480hp and 600lb-ft of torque, an NP205 T-case, and Dana 60s front and rear. I run a Detroit Truetrac with 4.56 gears in the rear and a Detroit Locker with 4.56 gears in the front. I have '05 Dodge Ram 3500 springs in the back with a 2-inch lift, and new Jeep 1-ton spring in the front with a 2-inch lift. I need to know what kind of transmission I should run? I have a farm, so I pull a horse trailer, a big boat, a camper, and do some minor off-roading.Name withheldVia e-mail
Man, that sounds pretty cool. However, you left a lot of blanks. I'll assume since you're running 4.56s and a 2-inch lift that your tires are in the 33- to 35-inch range. This will allow you to run either an overdrive or non-overdrive tranny. At that power level I'll also assume your 440's crank has the more common six-bolt pattern instead of the earlier eight-bolt pattern for the flywheel and that your engine is internally (or neutrally) balanced. Later 440s from around '73 and on were externally balanced with counterweights attached to the harmonic balancer and flywheel/flexplate.
If it were my rig, I'd go for an NV4500. That'll get you great durability, a really good First gear for off-road, and an overdrive for highway use. Through Mr. Gasket (www.mrgasket.com) you can use a Lakewood bellhousing (PN 15335) along with a Hays 40-pound neutral balanced flywheel (PN 11-440) and clutch kit (PN 85-3100). I'd talk to Advance Adapters for a way to mate your NP205 to the NV4500. If your engine is externally balanced, you'll need to take the flywheel to a machine shop to have the balance weights attached. Mopar Performance offers a balance kit for this that you could weld on yourself, but you'll have to check at your local Dodge dealer to see if it's still available.
You could use the bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel listed above and install a Dodge NP435 four-speed transmission. The NP435 is a brutally strong four-speed with an excellent 6.68:1 First gear, but there's no overdrive. As a plus, you may be able to find a NP435 with the factory NP205 adapter. Just make sure if you go this route you don't use a Ford NP435 because it has a different bellhousing bolt pattern than the Dodge version.
Finally, my last choice would be to use a TF727 auto. While you won't have a hard time finding a factory 727-to-NP205 adapter, you will need to use a big-block TF727 because the small-block and big-block Dodge engines have different bolt patterns. Dodge did make 4WD big-block trucks from the late '60s up until '78, so you may luck out and find a tranny with the correct adapter. However, you'll probably need to use a car-type, big-block auto and have the truck output shaft and T-case adapter put on it.
Any one of these transmissions will stand up to the abuse you're planning on dishing out to it. If you go with the auto, make sure to run a huge cooler and you'll be fine. Either one of the manual trannies won't break a sweat hauling a horse trailer, boat, or a camper.
More Axle Gearing
I own a '93 Jeep Wrangler with a slip-yoke eliminator kit and Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts CV driveshaft. I'm putting on 33x12.50s, and I'm not sure which gears to use. I drive the Jeep to work and pull a 16-foot aluminum fishing boat, plus I take it wheeling biweekly. I'm considering 4.10s or 4.56s, but my problem is that I have 3.07 carriers with a rear Lock-Right, and I've been told I would have to change carriers for lower gears. Is this true?Name withheldVia e-mail
If you've got the auto tranny, I'd go with the 4.10s. If you've got a five-speed, get the 4.56 gears.
You are correct in that you will need new carriers for the gear change. For your Dana 35 rear you will need to replace your stock 2.73-3.31 ratio carrier to a 3.54 and up carrier. DTS Parts Service (800/521-0628, www.drivetrainspecialists.com) lists the open carrier you need as PN 44590 for $68.52 at press time. You will be able to reuse your Lock-Right in this carrier.
For the front Dana 30, you'll need acarrier for 3.73 and up, which is PN 706008X from DTS and lists for $68.14.
Zed-Ef Fnf
I have an '83 CJ-7 and a worn-out '95 F-250 with a 5.8L. I want to install the engine and tranny from the Ford to the Jeep. My concern is the transmission in the Ford has is a ZF five-speed. Can I adapt it to the Jeep Dana 300 transfer case, and is the ZF a decent choice? I want to put a five-speed back into it, and I already own the Ford.Travis MillerVia e-mail
That's a great engine to use, and the German ZF five-speed is a very durable transmission. To mate it to your CJ's Dana 300 you'll need Advance Adapters' (800/350-2223, www.advanceadapters.com) PN 50-9925 ZF/C6 to Dana 300 conversion kit.
The kit includes a new input for the Dana 300, as well as the adapter to mate the T-case to the transmission. You'll need to remove the front bearing retainer so you can replace your stock 23-spline input shaft with the Advance Adapters 31-spline unit. The adapter will allow you four different clocking positions for the T-case, so you should be able to reuse your factory skidplate in the conversion. Or you could clock the T-case up for a nearly flat underbelly.
Yet Another Gearing Question
I have a '79 CJ-7 with a 258 six, T-150 tranny, a Dana 20 transfer case, a Dana 30 front end, and an AMC 20 rear. What would be your idea of gear ratio for this Jeep? I split the driving 50/50 street and trail, with no rockcrawling. I have not checked to see what I have already, but just wanted to know what you think based on your experience. Also, do you know the engine power specs?Reggie MaxwellMonticello, Mississippi
For a '79 258 the engine specs are: 114hp at 3,600 rpm, 196lb-ft at 2,000 rpm. That's with the factory 2bbl.
Your Jeep probably came from the factory with 3.07 or 3.55 gears. You didn't say what size tire you're running, but if you're sticking with 31s or 32s, I'd suggest a set of 4.10s to keep the three-speed happy off-road. That will put you right at around 3,000 rpm at 65-70 mph on the highway and will help keep your clutch from frying off-road.
Scout Scalping
First off, believe me when I say that this question is in reference to a Jeep project. I happened to come across a really good deal on an International Scout II that I would like to strip for parts. Are the 304 V-8s that International used in the Scouts in any way, shape, or form related to the 304s that AMC produced? I have heard several different answers from several different credible sources. Any information that you could provide would be helpful.Matt WilliamsVia e-mail
Nope, the Scout 304 is a totally different animal than the AMC 304. The Scout 304 has more in common with tractor parts. It's basically a light industrial gas engine; really durable and torquey, but not the best basis for a Jeep buildup, in my opinion. It's probably worth something to a Scout guy, though.
Fool-Injection?
We have an '89 Jeep Cherokee with a 4.0L engine. The throttle body is bad. Trying to find a replacement has been impossible. Do you know if the '91-'95 throttle bodies interchange, or is there an adapter? Everyone is telling me the system is Renix, but the parts have the label of Bendix on them. Do you know of someplace to buy one for the '89?
Stemming from AMC's relationship with Renault, your Jeep uses the French-made Renix injection system with parts manufactured by Bendix. You're also correct in that you technically can swap a later '91-up 4.0L throttle body on your engine, but I really don't think it's worth the effort.
To do the swap you'd need to build a custom adapter to go from the four-hole later throttle body to your three-hole manifold mounting flange and find a way to adapt the TPS from the Renix to the 4.0L throttle body. Not an easy task.
Your best bet would be to call Collins Bros. Jeep (800/699-5337, www.collinsbrosjeep.com). The company should have no problem in supplying you with a good, used Renix throttle body.
Twice the Sticks
I just bought a T-18 transmission to put in my Jeep to replace the T-15 and found that it is 4 inches longer than the T-15. This means the stick for the transmission does not line up with the stick of the Dana 20. Do you know how I would get these to line up? Do you know of anyone who sells an aftermarket kit for this?TrevorVia e-mail
It will take a bit of minor bracket modification, but you can probably make Missouri 4Wheeler Supply's (417/894-2806, www.4wheelerssupply.com) Dana 20 twin stick conversion work for your application. Otherwise, you may be able to make the shifter from a FSJ pickup or Wagoneer work on your CJ T-case. These models employed longer linkages and shift-rails to accommodate the T-18 and T-98 transmissions.
Torqued T-case
I just bought an '02 Sahara about three months ago, and I have a problem with the four-wheel drive. It's an automatic with a 4.0L engine and a 4-inch Skyjacker lift with 35-inch Pro Comp Xterrain tires. When I try to shift it into four-wheel drive (high or low) it will only go into part time. It almost feels like the lever is being obstructed when I try to lift it all the way up, like there isn't enough room to lock into four low. I am wondering if maybe (hopefully) there is a linkage adjustment problem or if it is more serious. Just wondering if you might be able to help me out with any wisdom or lead me in the right direction toward getting it fixed. Thanks a lot.Jon LantisVia e-mail
I'm guessing that your Jeep has the T-case drop brackets installed for a lesser rear driveshaft angle. Your stock T-case shifter bolts to the floor and body of the Jeep. Because these brackets lower the T-case, the T-case linkage sometimes isn't able to retain its full range of movement.
Skyjacker actually has a kit (PN JSRB231A) for what it calls its Gearshift Relocation Bracket. The kit relocates the stock linkage bracket from the body to the transmission and T-case, returning the full range of movement for the shifter.
One of the rarest Jeeps is......The '42-'43 Ford GPA, which was amphibious - yes, a Jeep for land and water. Nearly 13,000 were made based on the Willys MB and Ford GPW. Very useless, highly collectible.