YJ: swapping in TJ tailshaft

[6spdYJ]

Anybody done this? What tools are needed? Also, do you have to pull the needle bearings? Thanks.

[6spdYJ]

Here's what I found. After looking at things, I wondered if the YJ output shaft would work with the TJ housing. Just for laughs, I checked the YJ shaft with a dial indicator. .012" bent. I didn't laugh. At least I had the TJ shaft to toss in.

After splitting the case halves, I found there was just enough play to walk the chain off without having to pull the front output apart. Just be sure the tranny is in neutral and the t-case is in 4wd (I did it in 2wd - don't). High or low doesn't matter, but low is better - more in a minute. The gear assembly just fell off of the shaft. You'll see right away when you try to put it on the new shaft that the two caged roller bearings inside the chain sprocket need to come out. Apparently they found that they were more of a spacer than a bearing and decided to just cut the new style shaft a little thicker.

I put it all together and... couldn't shift it at all. Next morning I went back and took it all apart again. Good thing I did, I forgot to fully seat the pump pickup tube. I remembered that some of the 207 and early 231 cases had a longer shift rail. You can see these easily because the vacuum switch is mounted on the rear of the case and is activated by this protruding rod. My vacuum switch is on top of the case, and it's a '92 - so it should be the short style. Right? Looks like I got a Monday or Friday transfer case with the long shift rail. Here's where 4low is needed. It has to be in 4low to get the shaft as far back as possible. If you find yourself here, just measure the part of the shaft that extends past the rear of the case and cut it off at 1". It only needs the slight bevel around it to prevent binding. The slant cut on the end was for the vacuum switch but won't be used with the TJ speedo housing.

Next came the snap ring dilema. The YJ snap rings will all fit the shaft at the output bearing, but the YJ uses the tailcone as a bearing retainer. The TJ uses a snap ring. I managed to not be able to find it. I found that a 2 7/16" internal snap ring works pefect for this.

Let's put in the driveshaft. If you're running the D35, bolt up and go. If you have a 44, not so fast. The TJ output shaft is 2" longer than the YJ, so it's inherently closer to the pinion yoke. Add to that that the 44 has a pinion 1" longer than the D35, do the math. We're now trying to stuff 3" more parts into the same space. Not only could I not get the u-joint into the yoke at all, the splines of the slip yoke hit the unsplined part of the output shaft as the shaft itself bottomed out in the slip yoke. Since I needed to get to work, and seeng as I aim to go with some fashion of SYE, I trimmed 3/4" off the slip youk and punched out the end cap. It sits perfectly over all the splines on the output shaft and has about 1" of travel before the shaft would hit the u-joint. Not right, not fun, not permanent, not worried about it.

At this point I'll throw out a feeler. Anybody have a good deal on a TJ or XJ front t-case output yoke? And maybe a straight YJ output shaft?

Hope it helps the next guy.